Ideas...

©Amy Peacock 2001

I was on the phone one day with mom whining about my lack of space for my rubberstamps. I wanted to store them in such a way that I could SEE them all. Shadow boxes hadn't worked for me because of the limitations of the little cubbyholes in them. Fine for tiny stamps...but what to do with my BIG stamps?!? She came up with a TERRIFIC idea...way to go Mom!

She suggested that I use old drawers (like from kitchen cabinets that had been ripped out) as the basis for making some shelves. They are generally the perfect depth (stamps tend to float around in ordinary bookshelves) - maybe about 5 or 6 inches deep. Now remember, this wouldn't hold true for all drawers - we're aiming for about the depth of your silverware drawer here...

So one day while I was out and about I stopped in at a junk place. It was one of those scary places where you're sure you would contract tetanus if you fell down, but that can hold treasures if you are willing to look around a little. I found just what I was looking for: 5 drawers of varying widths but all about 5 inches deep. And for only A BUCK APIECE!!!!!

What a deal.

My husband and I figured we would drill holes in the sides and the backs of the drawers for holding shelf brackets. We bought 3 and 4 foot pieces of 4" x 1/4"  poplar to cut into shelves. I washed the drawers, dried them, we drilled the holes (about every two inches or so, so I could adjust the distance between shelves if I wanted to), and spray painted them white. It was more work than I anticipated but well worth the effort - for now I have shelves especially for my stamps! Woohoo!!! All told, the five shelves cost well under $100 bucks. I think the most expensive part were the little brackets we bought to hold the shelves up! Not bad considering I know how much custom shelving costs.

Upon reflection, I don't think I would spray paint them next time. It's too smelly and messy and bad for Mother Earth. I would definitely go for acrylic paint or maybe latex enamel. I don't think it would be any more difficult to do than spraying them because the drawers are a plain shape (no funny little notches, grooves etc.).

Here are some really terrible Polaroids of my shelves... :) Those things below my drawer-shelves are just shadow boxes from Ikea. I've got most of my smaller stamps in them right now.

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