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Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer

Simple DIY tutorials and thrifty furniture and decor makeovers

$8 Thrift Store Box Makeover & How to Apply Decoupage Tissue Paper

Welcome back, beautiful friends! I have a quickie makeover to share with y’all today! Today’s makeover is of this box I found at the thrift store for $8.25:

That’s way more than I would have liked to pay, but it was just so cute, and it was in good condition. It likely came from somewhere like Hobby Lobby.

Although it looked fine as is, I set out to add a little more pretty to it! I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.

Decoupage Tissue Paper

Enter this decoupage tissue paper I found on Etsy:

You can find it on Amazon HERE, but it is cheaper on Etsy. It isn’t thin like traditional tissue paper. It has some weight to it and is almost more like a fabric, so it does not wrinkle or bubble like regular tissue paper might.

Paint the Box

But first, I needed to paint the box, and I chose Cotton as a base:

I gave the areas I planned to paper over one coat (above photo is one coat), and then I gave the rest three coats total for solid coverage.

Decoupage the Box

I measured and cut my paper first, using my rotary cutting set:

Then, I used Clear Coat in Satin like a glue to adhere the paper, brushing it on with a small brush…

How to add decoupage tissue paper

After applying the tissue paper, I added another coat of Clear Coat.

How to add decoupage tissue paper

Sand the Box

To shabby this sweet box up a bit, I sanded lightly all over with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge:

Seal the Box

To seal the outside, I used Best Dang Wax in Clear.

The result

And here is how this box went from mass-produced to one-of-a kind:

How to add decoupage tissue paper

So sweet!

How to add decoupage tissue paper

A little distressing goes a long way…

How to add decoupage tissue paper

 

How to add decoupage tissue paper

And you can see there are no wrinkles because this paper allows the air to escape…I love that!

How to add decoupage tissue paper

The inside

For the inside, I had planned to line it with one of my favorite fabrics to use with florals, black and white gingham. Sadly, the scraps I had left in my stash weren’t quite enough.

I instead opted for a simple painted interior in Tea Rose:

How to add decoupage tissue paper

I sealed the interior with Gator Hide to give it some durability.

This pretty paper is a great way to add a little something extra to any small project.

How to Apply Decoupage Tissue Paper

I hope you enjoyed this quick makeover today!

My to-do list is dwindling fast!!

Here are links to all the makeovers in this haul so far!

How to Properly Paint a Mirror
Painted Thrift Store Lamps & How to Cover a Lampshade
Cabinet Doors Repurposed
$3 Trinket Box Makeover
Piano Bench Makeover
$20 Thrift Store Desk Makeover
$5 Thrift Store Chair Makeover & How to Use Silk All-in-One Mineral Paint
Unfinished Wood Cabinet Makeover
Cabinet Door turned Shelf
Painting the Smalls, Holiday Edition (Five of these pieces are in this post!)
Kudzu Painted Side Table
REPURPOSED HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD
VINTAGE SECRETARY DESK MAKEOVER
$3 THRIFT STORE HEADBOARD REPURPOSED
WALL CABINET REPURPOSED
WINDSOR ROCKER MAKEOVER
DROP LEAF TABLE AND CHAIRS MAKEOVER

I’ll be back on Tuesday with a round of smalls:

Painting the Smalls #11

UPDATE: Just like magic, you can see them all now!! Click HERE for the afters of these six mini makeovers!

Woohoo!! Have an awesome weekend!

XOXO,

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Comments

  2. WOWZA, it is so cute now!! That is so adorable, and so simple to do! That is the sweetest box to keep your treasures in, or Chocolate in! The colors are so pretty! Now I have to find a treasure box like this and get some of that tissue paper. I have a daughter in law that I need to work on a gift for mothers day, this work work so well. Thanks for the inspiration again!!

    • Thank you, Mary! Ooh yes…perfect place to hide a chocolate stash. Why didn’t I think of that? And this sure would make a lovely gift! Have a great weekend! XOXO

  4. The decoupage paper really makes this box so pretty! Love the tea rose color inside, a pretty alternative to fabric. It’s great how you make do with what you have on hand!

  5. Wow, that doesn’t even resemble the same box! The paper is beautiful and you did an excellent job of applying it, but that tea rose interior is the perfect finishing touch, Christy.

  6. When I first saw the decoupage paper I could not imagine what the box was going to look like but I should have known you had a vision I could not see. Turned out just lovely and I didn’t get to respond to the mirror Tues but I loved it also.

    • Thank you, Janice! The tissue paper was a fun way to add some life to this sweet box! Glad you enjoyed the mirror too! XOXO

  7. Hi Christy! Such a pretty little box now. I have some of these papers but I just dont know what I want to do with them yet. This is just lovely. Thank you!

    • Thank you, Cheryl! I bought a few of these papers, but they are rather small pieces, so I’m glad I had a smaller piece to use them on! XOXO

  9. Christy, this little box looks completely charming! Love the tissue paper (thanks for the tip) and it really makes this box sing! Love the tea rose interior as well. This one isn’t going to last in your booth!!
    Be well and stay warm!!
    xoxo

  12. Oh my!! This is beautiful. I have the exact same box, just darker. Yes, from Hobby Lobby! I am excited to try this on my box!!

    • Thank you, Laurie! And thank you for confirming that it was from HL. You could also use regular fabric. Have fun with yours! XOXO

    • Me too! I have about 3 or 4 of them and I kept them (up in my attic, ha!) knowing they could turn into some kind of a treasure, but I wasn’t sure how. Now I know! Thank you!

  13. Love this! Loved this little trunk before, but with your imagination and some beautiful tissue paper, now it’s a ‘WOW’! Time to go to the thrift store!

  14. Very cute everything you do is amazing.
    I used gator hide on a table a few months ago. It’s mahogany and I added some of the Gator hide into the stain on top. Recently I picked something up off the top and it left a scratch. I was surprised about that.

    • Thank you, Cynthia! Perhaps, it hadn’t had time to cure enough? While you can use your items with care not long after completing, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks for everything to fully cure. XOXO

  15. I’ve never written before but have followed you for years. I love your work and learn something from every post. Thank you!!!

  17. A new paint job would have freshened it up, but the addition of the paper gives it that Christy flair! Always look forward to seeing your vision play out.

  18. I have several of these type boxes that I bought years ago. They are all a dark brown or black. Now I know what I’m going to do with them. Do you think napkin decoupaging will work too?
    You are my amazing creative chic friend. Thank you for graciously sharing snd helping to spark creativity in others! Xoxo
    Meg

  19. I love all your makeovers Kristy! It makes me happy to see your blog in my ‘In’ box. I get so much inspiration from your ‘do overs’. Thanks for what you do.

    • Hi Hilary! If you go to etsy.com, and type the description of this paper in the search field, you will see several shops that sell it. I don’t buy from any one particular person… I just try to find the best deal LOL.

  24. That is absolutely beautiful, Christy! WOW!!!!! What a difference. It is just
    so pretty. Great timing, too being Valentine’s week. ♥

    Never heard of this special paper- thank you – so good to know this!

    • Thank you, Michele! As I was posting, I was thinking I should have posted it sooner to coincide with Valentine’s Day LOL! Oh well… This paper is really fun to play with! Have a great weekend! XOXO

  25. You blew me away with this! I painted a similar case with DB Cotton and stopped. The inside is in wonderful condition so I can leave it as is. I wasn’t sure about painting the straps and handle so I have been anxious to see what you did with yours. I’m going to try the pretty transfer paper I have and hope it looks half as good as yours. Thanks so much for this post. Have a great weekend and stay warm and dry!

    • I’m so glad you liked the results on this one, Cecilia! Thank you! Yep, you can paint right over those straps. They paint up beautifully! Have fun finishing yours, I know it will be gorgeous! We actually have some sun in the forecast this weekend and I cannot wait LOL! XOXO

  26. I have one of these little chests, I think it originated as a sausage/cheese/cracker basket that are popular around the holidays. Hoarder that I am kept it, now it can give it a facelift! Thanks for the inspiration!

    • My pleasure, Sandra! They use really cute containers for those gift baskets sometimes. I would have kept it too! Have fun with yours! XOXO

  27. This is darling. I can just picture it fill with a girl’s treasures. You do everything with such flair. I love it all. Keep creating girl.

  28. Hi! Just now had a chance to look at your post. Love the cute makeover. The chest really is dressed up with the new look and the transfer paper. As always I love to peek inside to see how you decorated the drawers! I love the soft color. A nice contrast and easy to keep! A lovely touch. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend!

    • Thank you, Sue! I had hoped to line the inside with black and white check fabric as I love that with a pretty floral, but I didn’t have enough in the scraps I had left. Oh well! I hope you had a lovely weekend! XOXO

    • Thank you! It reminds me a bit of that pretty box you found at the thrift store on one of our trips! XOXO

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