Vintage Christmas Cubby Shelf Display (a Thrift Store Makeover)

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Turn a thrifted cubby shelf into a vintage Christmas display with white paint, a chalkboard background, and nine little cubbies full of holiday treasures.

Christmas decorating in my house always starts big and gets smaller. The tree, the mantel, the stairs. And then, when all the loud decorating is done, I like to make something just for me.

This year that something is a vintage Christmas cubby shelf display. An old thrift store cubby shelf, painted white, with a chalkboard background behind every little cubicle, dressed up with my favorite small Christmas treasures. Some I made, some were gifts, some are properly vintage, and together they make me happy every single time I walk past.

Can I tell you a secret about this shelf? It was a thrift store find and it had a makeover before. Come along and I’ll show you what it looked like after the first time I got my hands on it, and how it turned into my favorite Christmas display this season.

My little Christmas cubby lives in my craft room. My private sanctuary. It is my own little Christmas gift to myself. But honestly, a little Christmas vignette like this works in any room of the house.

The little enamel tags spelling Joy, Peace, Love, and Hope are leftovers from my little decorated Christmas jars.

What is a cubby shelf?

A cubby shelf is a wooden display piece with small square compartments, usually used upright on a wall or a table. Some people call them cube shelves or cubby organizers.

Mine has nine cubicles, three across and three down, which makes it nine tiny frames just begging to be filled. That grid of little boxes is exactly what makes a cubby shelf so much fun to decorate for Christmas. Every cubicle becomes its own miniature scene.

Where to find a cubby shelf to makeover

Thrift stores, yard sales, and curbsides are full of them. Old mail organizers, wine bottle racks, and hardware store display racks all have that same cubby shape. Look past the ugly paint and check the bones and the compartments. If a shelf has good cubbies, everything else is fixable. (I have a whole post about my thrift store shopping tips if you want the full treasure-hunting routine.)

The thrift store find that refused to leave

I found this cubby shelf at a thrift store years ago. It was scratched and tired, but I saw the potential right away. I painted it white, lined the back of each cubicle with decorative pink papers, and used it for craft room storage. It held ribbons and little jars and worked hard for its keep (see that over the top, romantic, vintage-style craft room from a really long time ago here).

Then I restyled my room (into a more calm, neutral slightly coastal-style craft room) and suddenly it had nowhere to go. I almost let it go. Almost. But I’ve learned that the pieces you almost donate are usually the pieces you’re happiest you kept, so it moved to the basement and waited. Patience paid off, because this Christmas cubby shelf makeover is a lovely addition to my Christmas decor this season.

How I Made the Christmas Cubby Shelf Display

This is a simple makeover, and that’s the point. A thrifted cubby shelf, some paint, and a free afternoon.

First, I gave the shelf a fresh coat of white paint. The old pink paper linings had to go, so I removed them and put chalkboard vinyl in the back of each cubicle. The dark background frames every little treasure and hides a multitude of sins that come with thrifted furniture. And chalkboard paint lets you doodle on the back, which is fun for the holidays. (Chalkboard doodles and Christmas are a whole genre around here, by the way.)

The tiny chandelier that I hand-painted with a paint pen (the pen was old and fading, which turned out perfectly, because it looks just like chalk).

After the repainting, I stapled a couple of old folding rulers along the edge. A little vintage number detail, and it costs nothing if you happen to have a shed drawer full of the things. Don’t you love details that come from the junk drawer?

Ideas for Christmas Cubby Decorations

And then came the best part. Filling the cubicles. I spent an honestly ridiculous amount of time arranging and rearranging my small Christmas decorations until every one of the nine little boxes felt right. If you’ve never spent an evening playing with a cubby shelf, I highly recommend it.

Every cubicle holds a favorite.

A mix of vintage ornaments, tiny gifts, and handmade bits.

Star of the show is my sweet little angel ornament, a sister to my DIY felt puppet ornaments.

Her demand for center stage is challenged by another cute contender.

My little snowman. Made to fit for this cubby cabinet. He is made from two styrofoam balls glued together with sewing pins for a face. Cute, if I say so myself.

If you love a vintage Christmas display as much as I do, you are in for a treat. Because this isn’t the first time that I decorated for Christmas in my craft room.

How to Decorate a Cubby Shelf Year-Round

Here’s the thing about a cubby shelf display. It doesn’t have to be Christmas. Swap the ornaments for seashells in summer, little pumpkins in fall, paper hearts in February. Photos, tiny plants, vintage keys, craft supplies. A cubby shelf is a nine-stage theater, and you get to recast it every season. Mine is going back to the craft room after the holidays, because it turns out I like playing with it too much to pack it away.

Do you have a thrift store piece that hung around for years before it found its purpose? Tell me in the comments, I would love to hear what your patience paid off on.

If this gave you ideas for your own cubby, pin it now and make it later.

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