« Import Store Style Wood Box DIY »

Sometimes you can get plain wood boxes to decorate for cheap cheap at hobby stores. This little oddly shaped baby was on clearance at Michael's for 25 cents. Seriously, 25 cents!

Just because you have a nifty box doesn't mean you have to paint it brightly with acrylics. I have a really, really simple way of making it look like a fancy, patterned box that you find at the likes of Pier One and World Market!

For this DIY you will need:

• Wood craft box 
• Wood stain (I used a little cherry and a little gunstock)
• Cheapie sponge paintbrush
• Ball point pen
• Sharpie marker in metallic

STEP 1: Take your box apart and put stain everything you want stained. I colored my lid and the base of the box, but not the ball/handle. Continue staining until get the darkness that you want. Allow to dry fully. 

STEP 2: Find a pattern online that you like and print out four copies about the size of your box.

Place the pattern on the side and hold on with your hand or some double sided tape right in the middle. Make sure the printed pattern is facing you instead of the box so you can see it.

Use your ball point pen to trace the pattern on the paper, pressing as hard as you can. Lift up your paper every now and again and make sure that you are transferring lines onto the wood. Trace the entire pattern.

STEP 3: Sit in a room where you have either direct sunlight or lamplight and tilt your box until you can easily see the lines (my pic stinks but it's more visible that it looks). Use your metallic sharpie to fill in the lines that you created. Keep a pattern in front of you for reference in case any of the lines are a bit faint.

STEP 4: Go around each side repeating your pattern process. Use your sharpie to color in any additional areas, like the rim, the handle, inside of the box, etc.

Happy Labor Day! If you have the day off, enjoy it and if you have to labor I hope it goes by quickly! See ya'll on Shoesday. I'm feeling cheetah print!!!