switches b+a

(Here's one of those boring posts that Elizabeth likes).

I had a few switchplates and outlet covers in my house that were pretty yucky and had seem better days.  Like...probably when electricity was first installed in the house.

I've been looking around to maybe replace them, but did you know cool switchplate and outlet covers are SUPER EXPENSIVE?

Instead, I landed on this probably temporary, kind of silly solution using Anthropologie wallpaper samples and a couple round-the-house tools and products.

They'll send you free 4x6 samples of wallpaper*, which is perfect for doing a single switchplate (but not enough for a double).
Some of them are pre-pasted wallpaper, so you get it soaking wet, "book" the wallpaper (fold it in half - no creasing - so the edges touch each other.  First horizontally, then vertically.  Leave it that way for a minute or two, it activates the glue!).

Then stick it on!  I used a good X-acto, and folded all the edges under.  I screwed it back on while the wallpaper was still wet, so it dries with everything tucked in and in place.

So much better, right? In case you can't tell, it's the tail end of a bunny hopping.  Whatever, I like it.  I also cleaned up the wall a little.

I did another switchplate with this "Stacked Paperback" wallpaper, which turned out only okay.  That paper is unpasted, so I went a much more decopauge route with it (paintbrush, watered down craft glue), which was much messier, and might end up sticky and unusable.  We'll see!  The good part is, I can always switch out to plain white jawns in a flash.

*regarding requesting wallpaper samples:  first, you should know - I really was/am on a wallpaper train, so I wasn't just ordering free samples for free samples' sake. I'm doing research.  But I'm glad I did request them, and you can too.  Keep in mind you might find that you don't know which part of the picture you're going to end up with!  (See rabbit butt).