DIY: Switch Plate Covers
We are preparing for Thanksgiving next week and have been busy, busy, busy. I have been trying to clean and craft and plan and organize while Jay has just been working non-stop. Maybe it’s silly, but I notice the little things. If you want proof that I’m insane, I even cleaned our plunger yesterday when I was cleaning the bathroom. It had dust. And I washed our shower curtain. I want things to be nice because our parents are meeting each other for the first time. That’s right, in our 735 square foot condo, we’re hosting Jay’s mother and father, my mother and stepfather, my brother, ourselves and the dog for a Thanksgiving feast.
So, one of the things I wanted to do was to update our switch plate covers. Did she say switch plate covers? Yes, I did. We have some pretty good switch plate covers already. Our bedroom has a great metal bird switch plate cover from Consider Boutique in Louisville, and when I surprised Jay with an office remodel while he was on tour with his band, I made this switch plate cover from a postcard he saved at brunch at Diner in Brooklyn, NY earlier this year. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I was doing when I made this one, but I still like it and it means something to us.
DIY "Diner" Switch Plate Cover
This time, I redid the kitchen switch plates with a little bit more info under my belt. I had four of various shapes and sizes and wanted to just reuse a bunch of stuff we had here, so I figured I would use Modge Podge and my Vegetarian Times subscription to make some unique new covers. I love the photography in that magazine and this latest issue was fantastic. After using my exacto knife and cutting mat to cut out some pictures by tracing the plate covers, I podged them on there, gave them another podge coat and let them sit for a while. After they had dried, I painted the edges with black acrylic to cover the edges and then used a separate brush that was moist to blend over the entire cover. It made for a weathered, dark, antique finish that really pops against our white walls. Here’s the finished product!
I added a clear sealant coat after the paint had dried to seal it all in. Here they are drying!
The main kitchen switch - I love the spoon!
I love this one, hidden under the cabinets.
Our new knife racks and the new switch plate cover
and up close!
Olives and oils!
antelopehunting
Kristel Poole
Quarter 'Til Three 
Hi, I absolutely loved this idea and tried to do it myself. Problem: once I applied mod podge, the magazine paper became all wavy/wrinkley, as if you were to immerse the paper in water and then dry it. It looks really bad as the paper isn’t flat anymore. Any suggestions? I’d love to try again and hopefully avoid the problem. Thanks!!