If you rent your house or apartment, then we bet you have a list of things that you would change about your home if you could. And while you may be stuck with boring white walls, old carpet, and outdated fixtures, there is one feature that can be completely transformed, damage-free. You won’t even have to clear the project with your landlord first!

Stumped on what this item could be?

It’s wire shelving! On top of being unsightly, this pantry staple is, in our opinion, a very poor organizational tool—who thought storing items on an uneven surface was a good idea anyways?!

Luckily, we have a brilliant tip for you today courtesy of YouTuber Kathryn with Do It On a Dime. This domestic gal has found a way to completely transform the look of her shelves for about ten bucks and only 30 minutes of work.

Before getting started on her wire shelf makeover, Kathryn echoes our sentiments for this perplexing cabinet accessory. “They are the nemesis of getting organized because it’s so hard to find things that actually stay upright on them!” she laments.

So, instead of just living with the pesky issue, our host has come up with a smart solution. Her idea here is that, if you could simply smooth out the surface of the wire shelves, then you would never have to worry about your cans of soup and ketchup bottles constantly spilling over.

 

Transform the surface

To solve this problem, Kathryn decides to shore up the shelves by attaching sturdy foam core board that she purchased at her local dollar store. Of course, you could just cut this product down, stick it on your shelf, and call it a day, but the goal is to make over the shelves so that they are both functional AND attractive.

With this in mind, our host picks out some contact paper that she really loves, and covers the foam board with it, before sticking it in the pantry. The end result is really chic!

Sort it out

Once you have completed this genius shelving hack, it’s important that you come up with an organizational plan that you can stick to! For her kitchen pantry, Kathryn has decided to separate her plastics from her cans and glass jars. In addition, she has made the choice to use her top shelves for extra pot and pan storage.

It’s key to acknowledge that, while her pantry looks great, her particular system might not work best for you and your family. So, before you just go stocking your shelves willy-nilly, devise a strategy that allows you to have your frequently-used items always within an arm’s reach.

Now that you’ve been clued-in on the virtues of contact paper and foam core board, it’s time for you to watch and learn from the domestic goddess herself. Just click on the video below to see how Kathryn pulls off this inspiring DIY. Who knew cheap wire shelves could look so great?

What do you think of this wire shelf makeover? Have you completed this project before? Do you have any creative tips for hiding ugly shelves?