Beautiful Decoupaged Boxes made Easy!

What do you do with inexpensive wooden boxes and some coordinating memory papers?  You create beautiful gift boxes with the help of Plaid's Mod Podge® medium!  Stick around for a minute and I will show you how I made them!  Pictured below are several boxes I created using the papers from one 12 x 12" paper pad.  I cut shapes out from the papers to embellish my box with.  I made my own paper spiral flowers; but you may choose to purchase flowers at the craft store instead!  That is OK!

You will need:

Plaid®:  Mod Podge® Hard Coat water based sealer

Plaid®:  Decoupage Brushes

wooden boxes:  4"; 4-3/4"; 5-1/2" (or your choice of size!)

memory papers:  12 x 12" coordinating pad of papers (or papers of your choice!)

ink pads & applicator sponges

flowers:  paper roses or mulberry blossoms purchased from the craft store

pearlstring:  faux pearls; 1/8" (cut apart)

glue

Tools:

paper trimmer

scissors

pencil

glue gun

water bucket

paper plates

paper towels

Instructions:

**  Before you start:  A tip I learned long ago is to NOT dip your brush in the jar.  Be sure to pour out small amounts on a paper plate as you use it.  This is to prevent contamination of your product.  Now, onward and forward!

1.  Choose papers for your project.  The Mod Podge® special brushes work great as there is no waste of product and they are easy to clean after use.

2.  Box top and box bottom:  Lay one flat surface of the box on the wrong side of  paper.  Trace around the box and cut out one piece for the lid and repeat for the bottom. Apply product to the wrong side of the cut paper and apply to the box.  Smooth out any air bubbles.  

3.  Measure the width and circumference of the sides of the lid.  Cut out strips of paper, matching patterns. Cut any notches where needed to fit the mechanics of the handle and hinges.  Apply Mod Podge® to the paper and adhere to the box following the manufacturer's directions.  Smooth out any air bubbles.  Once it has dried; apply top coats as needed. Your box will have a smooth, hard finish that you can easily keep the dust off of!

3.  Chalk the edges of the box using the ink pad and sponge applicator.

4.  Finish:  Arrange and apply the paper cut-outs to decorate the box.  Finish with another top coat.  Allow to dry; adhere flowers and pearls to the box as shown in the photo given.

Below is a gift I made for myself.  I used the coordinating papers as a background for my photo and placed them in a clear acrylic frame by deflecto®.  The box is a cute container just waiting for a stash of candy or other favorite thing I like nearby.

Designer Tip:  Use the coordinating papers and create some greeting cards that will fit in the box. This makes a wonderful little gift for any occasion.

I hope you got some inspiration here today.  Make sure to enjoy the small blessings along the way and;

Live life with a Flourish!

Marilyn

I receive complimentary product in 

exchange for my creativity on this blog.