Who’s up for another Trashy Treasures Tuesday?? Lovely friends, I’m back with a fantastic Trashy Treasure Tuesday makeover! I’m sharing another thrift store flatware box update! My friends have three more fabulous trashy makeovers waiting for you at the bottom!
I just love redoing these boxes, and this one was no exception! I found this one for the low low price of only $4.99 at the thrift store:
It came with its share of bumps and dings, but nothing too deep or major at all.
Remove the innards
No matter how the outside looked though, the real hurdle was removing the insides!
Here is how the interior looked before:
Pretty nice… in a funeral home sort of way.
That velvet had to go!
It took some persuasion to get everything out…
A little bit of this:
And a whole lotta this…
To finally get to this:
Most interiors come out more easily than this one did, but this is about as good as it was going to get! (Really trashy now ha ha!)
Clean
Next, I gave the exterior a good cleaning with White Lightning, mixing one TBSP into a half gallon of warm water:
I wiped it down once more with fresh water to remove any residue, and this box was now prepped for paint!
Paint
This box was not sanded which can remove some of the sealer and make it a potential bleeder, and it had no red undertones which are usually the trouble makers. I was able to go straight to painting, applying three coats of Dixie Belle’s whitest white, Cotton:
Sand
Once it was completely dry, I sanded all over using 220 grit sandpaper to smooth and distress just a little.
The distressing camouflages any blemishes this piece had previously.
Adding the pretty with a transfer
There are several ways I could’ve gone with this box, because the possibilities are absolutely endless!
In the end, I settled on using the leftovers from this gorgeous, Pretty in Blue transfer:
This transfer is actually discontinued, but I do have a few left in my Etsy shop HERE as of this writing.
I started with one piece that fit perfectly along the left side:
You can cut transfers to use any way you like
On the tube of this transfer shown above, you can see that most of the pieces are woven and joined together, but I strategically cut them apart to create a design I liked for the top of this box.
Here is piece number two going on…
I kept cutting and adding pieces until I was happy with it. I prefer an asymmetrical design that sweeps across rather than a centered design.
Once I had all the Pretty in Blue transfer pieces in place, I pulled out some of the leftover pieces I had from the Queen’s Glory Maxi Transfer.
I wanted to bring in some gold, and this would work nicely. I added this bit of writing to the top…
I then took the writing from the other side and cut it to fit to make the script longer…
If you can read French, it most surely doesn’t make a lick of sense!
By the time I was done, I had quite a mess!
Seal
After getting the transfer design just right, I sealed all over using Clear Coat in Satin, applying it with this small piece of a blue sponge applicator:
After many uses, they do eventually start to break down, so cutting the top layer off and using it in smaller bits extends the life even more!
Let’s see how this $5 Flatware Box Update looks now!
Of course, Lyla plopped right down as soon as I started taking photos!
How gorgeous is that transfer??
Not only did I add a cascade of transfer across the top, I brought it down onto the front this time also!
And the other side of the front got a splash of gold I cut from the Queen’s Glory transfer as well:
And the best part…the top!
I love the combination of blues in this gorgeous transfer:
The handles on the sides before were quite dated, so I found these pulls in my stash that would let me skip filling those holes…
Except, they wouldn’t work with the design like that, so I painted them in Cotton also…
And then highlighted them using Antique Gold Gilding Wax:
They look so much better than the originals and add a bit more gold to tie in with the gold in the transfer…
For the pulls on the drawer on the front, I combined two different pulls:
The back plates for these small, glass pulls came off of these handles I picked up on clearance at Hobby Lobby a while back…
They were painted and gilded the same way to coordinate with the side pulls…
The Interior of this Flatware Box
Here’s a reminder of how the insides looked after removing the lining:
Lining these boxes is way easier than you might think!
See my full how-to HERE.
I basically cover foam core cut to fit the bottoms, and then I cut a strip to line the sides which I fold over a bit at the top and iron:
I hot glue the sides in place:
And then I glue the fabric covered foam core to the bottom.
Here is the result:
I originally bought this fabric to cover this chair that I redid to go with this desk that used the very same Pretty in Blue Transfer!
I had just enough left to line this box!
Much better, yes?
Don’t forget to check out what treasures my friends have for you today as well!
One more done yay!!!
See anything you may have missed below:
Vintage Side Table Makeover
The Dumpster Mirror
The Prettiest Antique Dresser Makeover
Quickie Gold & GLass Lamp Set Redo
Painting the Smalls #40
Easily Update Thrifted Artwork!
Vintage Picnic Basket Update
$5 Painted Press Back and Cane Chair
Painting the Smalls #39
Make an Old Flatware Box Beautiful!
Painted Pine Dresser
Update Lamps with Paint
Give a dated Shelf Vintage Charm
Update a Jewelry Box with Paint and Decoupage Paper
$10 Night Table Makeover
Update a Mirror with Moulds
Update a Flatware Box for the Holidays!
Yellow Painted Chair
Trashed $10 Thrift Store Table Makeover
Round Wooden Storage Case
Washstand Cabinet Makeover
Meet me back here on Thursday, and we’ll take a field trip to my booth:
It’s been a while!
I hope to see you then!!
UPDATE: WOOHOO! You can take the booth tour HERE now!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
Oh so beautiful now! I love the touches of gold with the pretty blue transfer, and the drawer pulls are perfect. I love the silverware box makeovers! I am excited about seeing your booth on Thursday!
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! I love redoing these boxes! Hope your week is off to a great start! XOXO
Kathy Cannon says
So pretty! Love the combination of blues. Recently removed insides of one that were glued and secured with screws!
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! Oh wow…I don’t think I’ve come across one that was secured with screws. On this one, they had poured a really thick layer of glue that made it more of a challenge, but the removal part is never fun lol! XOXO
Jackie C says
Ooooh I love this one!
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Mother Deer says
Another awesome flatware box upcycle. I especially like the lining and your creative use of drawer pulls and parts. Well done! I’m curious as to how many hours it took to create this newest masterpiece…
Christy says
Thank you so much! I spent in total probably about three hours redoing this box. Sometimes it’s not the actual work that takes time but making the decisions on what to do! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, Beautiful as always! I keep thinking I should redo my silver chest now – rather than think about it hitting a thrift store long after I’ve gone – waa!!
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! Yes…you can absolutely still store your beautiful flatware in it and just redo the outside! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, I forgot to ask about the decoupage paper; the ones that say A1 A4 “Fiber” decoupage – are they the kind that have a “fabric” feel rather than a paper feel?
Christy says
Hello again! Almost all of the Redesign papers I carry are the ones that have more of a fabric feel whether they say fiber paper or not, but the fiber paper ones definitely are. XO
Kate says
That is beautiful! Love the white w the darker blue.
Christy says
Thank you, Kate! It’s hard to go wrong with blue and white, right? XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
“Pretty nice… in a funeral home sort of way” … I see it! 😆😆😆 This box is a one-of-a-kind sweet storage space now – beautiful! 💙
Christy says
OMG right? That pleated satin along the top did it for me!🤣 Thank you so much, my friend! XOXO
Linda says
That lining color/pattern is a winner! Knobs and gold look fantastic with the transfer. Lining is a beast, you have patience! Such a pretty transformation.
Christy says
Thank you, Linda! That lining is the worst part for sure lol! XOXO
Laura J. says
The box came out beautifully Christy! Using parts from other handles and adding them to the knobs is so clever & resourceful! What I also love just as much is seeing Lyla!!! She always puts a smile on my face when I see her in your photos… it’s been a while!!!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Laura! It took me matching up a few different options on the knobs to settle on those. And Lyla just loves to crash a photography session lol! I was just getting ready to start when she made herself comfy right in front! XOXO
Cyndi says
Wow! Sooo pretty! And I love the new handles on there.
Christy says
Thank you, Cyndi! Such small changes make a big difference! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
What a gorgeous box now!! I adore the blue and white and the script. Perfect. But oh my goodness, I’ve seen my fair share of innards! haha!! xoxo
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! I seriously dread that part…there was such a thick layer of glue in the bottom that made this one a challenge, and I know you know what I mean lol! XOXO
Michele M. says
This box is absolutely stunning, Christy. WOW. What a transformation!!!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Michele! Night and day for sure! XOXO
Kathy Owen says
Beautiful! I love how you go all out on your makeovers. You really put your heart into every project. Pinned. Kathy
Christy says
Aww thank you, my friend! I just want to keep going and going until it’s just right ha ha! XOXO
Lizzy says
It’s so sweet and pretty. I love it.
Christy says
Thank you, Lizzy! XOXO
Cecilia says
I always thought blue and white was pretty. Adding the gold touches really elevates it. Such a pretty box now!
Yay! A trip to your booth!
😊Cecilia
Christy says
I’m so glad you like it, Cecilia, thank you! Can’t go wrong with that color combination for sure! See ya Thursday, my friend! XOXO
Janina says
Wow, Christy, this is one of your most transformed transformations for sure! It’s stunning! I busted out laughing at your “quite pretty in a funereal kind of way” or whatever you said!
You really know how to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear! 😄
I’m loving this.
You are so skilled at making tired and worn things over into a thing of beauty!!!
Thanks for all your inspirational makeovers!
🥰🥰🥰🌺💖
Christy says
Aww thank you, Janina! Ha ha it was that pleated satin trim for me…nope lol. I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, my friend! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
I love this beauty. I like boxes (have several of those decorator cardboard ones) to stow mementos and special items inside and this one would suit so well!
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! I too love a pretty box! XOXO
Caye says
Wow! This turned out to be a real beauty, Christy! That blue is so rich looking, and the pulls work well edged with gold. Good job, as usual!
Christy says
Thank you, Caye! I really enjoyed working with these blues! XOXO