Upcyled Cantilever Sewing Box.......from orange pine to shabby chic.

I'm back!!!!! It's not like me to blog two days in a row but I really wanted to share my *new* sewing box. I'd been searching for a vintage cantilever sewing box for the last two years so I could paint it, giving it a shabby chic makeover.......

I got my husband on the job too, every time we went out we'd go into charity shops and vintage shops but if we did find one, they were always too expensive!!!!

Last week, I went over to Bridgnorth with my Mom, Dad, Paige and my sister, not forgetting the little ones. They have some great vintage shops in this quaint, riverside town, lo and behold, the first shop I went in, I saw this little beauty, it was only £12 and was in perfect condition. The only downside was that I had to carry it around all day as the car was parked the other side of the town, not that I minded for a minute, I was just excited that I'd found it.

I'd got an Annie Sloan tester pot in Original at home, so as soon as I got back, I got started on it. I gave it a quick clean but the beauty of Annie Sloan paint is that you don't have to prepare the surface, you can just paint straight on to it, no messing about. It's a chalk based paint and gives a beautiful, soft chalky finish, it dries quick and a little goes a long way, I didn't use all the tester pot!!!! After I'd finished painting it and covering the inside with pretty papers, I came to a standstill.........

Until yesterday, that is, when I completely finished it and was ready to use. Mick took me back to Bridgnorth on Saturday to get some Annie Sloan wax which you rub into the paint to protect it. After rubbing in the wax with a soft cloth and buffing up with another one, I took some sand paper and gently sanded some of the paint off, showing the wood underneath, giving it a distressed look. After I was happy with the sanded areas, I went back over with the wax.

I still didn't feel as though it was complete, I'd been looking for some Cath Kidston style decal/stickers to put on the lid, for the past week but couldn't find any.

So, what I decided to do was use some Ikea serviettes that I had in the kitchen drawer. I cut around the flowers, leaving a small white edge, peeled away the layers until I was left with one thin layer and used some Claudine Helmuth Studio multi-medium.

You need to be very careful when you glue the thin layer of tissue as it will rip, also if you add to much glue it will disintegrate the paper. How I did mine, was by placing the flowers where I wanted them on the lid, dabbing a little bit of glue underneath so it held the flowers in place. Carefully, with a soft brush, I painted a small amount of medium over the the flower, making sure I went over the edges so it wouldn't lift. Once dry the medium is waterproof so your flower will be protected and you'll be able to wipe over with a damp cloth.

I'm so pleased with how it turned out, it looks so much nicer than I thought it would and will be a great addition to my craft room. I'm now filling it with my vintage sewing bits and bobs.

Before I go I want to mention something that is going to be happening this summer for all you crafters out there. It's going to be so much fun and I'm lucky enough to be part of it!!!!!

Have you ever wanted to attend a Crafty Retreat but have never been able to go due to the cost, work or family commitments? Do you like to learn new crafts and techniques? Would you to connect to like minded people from all over the world? How would you like to do this without leaving your home!!!!!

If you're interested and would like to find out more of what's going to be happening over the summer, check out my blog on Thursday.

xxxxDebxxxx