Recyling wine boxes into theme boxes

Hands-on time: Less than two hours.
Total time: Add 6 hours for drying time.
Skill: Moderate.
Cost estimate: $7.00 per box.

Materials & Tools

• Wooden wine box
• Sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Acrylic paints in assorted colours (For this project I used light blue, dark blue, teal, green and red)
• 1-inch flat brush, and 2-inch foam brush
• Weathered Wood crackling medium
• Matte-finish varnish
• Double-faced tape
• Optional items: wooden letter, block, paint colour samples, picture, assorted small cars and toys.

Ever wonder what to do with the wine gift-boxes you received over the holiday? They are simply too nice to throw out or to leave sitting around in the garage. Try transforming them into creative theme boxes that can be used to decorate children's bedrooms.

Start by remove the front panel of the box. Sand the entire box and wipe with a tack cloth to prepare the surface for painting. Using acrylic paints, paint the wooden box in a light colour like light blue or green. Let the box dry for at least 2 hours.

Apply a coat of Weathered Wood medium to the exterior of the box with a foam brush. Avoid letting it drip. Apply a thinner coat inside the box. Let the medium dry until it is no longer tacky to the touch (approximately 60 minutes).

With a dark colour, paint the exterior of the box with a 1- to 2-inch paint brush, following the grain of the wood (if possible). Repeat this process for the interior of the box using different colours in each section. Allow to dry.

For an extra-weathered effect, lightly sand the exterior with sandpaper. Wipe with a tack cloth and seal the entire box with a coat of matte-finish varnish and let dry.

Once the box is completely dried, add your detailing items such as a painted wooden letter, a picture of the child, a wooden block, paint colour chip samples. You can secure them onto the inside of the box with double-faced tape. Merely add small cars and toys to the equation and you now have a personalized theme box. You can add a hook at the back to mount on a wall. Some boxes come with a rope handle, utilize it to mount your theme box.

Variations

• Theme boxes let you be as creative and personalized as you want, from ocean themes for bathrooms, sport themes like hockey for teenagers' bedrooms, to golfer themes for dad's office or den.
• Have your child write his name and age in the box, paint his hand and make an impression. Make a box for each pre-school year. Theme boxes make a great wall collections and keepsake at the same time. For best results never rush drying times.