FARMHOUSE LOOK USING DECORATIVE WAX
Hello Salvage Sister and Mister readers, Mary here! I am so happy to be visiting today on this fantastic blog. I have admired Deborah and Tom for years and marvel at their ability to take something out of the thrift shop and give it a new life. I too am a fan of upcycling and repurposing and never met an old object that didn’t get the once-over from me. That is what I usually do over at The Boondocks Blog. But every once in a while, I take something new and give it an old look – can we call it “Downcycling”?
A few years ago I had taken a trip to Michael’s craft store with my son, and we did way more shopping than we should have. We bought lots of paint, and clay and he even picked up a small wooden box like this one. It was about 3 inches in length and unfinished – absolutely precious!
We took all these items home and ended up making a dragon egg with the clay. We used over 200 thumb tacks for the exterior. That was quite a project. In fact it was pretty spectacular (see more here). But the small box got pushed to the corner of a drawer and left there. Poor little box.
My son and I ended up repeating this and went back to Michael’s last year where we bought this beautiful shade of red paint. I tend to be one of those people who buys only primary colors and then goes wild creating my own shades. Well this wasn’t one of those instances. I used the red paint and below was the result. Much better than a plain unpainted box. Again it got pushed to the corner of the dresser… till this year!
This year my son dragged it out and asked me to make it special! He said “make it worthy of gift giving”. How could I deny him?
I was more experienced this year and had an arsenal of fun products to use. Including this….
Items used:
*Affiliate links used to show like or similar products used.
- Small Unfinished Wood Box
- Acrylic Paint in Red
- Daddy Van’s All Natural Decorative Wax in Farmhouse White
- Paint Brush
- Clean Cloth
It is a decorative wax. I’ve used these before to add depth to my stool and in this clock frame upcycle. But I had never used it in this super cool farmhouse white shade. Well you know I just had to try it.
The How to:
Using a brush, I painted it on nice and thick and made sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. I then took a clean piece of cloth and wiped it off. This was the result.
The inside was looking pretty stark after the outside had gotten snazzied up.
And so I also gave it the same treatment.
Now my son being a smart guy, ended up filling it with something.
I guess he was really impressed with my waxing skills.
And the way that farmhouse white blends in so beautifully with the red.
And that is my story. What did I learn from all of this… what pearls of wisdom do I have to share?
Never go to Michael’s on an empty stomach or when your craft stash is running low?
Never let your son buy useless things at the craft store?
Stay away from Michael’s because you might have a bonding experience with said son?
None of those! (Although they are all true!)
I learned to make sure to never overlook boxes no matter how small they are. Their time to shine will come sooner or later. And they will shine!
I would like to thank Deborah and Tom for having me over on their blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed my little box project on how to make wood look special with decorative wax, and will take the time to drop on over to The Boondocks Blog, where DIY projects meet real life.
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Thank you Mary for your wonderful project. We love it! So many project possibilities, right?
Here are a few more projects we think you will love….
**And if you are interested in guest posting or being featured, check this out.
Thank you Deborah for having me over for a visit. This may be just a little box but it holds a special place in my heart!
Mary recently posted…How to Make Wood look Special with a Decorative Wax
Thank you so much Mary for sharing this fun project!!!
Cute little box Mary! I really love your waxing skills too, it looks great! I can’t pass up on cute little boxes either. And Michael’s I can always find something there.
Linda at Mixed Kreations recently posted…How to Make a Rolling Smoker Cart
Linda, She really did a fab job for sure. Thanks for stopping by!
Makes me want to go to Michael’s ;)! Lovely little box and I love the aged look on it!
I agree. Wouldn’t this be so cute gift for a little girl too?
It turned out great. Love the way the wax added so much character and depth to the box. I’m going to have to keep my eyes open for a little wooden box so I can play around
Michelle, That wax made such a difference, huh? Mary did a fab job. Oh, and I loved your sharing post. That is bookmarked for sure.
Such a sweet box, I love working with boxes, will have to check this wax out.
Maria
Maria, I agree. The wax made such a huge difference.
Hi Mary, your magic touch never fails to impress me! The decorative wax made all the difference.
xx
Oh how the white wax made that pretty red box shine! So pretty, Mary. Mama needs some Farmhouse White wax!
Marie, I hear ya! I need to find some too!