With most of my toolbox makeovers, painting them is a no brainer.  They are often a rusty, crusty mess when I buy them.

But every once in a while I come across one with a nice authentic patina.  This black toolbox from October 2022 is a good example.  I kept the original paint on the top, but added the I.O.D. Rose Chintz paint inlay to the sides.

Two of the larger metal boxes in the windfall of boxes that my friend Kathy gave me also had a good authentic patina without much rust or gunk to mar them.

After giving them both a good wash, I decided not to fully paint either one.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t add any paint.  You know I can’t help myself.

Let’s start with the first box.

The exterior is clean, and not terribly rusty.

It has this great mottled green, black and rust coloring.

So rather than paint it, I just gave it a nice coat of Dixie Belle’s clear wax to add a little extra protection.

But then I did opt to paint the interior of the box to clean it up and make it more functional.

I pulled out one of the newer colors in the Dixie Belle Silk Paint line called Acadia.

It happened to nearly match the shade of green that is present on the exterior of the box.

There was a bit of rust on the inside of the box, so I decided to start with a base coat of Bonding Boss to prevent that from bleeding through my paint.  I followed that up with two coats of the Acadia.

Since the Silk paint has a built in topcoat, I didn’t need to add any additional topcoat.

I did however decide to add a segment from the I.O.D. Label Ephemera transfer to the inner lid.

Seriously, how could I resist?  That wording fits this box perfectly.  Even though no one will even see that unless they open the box, I still love it.

Once the transfer was in place, I did add a coat of DB’s clear wax over it to protect it.

Next up is the 2nd large box with its mostly worn off black paint.

Inspired by that previous black toolbox, I decided to keep the worn black paint on the sides and just dress up the top of this box with another paint inlay.

After adding a couple of coats of Dixie Belle’s Caviar paint to the lid, I applied the new-ish Lattice Rose paint inlay from I.O.D.

As you can see, I had some inconsistent results with the inlay.  I’m not really sure why, maybe I didn’t leave it on long enough?

But since I’m leaving the mostly worn paint on the body of the box, I think splotchy results on the lid really work.

I treated the inside of the box to a coat of Dixie Belle’s Bonding Boss, again to seal up any rust, then I added a coat of their Silk paint in Anchor.

I used the last of my peonies to stage these photos.

If only those peonies had a longer bloom time!

Both of these metal boxes would make great storage pieces, whether in a workshop or craft room.

What would you use them for?  Leave a comment and let me know.