Well shucks.  I could have sworn that I took a ‘before’ photo of today’s project.  But if I did, I have no idea where I stored it.

Suffice to say that one of the shop owners at Reclaiming Beautiful gave this box to me because she thought it was a good candidate for a makeover (thanks again for that Monique).

It’s started out as just a simple wood box.  Monique had tried to strip it with mixed results.  I think in the end she just figured it wasn’t worth putzing with, so she gave it to me.

After removing the latch, I gave the box a quick scuff sanding and then a coat of Dixie Belle’s Bonding Boss inside and out.  The wood definitely looked a bit red, ie. it would probably bleed through my paint.  The Bonding Boss will prevent that.

Then, well, the box sat for a while.  I wasn’t exactly sure how I wanted to finish it.  That gave the Bonding Boss plenty of time to cure.  Technically you are supposed to wait 24 hours before painting over it.  I find that it works best for preventing bleed through if you follow those instruction.

But I pulled the box back out a week or so ago and gave the interior a couple of coats of Dixie Belle’s Cactus.

Next up I painted the exterior in their French Villa.

Both of these colors are from their Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint line.  I tend to prefer using their chalk paint line usually, but every now and then it is nice to use a paint that doesn’t require a topcoat.  Well, technically it also has a built in primer so I’m not sure I really needed the Bonding Boss.  However, I hadn’t chosen my paint colors yet when I started with that step.

Next I brought out one of the new transfers from I.O.D., By Any Other Name.  There are four different images of white roses in that set.

I used all four on top of the box with the excess draping down on the sides.

I added some typography from the I.O.D. Saint Ouen transfer to the front of the box.

I then added a few insects here and there, also from the By Any Other Name transfer.  As a final touch I also added the “Tag No. 9757” which is from Tim Holtz.

OK, that takes me to the “latch” which really isn’t a functioning latch.  I didn’t really think it through when I decided to add that.  Somehow I thought it would work to actually keep the box closed, but of course it doesn’t.

But I liked the look of it so much that I kept it anyway.

That isn’t an original finish on it, I created that look using the Dixie Belle Patina Paint.  The latch started out in shiny brass, so I began by giving it a coat of the Bonding Boss to help my paint stick.  Then I gave it a quick coat of Dixie Belle’s Coffee Bean paint.  Once that was dry I dabbed on some of the Iron paint and some of the Bronze paint.  While the paint was still wet, I added the Green activating spray.

I just love the results you can get with the Patina Paint.

Now, although the paint doesn’t require a topcoat, the transfers do.  So I added a coat of clear wax over the outside of the box.

I have to admit, I wasn’t initially sure where I was going with this box.  However, in the end I quite like how it has turned out.

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let me know.

It is available for local sale, so check out the details here if you are interested.

As always, thank you to Dixie Belle Paint Co for providing their products used in this makeover.