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Natalie Snyders SLP

Making the life of a busy school SLP easier and a bit more beautiful everyday!

in Design or Decor Ideas

Classroom Desk Makeover

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It often comes with the territory of working in the school setting, but often the furniture and storage options we “inherit” may be a little worse for the wear.  When I moved to my current position three years ago, I inherited this desk.  Sure, it’s perfectly serviceable, but it definitely needed a little love!
I know some of you may be moved from building to building or room to room without much notice, but I am the only SLP in my small district, and had been in my room for two years before I decided it was time to do something about it.
First on the to-do list was a paint job.  It’s amazing what a difference this alone made!  (I wasn’t sure what type of paint to use, so I went to Home Depot and bought what they recommended.  This took a coat of primer and two coats of black paint designed for metal surfaces.)
I had it like this for the past year, but the chipped edges really were bothering me.  I also saw this fabulous desktop makeover from Maureen at The Speech Bubble SLP, and decided I wanted to do something similar!  The following picture shows what my desk top looked like originally.
I purchased white contact paper and a vinyl inspirational quote from Etsy for this project.  (The great part about working with contact paper and vinyl is that it is easily removeable should I ever need to take it off!)
First, I thoroughly cleaned off my desk and waited for it to dry.  Then, I cut contact paper to cover the top of my desk.
I knew contact paper would be tricky to work with, so I made sure to have plenty just in case!  I definitely learned the hard way that you DO NOT want to use a straight edge that is smaller in width than your contact paper!  I ended up with tons of bubbles that I couldn’t fix when I started out this way.  I had to take those pieces off, and started again with a yardstick.  It was SO much easier!  I still ended up with a few small bubbles, but they are not very noticeable.
Next, I lined up the quote decal where I wanted it in the center of the desk, and carefully peeled off the backing, according to the seller’s instructions.
I chose this particular quote as a positive reminder for myself, and I love how it turned out!
I overlapped some of the contact paper over the edges of the desk, which did help cover up some of the worst chipped areas.  I then cut some cute bulletin board border from Schoolgirl Style and attached it with sticky tack.  (I may use velcro strips at a later point in time if this doesn’t hold up well.)  
And here’s the finished project!  Tell me, what do you think?
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    12 Comments

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    Comments

    1. Felice Clark says

      June 9, 2015 at 3:11 pm

      I love this! Found some cute designs at the dollar store and am going to decorate my desk next school year.

      Reply
    2. Natalie Snyders says

      June 9, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      I'd love to see how it turns out! 🙂

      Reply
    3. Mary says

      June 17, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      Does the decal make it hard to write on the desk? (Is it raised?)
      oldschoolspeech.blogspot.com

      Reply
    4. Melissa Kozerski says

      August 1, 2015 at 11:21 pm

      awesome before and after! I can't wait to try this! 🙂 Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
    5. stacey says

      September 2, 2015 at 1:48 am

      LOVE IT!

      Reply
    6. Unknown says

      June 5, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      Did you find that the quote decal came off easily during the year? Did overlapping edges of the Contact paper bother you – was it noticeable?

      Reply
      • Natalie Snyders says

        June 5, 2017 at 2:47 pm

        I didn't have any trouble with the quote decal peeling off, but I did get a plastic desk cover so I wouldn't spill my drinks on it accidentally! With the white contact paper, the overlapping edges are visible but not prominent, and it doesn't bother me.

        Reply
    7. Kelley says

      August 9, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      How did the border hold up on the desk? I'm trying to figure out what to use and I'm going nuts.

      Reply
      • Natalie Snyders says

        August 9, 2017 at 7:54 pm

        I've tried a couple of different options, including sticky tack and various kinds of tape, but it was velcro dots on both the border and the desk that held the best.

        Reply
    8. Bailey says

      July 19, 2018 at 9:01 pm

      Love this idea! So with your metal desk it only took primer and a few coats of paint? No sanding? I’ve been trying to research desk makeovers for the upcoming year and would love some tips!

      Reply
      • Natalie Snyders says

        July 20, 2018 at 11:28 am

        I didn’t have to sand it – I just cleaned it well before applying primer. If there was more than one coat of paint on it, though, I might try a little sanding first.

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Home Office Makeover says:
      February 10, 2021 at 8:01 am

      […] kind of in love with vinyl quotes now (did you see my desk project?), so I knew I wanted to find something for this awkward space about the cabinet.  (It is from […]

      Reply

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