Today I’m bringing you a wooden box makeover. Actually, two wooden box makeovers.
These two have been waiting patiently all winter for a makeover and I’m finally getting around to them. The box on the top is a small recipe card holder and the bottom box is one of those cedar Lane boxes that were given away to girls graduating from high school from the 1930’s through the 1980’s (read all about that here).
After giving both boxes a scuff sanding and good cleaning, I gave each two coats of Dixie Belle’s clear B.O.S.S. They were both pretty orange in color and I was worried about the potential for bleed-thru. I’ve run into bleeding boxes before, so ‘better safe than sorry’ so I simply started with the B.O.S.S.
Next up I painted the smaller box in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth, and then I applied a section from the I.O.D. Melange paint inlay. This was my 2nd use of this section of the inlay, I first used it on a similar recipe box back in December. Here’s a picture showing that first use of the inlay for comparison purposes …
I.O.D. says you can re-use their paint inlays 2 to 3 times, although the image will get more and more faint with each use. I have experimented with that with mixed results (more on that here), but I thought I’d give it a go again.
It’s definitely more faint. Also, the inlay ended up tearing quite a bit when I removed it, so I won’t be getting a 3rd use out of it (and that has happened to me nearly every time I’ve used an inlay twice). But that being said, I still think it worked out nicely for this 2nd use.
After sealing the inlay with some Rust-Oleum matte spray sealer to make sure it wouldn’t smear, I pulled out some scraps from the I.O.D. Floral Anthology transfer to apply to the box.
I love being able to use up these bits and pieces!
I think the recipe box turned out pretty sweet.
Next up I painted the Lane box in Dixie Belle’s Guacamole. Once dry, I added some transfers from the I.O.D. Lover of Flowers set.
It wasn’t until I had the florals applied to the box that I realized there was a flaw in the transfer.
Do you see it? Here, let me give you a close up.
There is a white shadow around the florals that is not supposed to be there. I’m guessing that the transfer wasn’t lined up properly during the printing process. I think they must print a white base first, and then add the color image over that. Maybe? I don’t really know how that process works. But that white shadow is not the look I was going for. It’s also definitely not how the transfer is supposed to look.
So far this seems to be the only page from my set that was effected, so that’s good. Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, I did order two sets of Lover of Flowers and this same image in the 2nd set seems to be fine.
I purchased my transfers online from Vonda at The Painted Heirloom. So I emailed her to ask about this. She agreed that there was a flaw in the transfer and then sent me a replacement at no charge. So if this ever happens to you, you should be sure to reach out to the retailer that sold you your transfer. And I highly recommend The Painted Heirloom if you’re ordering online, she always ships orders super fast (I usually get them within 3 or 4 days), and clearly her customer service is excellent.
Unfortunately, if, like me, you already have your transfer in place before you notice a problem, you’re stuck with either living with it ‘as is’ or sanding the entire piece down and starting over which could be a bit of a bummer on a piece that is larger than this box.
Therefore, I would advise all of you to check your transfers over for this flaw before you apply them. It can be hard to see since the transfer comes on a white backing sheet, but ‘better safe than sorry’ definitely applies here too.
I’ve decided to go ahead and try to sell my box ‘as is’, so I’m putting it in the pile for my occasional sale. If it doesn’t go I may have to sand it down and start over again, we’ll see.
But in the meantime, let me know which of these is your favorite. I’m not gonna lie, I much prefer the smaller box. Hopefully someone out there will love the more saturated colors on the Lane box, but if not, I can always go back to the drawing board.
q is for quandie 
I do like the recipe box better. BUT, the Lane box has merit. The overall picture looks great. For me , who doesn’t know better, it’s not as bad as you think. Your work supersedes the shadow. Like you said if it doesn’t sale it can go to the ugly duckling pile for a bit. 😉
smiles, alice
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Yep, it’s worth a shot. We’ll see what happens.
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I appreciate your honesty. I wasn’t sure if using the inlays where worth the trouble since you can only get one use out of it. I am not that skilled anyway, so I will stick with the transfers. And speaking of transfers, I was underwhelmed when the spring release came out. I wish that IOD unretired some of their oldies. Anyway, I enjoy very much your content and wish you were on YouTube. I also wish there was a Q & A. I would love to pick your brain!
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Well, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever see me on YouTube. Then again, I’ve learned over the years to never say never. So who knows? As for the paint inlays, they can really be fun. I especially love the Rose Chintz. But they also can be tricky, and I don’t like that you have to spray seal them to avoid smearing and that’s not a great option in Minnesota in the winter (I don’t have anywhere to safely use spray products that’s heated). Although the new 2024 spring release paint inlays are pretty, I didn’t order any for that reason. As for a Q & A, you can always treat the comment section as a Q & A! I always try to respond to all comments 🙂
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Wow, I didn’t expect a response at all. Well then on more question. As a newbie, can you give me some tips on what type of topcoat to use. I get so frustrated when I have the perfect painted item then to have it ruined (bled thru) can of the wrong topcoat I was using. Alot of flippers use a certain product because they are sponsored. So, I just want to you from you. What topcoat is best when using chalk paint or spray-paint on wood and metal (and after using a transfer). I wish there was a chart so I could reference depending on what I use. I would appreciate your response whenever you find the time.
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I feel your pain Pamela. I have had water based topcoats ruin my painted items before as well. That’s why I tend to prefer using clear wax as my topcoat. I think wax is the most fool-proof option, although it’s not quite as durable. Full disclosure, I am a content creator for Dixie Belle, so I mostly use their wax. However, in all honesty, my favorite wax is the Fusion Scented Clear Wax in the Hills of Tuscany scent. It’s not cheap though, it’s generally around $30 for a 7 oz jar while a 10 oz. jar of the Dixie Belle clear wax is around $26. So I don’t often splurge on the Fusion wax anymore. Of course, there are lots of other waxes on the market, just be sure to use one that isn’t harmful to your health or the environment (check out this post for more on that).
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Thank you so much for your advice!
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I’m sure the IOD gals would be very concerned about this manufacturing flaw. As for choosing a favorite like would be like asking a mom, which of their children they love more than her others. The two boxes are a distinctly different style and like comparing apples to oranges! But if I were to compare the recipe box to other project using this transfer set, Drop Cloth paint and text, I would declare this a beauty! The faded lettering is lovely and your choices for the florals give it a classical and Renaissance print look that is beautiful. The box painted in Guacamole is one of your best in this color category. Your choice of using florals on the warm color scales, just lights the whole box up. I love how the brown text looks against the Guacamole. If I lived near you, I would certainly go broke buying practically everything you make!!
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I know that my retailer reached out to IOD, so they must be aware of the manufacturing flaw in my transfer. I’m sure, like with anything, flaws can happen. Thanks for your comment Naomi!
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Well I got stuck in the memory of the Lane Box. Yes, I was one of those girls that got a Lane box when I graduated from high school. After watching my two older sisters get theirs I was quite excited when my day came. I kept my most special jewelry in that box for decades. And then one Sunday afternoon my house was broken into and it was stolen along with all of my most treasured jewelry. However in their hurry to get away the thieves drop that box in the backyard along with my grandmother’s locket from inside. While many other things were stolen I was able to retrieve some of the ones that were most important to me and today I still have my little Lane box and a year later my grandmother’s locket went to my niece and just as it has for 3 generations, it went to the third born on her 14th birthday, as it did for my grandmother and my mother and me. So now you know why i got caught up in the Lane box. Now let me go back and look at those make-overs….
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Oh my gosh, that is quite the story! I’m glad you got your box, and especially your grandmother’s locket, back. Your story reminds me of those you hear on Antiques Roadshow (the British version is the one I prefer). Family heirlooms with a story are the best!
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