Decorative Light Switch Covers

Intro: Decorative Light Switch Covers

Here's a step-by-step, EASY guide to customizing your light switch covers and adding a little color around the house.  It's low maintenance and definitely fun to do! Just select a few favorite images from a magazine or cut out some shapes (like I did for this demo) and you can make  an ordinary light switch cover look like a piece of art.

and please check out my website at lizhui.org!

STEP 1: Materials List

- 1 light switch cover
- sand paper (~120 grit)
- gesso or primer
- acrylic paint (your choice of color)
- collage image
- glue
- a couple of paint brushes
- palette
- shellac or clear varnish
- latex gloves

STEP 2: Step 1

Lightly sand your light switch cover until the glossy coating is gone.

STEP 3: Step 2

Coat the cover in one layer of gesso (this works better than two layers).  Let dry.

STEP 4: Step 3

Choose which colors you like from your acrylic paints and begin painting.  Multiple layers are fine but be sure to let the paint dry in between multiple coats.

STEP 5: Step 4

Take your collage image and glue into place. A small, clean paint brush is useful in applying the glue.

STEP 6: Step 5

Coat in a layer of clear shellac and let dry. Make sure you wear gloves.

STEP 7: Finished!

And now you have your own customized light switch cover!

Comments

[droid1936]

cool idee, maakt de witte box zoveel mooier

[Liz Hui]

Thhaannnxx doooood. Are uuu speeekinng huumaan orr robot?

[zomfibame]

those look very nice. ... how long do they last before they start to get scratched up?

[Liz Hui]

I once made one of these switch plates in 4th grade. It's really ugly like a lot of things 8 year olds make, but my mom insisted on putting it up in the kitchen. It's still there, roughly 20 yrs later, and has never been scratched. The collage images have started to fade a little bit - but it does happen to be in direct sunlight for most of the day.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

That is a great idea and they turned out so beautifully!