How to Decorate the Shelves on Top Kitchen Cabinets

Place pottery on the tops of your kitchen cabinets. Choose pottery in natural shades, or that has been painted in colors that coordinate with the rest of your kitchen. Choose different types of pottery, such as vases, pitchers and bowls, to vary the eye line and make it more aesthetically pleasing. Place them side by side to cover the top of a specific area of your cabinets. Otherwise, space the pottery pieces evenly apart to decorate your entire cabinet area.

Search through antique shops, vintage stores and thrift shops for a variety of vintage plates. Choose mismatched plates, but make sure that they coordinate with each other and with the rest of your kitchen. Place the plates on plate display holders that allow them to stand upright and be seen from below the cabinet. Place the plates in their holders on the tops of the cabinets.

Place plants in the area above your cabinets. Choose green silk plants if your kitchen does not get much natural light. Otherwise, select natural green plants that do not grow very tall. If you select real plants, make sure that you place their pots on saucers so that when you water them, excess water does not drip into your cabinets or damage their tops. Place your plants in colorful pots that coordinate with the rest of your kitchen decor. Otherwise, choose neutral rattan pots for the plants.

Select baskets to place on the tops of your cabinets. Choose baskets in varying sizes and shapes to give the area more visual interest. Evenly space the baskets across the length of the tops of your cabinets.

Select old kitchen tools, like cheese graters, mixers, toasters, tea pots and coffee makers, from antique stores and vintage shops. Place the items in collections of two or three and space them across the tops of your cabinets.