Gift Box with Flair! with Kirsten

As I was putting away various supplies from my daughters' recent school projects I came across a small white gift box we picked up at a dollar store that was part of a package of three (My daughter used one to create a sarcophagus for her Egypt diorama). I figured I could use some stencils and paint to transform it's plain exterior into something more colorful and fun. 

Here is what I used:

I started with a thin layer of gesso and then put a few drops of a few colors of acrylic ink on the top of the lid and the bottom of the box and then smooshed (yes, technical term) the two surfaces together to mix the inks. Before the inks were completely dry I placed a stencil onto the surface and used a baby wipe to rub off excess ink. It left a beautiful texture.

After tearing a page from an old dictionary into strips I used gel medium to glue them to the edges of both the lid and the main box.

I wanted to create a more weathered appearance so I used a resist technique I learned from artist Claudine Hellmuth. I used my finger to gently rub petroleum jelly onto the surfaces in thin loose lines. Don't cover the entire surface, just in a few places you want the original surface to show. Then I took white paint and watered it down to a milk-like consistency. Lightly brush this over the entire surface and you will see the petroleum resisting the paint. After the paint is completely dry take a baby wipe and rub off the petroleum. It will look like your surface is old with peeled paint! In the picture the surface on the left was left to dry longer than the one on the right so the white is more vibrant after I wiped off the petroleum.

To finish the design I added more layers and marks with a homemade foam stamp, the side of an old gift card and a small paintbrush. When everything was dry I brushed a thin layer of fluid matte medium to seal it and give it a uniform finish.

Lastly I cut a few rectangles from some of my homemade collage papers and glued them to the inside of the box and lid with the fluid matte medium to give the finished gift box a little more flair. 

I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to have to make a little book to go in this little gift box! Please share with us if you make one of your own.

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