DIY Foam Board Hack

closet with new foam board and contact paper shelves

Learn how to cover wire shelving with simple and affordable methods to enhance the look of your space while maintaining functionality.

Materials

Foam Board (you can grab them at a local dollar store or get foam board on Amazon, but they are slightly more expensive.
Packing Tape or White duck Tape
Box Cutter (or anything with a shard edge like a knife or scissors)
Peel and Stick Contact Paper or Wall Paper
Measuring Tape
Pencil

Instructions

Empty the Closet
Remove all items on top of the wire shelf in the closet to make space for the new shelf covers. An empty closet will make it easier to insert the shelf covers and reorganize it.
Measure your shelves
The first thing you must do when creating your DIY wire shelf covers is measure the shelves in the closet. Measure the length, width and edge (the lip) of the shelves with a measuring tape.
My closet measured 36 inches wide and 12 inches long. The foam board measured 20″x 30″. With this particular foam board, I would need two pieces of foam core board.
Be sure to measure a couple of times to ensure you have the exact measurements. This first step is crucial because the last thing you want is to cut the foam board, only to find out it doesn’t fit. So make sure you have the correct dimensions before proceeding to the next steps.
Outline the Foam Board
Once you have the measurements for the shelves, it is time to outline the foam board, then cut it. Mark the foam board with the measurements of the shelves with a pencil. This outline will help make the foam board easier to cut.
Since the foam board was shorter than the longest side of the shelf, I outlined another shorter piece of the board to help increase the length of the closet.
The extra piece is not necessary if your closet is the same size or shorter than the width of the foam board.
Cut the Foam Board
Cut the foam board using the outline that you created.
The trick here is to cut the lip or edge of the foam board half way and leave the edges still connected. Doing this allows you to bend the front piece without the need for extra supplies when it’s time to apply the contact paper.
Connect the Foam Board pieces
Use clear packing tape to connect the two pieces of foam board to increase its length.
This step may not be required if your closet is the same size or shorter than the width of the original foam board.
Cover the Foam Board with Contact Paper
It’s time to cover the foam board with contact paper.
Take the Foam Board and lay it over the contact paper. Use a scissor to cut the contact paper to conform around the board. I’d recommend cutting at least 2-3 inches extra of contact paper on each side to wrap around the contact board.
Apply the contact paper to the foam board and smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles as you go along to ensure a clean and polished look.
Bend the lip of the foam board before wrapping it entirely with the contact paper.
Repeat this process for every single wire shelf until all your wire shelves are covered.
Insert the foam shelves in closet
It is time to insert the wire cover on top of the shelf. Repeat the process for each shelf throughout the linen closet.

Notes

To get a wood shelving appearance, you can substitute the contact paper or wallpaper’s design color with ones that resemble wood like this contact paper.