decoupage-ing

My record player has had several lives. It is often out in a prominent place so that it can be used and that means that it has to match the space that it is in pretty well. Or certainly not clash. I painted it turquoise (see here) and then gray with orange stripes both of which were an improvement over the original brown but when the dust settled and my living room was all done I realized that the wall color was just a shade or two darker than the turntable, and of course it made my eye twitch. I tried to live with it but of course I eventually gave in to my crafty urges and went for it.

However, this time, inspired by these fabric covered record players I spotted at Urban Outfitters the other day, I decided to try out something other than paint. Enter one old Thesaurus and my trusty friend Elmer's glue. That's right, I decoupaged my record player! and while it was somewhat tedious (going around all of the hardware and corner covers and angles) it was also such a wonderful transformation that it was totally worth it!

After I had covered the top and bottom I did three coats of Elmer's, letting it dry in between, to make a sort of shellac like effect so the paper is now smooth and shiny and sealed. I did end up cherry picking some words that I liked and interspersing them around, as well as adding the phrase "about this book" to the inside of the lid in place of a manufacturer name, but the rest of the placement was wonderfully random.

Overall I think it really helped with my efforts to lighten up the room, I feel more inclined to pull out an album for a short dance break and it makes me smile when I walk by. I will call it a success.