How to Cover a Chrome Shelf

In many ways, chrome is the ideal building material. It's strong, it's durable and it has a pleasing shiny finish. Chrome also has a dramatically modern look, which can come off as too slick and too contemporary, particularly if the rest of your decor style is ultratraditional or classic. Luckily, there's a way to cover chrome that's effective and enhances your current decor style, and you don't need to be a professional decorator or builder to do it.

0000 steel wool pad
Tack cloth
Measuring tape
Pen
Paper
Fabric
Scissors
Fusing tape
Iron
Industrial-strength spray adhesive

Instructions

- 1
  Rub a wad of 0000 steel wool against the top and bottom of the shelf. Your goal is to rough up the surface of the chrome so that it can better accept the adhesive. Continue rubbing the steel wool against it until you've covered the entire surface area.
- 2
  Wipe down the chrome shelf with a tack cloth. Measure the length, width and thickness of the shelf with your measuring tape. Write down your measurements. Double the width and add the thickness of the shelf to this number to get your new width. Add 2 inches to the length measurement and your new width.
- 3
  Cut a piece of fabric that is your new length and width. Turn it face down on a flat surface.
  
  Create a 1-inch hem on all sides. Insert pins to hold the hem in place.
- 4
  Insert fusing tape underneath the hem all around the perimeter of the fabric. Iron the fusing tape in place to make a secure bond with your iron on medium heat.
- 5
  Spray the top and bottom of the shelf with an industrial-strength spray adhesive. Press the underside of the fabric immediately around the shelf, covering the top, bottom and front. Smooth out any wrinkles and press down, holding it in place for a few minutes. Allow it to fully set for an hour.

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