How To Paint a Keepsake Box with Farmhouse Paints
Today I’m going to show you how to use Farmhouse Furniture paints to color a simple little gift that’s perfect for Christmas, birthdays, or just about any occasion. This is a great first-time project for anyone who has wanted to try furniture paints, but were afraid it would be too difficult or complicated.
We’ll need to start with our box. I got this unfinished wooden box at Michael’s craft store for $2.99. You can find one just like it at Joann’s, Hobby Lobby, or any similar craft store. treasure-chest style box on Amazon . You can also browse your local thrift store for unfinished furniture items like this.
Next we’ll need to decide which paint to use. For this tutorial, I’m using a 6 ounce container of Aqua Provence which is a very popular color. It’s reminiscent of that beautiful 1960’s Robin’s Egg color. Note that we won’t be using all 6 ounces of the paint for this project. We’ll probably barely even use 1/2 of an ounce for a box this size.
Finally, you’ll also need a paint brush. I recommend starting with a 1” brush. Don’t worry about getting a specific kind. To start out, just about any paint brush will work just fine. You can always upgrade toDIY Paint Brush Set later on as you decide to do more painting.
We’ll start painting the inside of the box. Try not to be too messy. Just standard back and forth strokes is good. You do want to make sure you get the corners though, which people sometimes forget.
Once you’ve painted the insides, move on to the outsides. Use the same painting techniques to paint the outside as you used on the inside. I recommend painting with your box on wax paper or tinfoil as a base underneath, as opposed to something like paper towels or napkins, which are prone to sticking to the paint as it dries.
If you notice paint drips as you’re going along, just paint right over them lightly. As long as they haven’t dried completely, they shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Similarly, while you paint, feel free to paint right over the hinges and the gold fastener on the front. This paint works on a variety of surfaces and it looks great! Paint with abandon!
After you’ve coated the inside and the outside of the box, you’ll be able to set it aside to dry for about 10 to 15 minutes. Use popsicle sticks between the top and bottom so give just a bit of space between the two pieces.More humid environments may require 20 to 30 minutes but this paint dries fairly fast so it shouldn’t take long, no matter the weather.
Once the inside and outside have dried, it’s time to paint the top and bottom sides. Just use the edge of the brush and apply a light amount of paint to it. Give it another 10 or 15 minutes to let that dry.
Once your box is completely dry, it’s ready for a light sanding to smooth it down. I’m using the sanding sponge that comes with my Farmhouse Paints Brush Set, which is a fine grit and works perfectly with these paints. Just use a medium pressure and go along the outside of the box all the way around. Same for the interior, but be sure to get the corners. This will give the box a nice smooth finish.
So, there we are! Less than an hour from start to finish and you’ve got a beautiful gift box! You can easily decorate this box further, if you care to. I sometimes like to use E-6000 glue to affix little gem stones to mine.
Be sure to take a look around BestDIYFurniturePaint.com to see more How-To videos and a full selection of our Farmhouse Furniture Paints. And please take a moment to pin our images to your boards on Pinterest.
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂
Thank you, I love the farmhouse paints.
Lynette