easy bookshelf makeover

i had a few requests from friends on how i did the dresser & bookshelf makeovers for the baby's room & i figured i would show you real quick how to do them... because it is that easy & that simple, i promise! 

my bedroom has always been muted pastel colors & i had this urge to redecorate with all things bright for the spring & summer, so what better way to kick off the bedroom makeover than some insanely bright magenta shelves?! 

i found another bookcase in my basement & got to work. it was totally gross & had a huge oil stain on the bottom shelf as you can see above. so i grabbed some windex & paper towels & scrubbed the shelves top to bottom... not too shabby.

then, i folded a piece of sandpaper around a block of wood & sanded down the whole thing. you have to do this with a finished piece of furniture in order for the paint to have something to grab onto.

 it ended up looking like this:

 then my dad (because i get nervous getting too close to these kinds of chemicals being pregnant!) sprayed a coat of stain blocker onto the oil stain to seal it before painting. 

3 coats of high gloss paint in your favorite color...

and bam. talk about brightening up a bedroom! it is all still pretty bare bones & pastel all around it, but nothing a few paintings, some orange pillows, & a lamp shade can't tie together! it is an instant smile on my face everytime i walk into my room now! & just in time for my favorite holiday: valentine's day!