A Gift Box 40 Years Later

Some time back, I bought an ugly-duckling of a box at a thrift store for 98 cents. It was wooden with a hinged lid that looked like it was intended for something like holding stationery and pens. 

Looks like someone had lovingly hand-painted the lid, signed it on the inside, created a nice velvet lining and given it as a gift back in 1972. I began sanding the paint off the lid before I remembered to take photos, so the Chinese letters that had been painted in super thick gold paint are almost gone at the time of this photo session.

Even though I chose to redo this box with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I had to give the lid a pretty deep sanding.  The decorative paint that had been applied back in the '70s, was so thick it had substantial ridges that would have shown through any new paint job.

After I applied a nice coat of ASCP Paris Grey, I used Rosemary's splendid blender pen transfer method to create the wonderful image from The Graphics Fairy. Then I distressed the entire piece. I followed that with a coat of Annie Sloan soft wax and then a light brushing of the dark wax for a more aged look.

In reality, though, it wasn't as simple as all that. When I tried the blender pen transfer the first time, rather than transfer the image, the blender pen simply stripped the paint off the lid. Not to be deterred, however, I painted just the image area with another coat of Paris Grey, let it dry, and added a second coat to that small area. And, believing that the third time was bound to be the charm, I added a third coat for good measure. It worked!

I replaced the red velvet lining with a nice selection of handwritten papers, a couple of which also are from Karen's wonderful collection at The Graphics Fairy. After positioning and repositioning the pieces a few times and finding the arrangement I liked, I attached each with a thin coat of Mod Podge and then gave the entire inside a generous coat of matte finish Mod Podge to seal it.

The hinges were in good shape, but tarnished. Even so, I wanted a more aged look, so added some black acrylic paint with a soft cloth, removed the excess paint and sealed it with a clear spray-on sealer.

As I sit here at my laptop and review the photos of this lovely reclaimed stationery box, I suddenly have an urge to handwrite someone a personal note.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Show-off Saturday at Nutmeg Place
Get Schooled Saturday at Too Much Time on My Hands
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things
Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime
Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple
Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Thrifty Thursday at Thrifty Decorating

Night Owl--Crafting Down to the Wire

A while back, I picked up this cute vintage owl coaster holder at an estate sale for a song with the intent of giving it to my daughter, the owl nut. It bears a label on the back, "Made in Japan." I'd guess from its style and the Japanese origins that it's from the '60s or '70s.

The coasters were the simple cork discs, probably not the original ones that accompanied the owl because they were imprinted with a promotional message. So, of course, I wanted to spruce them up.

Good thing these are easy to do, as I waited until the last minute to begin this Santa gift project. I chose six different patterns of card stock to cover the coasters. First, I traced around a coaster and cut out the circles just inside the tracing lines to ensure the circles wouldn't be larger than the cork discs.

Then, I applied a coat of Mod Podge to each coaster--over the promotional imprint. I attached each of the circles, burnishing with a folding bone to eliminate any air bubbles.  After letting them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, I applied the first of three coats of Mod Podge matte finish sealer to the paper coverings.

After wavering on whether I should paint the owl or leave him as is, I decided to leave him in his natural state. I liked the simplicity of the plain wood and the way the eyes stand out against the darker color, so I just cleaned him up.

These are so easy to make, you could create them for any occasion that calls for a small gift. You can purchase the pre-cut cork discs at almost any craft store and can cover them with the paper of your choice. Use your imagination to come up with a stand or holder for your coasters:  a vintage tin, a glass bowl or box, a small metal tray.

Quick, fun and easy.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Savvy Homemade Monday at Home Savvy A to Z

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World

Vintage Thingie Thursday at The Coloradolady