Are you looking a unique gift idea for someone special in your life? Something that shows you put your heart and soul into it? Well, I have an idea for you. I love jewelry boxes…who doesn’t? They come in all different sizes and shapes. So let’s personalize one to make it even more special. I come across jewelry boxes all the time at thrift stores (ranging from $5 to $15), at garage sales and estate sales too. Before you buy one, make sure its in good structural shape (no broken hinges, felt on the inside in good condition, doors and drawers all open properly). If it checks the box for being in great shape….go for it. Follow me in this tutorial as I show you how I made over a jewelry box to be unique and one of a kind.
Before picture: I bought this at an estate sale and it was prices at $95 ….woooh ….way too much money…. but it was the last day of the sale and they had it (and several other that I bought) for 75% OFF.
Materials Used: (Blue links will take you to the product that I used from Dixie Belle. These are my affiliate links and I do get a small commission when you place an order).
Cleaning solution: you can use any cleaner that will remove grease and grime
Water and a rag: use this to remove any cleaning residue that is left behind
3 Paint Brushes: I used Dixie Belle’s Mini (one for each color) and then their OM Oval Medium to blend out the colors for an air brushes look.
Redesigns with Prima Transfers: I used scraps of transfers that were left over from previous projects. The smaller transfers that are used to decorate drawer pulls also work great for this type of project because the images are much smaller.
Clear Coat in Satin: Or you can use a clear wax or clear coat in Flat as well.
Step 1: The first step is alway working on a clean surface. You need to clean your piece really well with a cleaner and then take a clean wet rag and wipe down to remove any left over cleaning residue.
Step 2: If your jewelry box is made of plastic or is a very shiny finish, you might want to prime first with a bonding primer for slick surfaces (like Slick Stick) or scuff up the surface a bit with a 220 grit sand paper before applying your paint. Then apply your first coat, mapping out where you are going to place each color… don’t worry about blending at this point. We will blend the colors together so you don’t have harsh lines between colors on the next step. Nice thin, smooth first coat is best. To get a smooth coat, apply your paint with a damp brush.
Step 3: Now its time to blend. After you have let your first coat dry over night (or at least 6 hours) we can start to add the second coat. I prefer to give a lot of time between the first coat and the second coat because with chalk based paints, they are reactivated by water if not really dry. If you apply your second coat too early and then mist your piece with water it could cause the first coat to reactivate and then pull up off your surface back to wood. Apply your second coat and while the paint is wet, mist it with water and drag your brush gently pulling one color into the next to erase or blend out the line that separates the 2 colors. If you want a really smooth blend transition, then finish up the blend using a dry thick synthetic brush (like the Oval Medium ) and gently brush along your blending lines to give it an air brushed look.
Step 4: Wait 24 hours after painting and then you can apply a transfer. Transfers are images that are easily applied to your projects to give it that extra artistic element. I chose to use scraps left over from several of my other projects for my piece. Smaller transfers used to decorate drawer pulls work great as well because they are smaller so would be more size appropriate for smaller jewelry boxes. To apply a transfer, you remove the paper backing, lay the transfer image down, then use the application stick or a credit card to rub the image to release it from its clear plastic top. Slowly remove the plastic, if there is a part of the image that isn’t releasing from the plastic then lay it back down and rub it some more.
Step 5: After your transfer images on are on your piece. Use your finger to rub over all the images to make sure they are no loose edges or bubbles. You want it on really good without any piece of it being lifted from the jewelry box surface.
Step 6: Seal your piece with a clear coat or clear wax. I prefer to seal all my pieces with transfer images on them with Dixie Belle’s Top Clear Top Coat in Satin.
Step 7: Pulls and Knobs. You can use paint, Decor Wax from Prima, or Dixie Belle Gilding Wax to give the knobs and pulls an updated look. If you are missing any knobs or pulls, you can usually find replacements for them at your local craft store. The Decor Waxes and Gilding Waxes don’t have to be sealed, once they are dry they are pretty strong.
Waaaaa Laaaa you are done !!
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