Easy Fix for Cardboard Magazine Files (Ikea Fluns Upgrade)

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% mine.

So, back to the open shelving in my kitchen.  It vexes me.

I told you recently that I was gonna restyle it soon...and here's what it currently looks like:

I meant to get a plant up on that top shelf. before I shot this pic...whoops!

I also wanted to add some magazine files to corral all those catalogs, magazines, and papers that tend to clutter up my kitchen. Enter the Ikea FLUNS magazine files, which are white cardboard and will set you back a whole buck for four. FOUR FOR A DOLLAR???  Yep.  Great price, but unfortunately they look as cheap as they are:

If you don't have an IKEA near you, you can buy the exact same ones for a little bit more by clicking here.They are just so plain and so white, so I used craft paper and little label frames from the craft store (spray painted gold) to spruce them up and allow them to blend with my summer-y coastal blues and browns:

Spray adhesive worked great for this project.  If you want more of a tutorial, let me know!  By the way, my very favorite gold spray paint is Rustoleum Metallic Gold.

The categories are "Read" and "Plan:"

I did this quick project a few weeks ago and (in spite of being cardboard) the magazine files are holding up great!  This would be fun to do with a pretty patterned paper, too.  Let me know if you try it!