Vintage Decoupage Box

Decoupage is something I have been meaning to try for many years now.
 Last weekend I finally decided it was time to give it a go.

After a very long search to find suitable paper napkins,  that I liked, I rushed off to my local craft store to get the other material I needed to complete this project.....Crackle glaze.

All I needed to do then was wait for the napkins to arrive in the post.

I already had Mod Podge, brushes, white paint and black paint.

The plain pine box I have had for about 25 years it used to contain about 40 mini bottles of perfume, which made the box smell dreadful.  I   have scrubbed  it and  aired  it out in the garden for the whole of one summer and the blessed thing still smelled disgusting,  which is what put me off using the box  all these years.

It still smells a little but it's nowhere near as strong now.

Anyway this project was so quick and easy..... If you don't count the drying time between stages. 

Here's how I created this look..

Step One

I mixed a little black and  white acrylic paint together to make a pale grey colour and painted the  the whole box and allowed it to dry.

Step Two.

Paint  over the grey paint with a good layer of crackle glaze.... allow to dry.

Step three.

Paint over the crackle glaze with a thin layer of white paint. Allow to dry,   after a few minutes you will see the crackle glaze start working.  I love the  crackle look see how the crackle  shows through the roses on the close up picture. Reminds me of an old oil painting.

Step Four

With a small artist's  paint brush and a little water,   draw a water line around the area of your paper napkin

you want to but on your project and gently tear away the excess tissue.

When the tissue has dried off, separate the layers of tissue .

You only need to keep the top printed layer of the napkin. Discard the other layers.

Arrange your pieces of tissue on your box in an arrangement you like. 

Once you are happy with the arrangement take a large artist's brush and load it with Mod Podge . Start with a blob of  Mod Podge in the centre of one of your tissue pieces  and gently work the Mod Podge to the outer edges of the tissue pieces. Be gentle you can tear the tissue if you work it too hard or for too long.  Keep applying you tissue pieces  in this way.

You do NOT need to apply glue to the box first the tissue is thin enough for the glue to soak through.

Allow to dry thoroughly if needed sand away any rough edges. apply several coats of varnish or sealant, I used   matte Mod Podge to finish this piece.

I painted the inside  too and added another bunch of roses to the inside of the lid. 

To finish this box  I  added  a touch of Gold  Rub & Buff to the  inside edges.

This box is just the right size for my glasses.  If I remember to put my glasses in it,

 I will always know where to find them.

 My next project is going to be an old wooden button box, once I have persuaded hubby to sand it down for me.