IOD’s Beach Cottage: From Trash to Treasures

I am a collector of alterable items.  I have hat boxes, paper mache balls and cones and boxes galore.  It was not until I came across this beautiful line of papers by IOD did I realize what I wanted to do with one of my many cigar boxes.  I wanted to turn it into a treasure box to hold my special shells.  I keep the big ones I've picked up on our beach walks in a glass bowel but have a few I have just had in a drawer that were very special to me.  One shell is the first my then to be hubby gave me about 17 years ago.  Another is one my mother and I found before she died.  Each of these has a spcial meaning to me and deserved more than to be stowed away in a drawer.  Thank you IOD!

I started by sanding the paper covering the cigar box lightly to insure a better adhesion of the paper to the box. 

I used the lid, sides and bottom of the box as templates to cut the paper to fit.  For the insides I cut the paper 1/8 less than I did for the outside pieces.  I finished the inside and the outsides of the box before I did the lid.  I adhered the paper to the box with Glue n Seal applied with a broad paint brush.  I used a narrow roller and a bone folder to go over the papers to eliminate bubbles.  When this was done, I sealed the papers with a top coat of Glue N Seal.  I allowed the inside of the box to dry before I did the sides and the outside of the lid.

I used a gold Krylon ink pen to 'gilt' the edges of the box but any gold paint will work as well.  When the gold dried, I applied the paper to the sides of the box following the same steps as above for adhereing the papers.  I added the two ornate corners when the sealer had set.

I used the Helmar's Scrap Dots to attache the corners.  While corners have grips that go into the material of the cigar box, Scrap Dots insured they would not come loose.

I dyed the tulle by using a solution of 1 part water to 2 parts Glimmer mist.  I used a disposable tin to mix the 'dye' in and submerged the tulle into the mixture for about ten minutes, turning it from time to time.  I air dried the tulle but it can be dried with a heat gun as well.  I fussy cut the flowers, the shells and the mermaid out of the papers.  I placed one end of the tulle under the background paper and adhered that side.  I glued the paper across leaving the right hand edge unglued until I could tuck the other end of the tulle.  Next, using a paint brush, I brushed the Stickles across the tulle and allowed it to set.  I placed the remaining fussy cut pieces, one by one, onto the paper and tulle, sealing each with the sealer as I went.  I added more Stickles to the mermaid's tail and to the flowers and added gems to the center of several of the flowers.  I used the Scrap Dots to give the pieces different heights on the cover.  The sealer protected them from being torn. 

I love my new treasure box for my special shells and am so glad they are no longer hidden away.  Thank you for looking.