Sometimes I find myself unable to throw things away and the reasoning is always "I could use that someday." I have hoards of toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, sheets of packing paper and random bits of whatnot. Most often, nothing ever comes of these crazy odds and ends but I’ve been cleaning my art room this winter and actually getting projects done! 🥳 yay!!!
While cleaning I found this old Melissa & Doug wooden box that I had saved for years. I thought, now is the time for a quick project.
The paper, buttons, stamp, inks, and the punch I used are from Stampin’ Up. The paper flowers and adhesives are just from the craft store, most likely JoAnn.
As you you can see here, the kids had scribbled inside the box so I needed to start with a couple coats of acrylic paint. I didn’t want the marks to seep through the paper when the mod podge is applied. Using Liquitex basics I mixed a light tan color with white, brown and a little yellow and painted the entire box.
Originally I was going to use the sage green clock-patterned paper but after the paint I started feeling the red papers calling out to me. They looked better with the tan paint. Luckily, the red paper had a grid pattern in the background which helped with cutting. The wooden box sections were not quite straight so after several minor adjustments, including some difficultly fishing out badly fitting paper scraps, It was time to glue.
Be sure to water down your mod podge for this step. Brush the glue directly onto the base of the wooden box and press the paper in. Follow that with a top coat of mod podge and allow time to dry.
Feeling inspired by the sweet flowers and birdies in the background and the Valentine’s holiday, I finished decorating with paper flowers and a “follow your heart” stamp.
I had considered putting chocolates in the box and giving them to my husband for Valentine’s Day but ultimately just sat it up on the kitchen counter to display. I’m really enjoying this pop of color and I hope it inspires you to repurpose some of the hoard laying around your house or to clean up your craft room and finish some of those UFOs (UnFinished Objects).
God Bless and Follow Your Heart!