Shadow Box Thermostat Cover

Who's in the mood for a blog hop?

Oh goody, me too.

And today, it's a fun one.


It's got a theme.

Our assignment was to do something over with paper.

To be honest, at first I was perplexed, but once I found my groove, I ended up giving new life to some leftover wallpaper and a thrifted find.

Let's talk about the wallpaper first, shall we?

Remember this?


My ill fated family room floral pattern? I adored that paper.

Until I didn't and ripped it all down. 

But. I never gave up on the rolls I had stashed in the basement. I've been determined to find another use for them. And the hop gave me the perfect excuse to start.

You see, I've always been a form over function girl.

I mean, yes, I love hot water and electricity, I just don't really want to see the pipes or the outlets.

I feel the same way about the thermostats in our house. Not a fan.

I get it, they're necessary, but they're not very pretty and I don't like the way they so brazenly interrupt my carefully planned decor.

Until now I had no way to cover them. However, with the help of that wallpaper, a $3 shadow box and a little push from my friend, Ann, I now have a solution.


It was so simple.

First, I removed the price sticker from the frame of the Pottery Barn shadow box. Luckily I didn't need to use my peanut butter trick.


Next, I washed the entire thing with vinegar and water.

Then I removed the backing.

And chose a part of the wallpaper I wanted to feature.


I laid the back of the frame on the wallpaper and traced around it with a pencil.

I made sure to trace the smallest part of the frame backing, since it was the same size as the glass I wanted to cover.

Then I trimmed the edges.

I used my brand new paper cutter, the one that Santa brought me, to get a super straight line.


Then I popped in into the box.

To keep it anchored, I folded up a piece of cardstock and placed it behind the paper, no glue necessary.


That's it.

I placed the shadow box on top of the thermostat making it disappear from view.

The depth of the shadow box was a perfect match for our small unit. It fit right on top of it and sat there securely.


Replacing that (albeit necessary) eyesore with those fabulous roses instead.

Lovely.

Now, you might ask me why I didn't add hinges to cover the thermostat, rather than just placing it over the unit.

Well, here's why. It all comes down to the question, should you cover your thermostat?


And the answer is no.

It may look better year round, but it's truly not recommended to cover your thermostat. It doesn't properly read the room temperature and blocks airflow.

Since we have separate thermostats for our heat and air conditioning units, I can cover this one, used to regulate the heat, during the spring and summer.

In winter, I'll remove the floral cover, expose that ugly box again, but I'll be warm, safe and energy efficient.

Plus, Mr. Exquisitely Unremarkable, who is an avid DIYer - and do it the right way kind of guy - will be happy with me.

Win- win.

From April to October anyway.

😉

Is your thermostat covered?

Here are a few more wallpaper crafts and DIYs:

• Quick and Easy Wallpaper Notebook Cover
• Wallpaper Tray Makeover
• Wallpaper End Table Update
• Wallpaper In The Pantry

Ok!

Now it's time to hop and see all the other paper upcycles.

Happy Hopping, Friends!