Thursday, January 25, 2018

Image Transfer On Vintage Wood Boxes


So writing this blog post has been on my list of things to do, but it only got bumped to the top of the list today because I couldn't stop eating spoonfuls of Nutella while I was in the kitchen... and the computer is a long ways from the Nutella jar so I figure I'm safer over here.  Totally had the breakfast of champions today.  A big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, and Nutella.  I don't always start my day out that healthy, but when I do, watch out Gringos.


So a couple weeks ago I had to go into town for something, oh dread, and I couldn't stop my van from driving the extra mile and going straight to Saint Vincent De Paul's on the East side.  Man I love that place.  Especially when blue tags are 75% off!  See that picture above?  Blue tag?  YES!  The top one is a velvet lined jewelry box.  The bottom was is a velvet lined silverware box.  Anything with a nice flat wood top screams "blank canvas for a transfer" to me!

So after sanding the daylights, nightlights, flourescent lights out of the top of the boxes, I cut a piece of freezer paper the size of a regular piece of typing paper.  To make the freezer paper sturdy and to go through the printer easier, I used a few pieces of double sided tape to secure them together.  

I found a graphic I wanted on www.thegraphicsfairy.com and printed it on the waxy side.
(Don't forget, you gotta print it as a reverse image or the words will be backwards.  Graphics Fairy makes it easy and has lots of "reverse images" to print!)


NOTE: THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH AN INKJET PRINTER!  IT CAN RUIN YOUR LASER PRINTER!

This is the first time I've ever tried it with a colored image!  Why?  I dunno....  Just haven't found a colored image that tripped my trigger 'til now I guess.  I loved how the light pink rose and green leaves turned out!!!


I used Restor-A-Finish to stain the top and painted the rest of the box white, with some distressing on the edges with sand paper cuz this just looked like the perfect piece to "shabby chic".  It opens up to a beautiful dark maroon velvet.  I removed the slots that hold the silverware so it's just a big open
trinket box now.



As for this little guy, the jewelry box, well he wasn't quite so predictable.
After I sanded him down, I did my transfer.....


And then using a rag rubbed my Restor-A-Finish on but EEEEEK, the wood around the top edge turned a bright reddish color!  Obviously two different types of wood!


I thought maybe it would look better once it had the white paint on the bottom, but rather than a lovely two-tone look, it had a hideous three tone look!


Well NO BIGGY, dudes.  Paint to the rescue!


Such a perfect little jewelry box!




Like it?  Show some love! Pin it!


If I had a place to put them I would be keeping them.
But I don't, so they are available at my booth in the Parma Antique Mall!

Want a more detailed tutorial on this? 
Click the image below:


here's another:


Putting an image on my dining room chairs back in the day:


3 comments:

  1. very very cute! I really like how you sanded off the original stain/varnish/whatever-it-was. I've found some smaller wooden boxes like these, too, at thrift stores and flea markets. They are hard to pass up and now I've amassed half a shelf full. I've never tried the image transfer with freezer paper...pinning for future reference. I need to do something to those boxes. :)

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  2. I have always admired those wood silverware boxes and wondered what I could use them for. The inside is so specialized with spots for each utensil, that I can’t think of a creative use. Have you come up with some good uses other than decor items? Please share.

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