Contac me baby!

Growing up, my German grandmother Olga swore by Contac paper. She used it for everything: meticulously covering shoeboxes to repurpose them for storage, on the inside of cabinet doors and drawers, around tin cans to use as pencil holders, as labels, and a few I’m sure I’ve forgotten about.  And, if something was getting close to needing a coat of paint, it got the Contac treatment. I’ve recently rediscovered  the versatility of  this inexpensive and easy-to-work-with material. Here are a few fast and fun transformations inspired by Olga’s creative utilitarianism.

 Wall Decals: This flock of birds is so easy to make, and any outline shape can be used. I used two shapes and created them in two different sizes to make the ‘flock’ look more random.  Best of all, these decorations don’t damage walls and are easily removed.

 tip: use a copy machine to copy your image to size, and play with enlarging and reducing it. Then use a glue stick to fix it onto the back of the contac paper and cut through both at the same time

 Magnetic board: You can make a magnetic board by having a piece of sheet-metal (available at home stores) cut to size and fitted to a picture frame. Before mounting the metal in the frame cover it with the pattern of your choice.

  

Storage tins: In addition to holding pens, scissors, and paper clips, these make great organizers for your medicine cabinet or craft area.

 

Some other ideas:

Pretty temporary labels (for picnic containers, pot luck suppers): Cut with scallop scissors and use for everything from seasonal items to picnics.

Bookcase: Dress up a bookcase by applying the paper to the back wall behind the shelves – a quick and changeable alternative to painting.
 

I also use it as a low-tack tape for containers that need a little extra help staying closed.

Got any clever uses for low-tack paper? Please share!