Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Distressed Matchbox Project

You know what they say...Necessity is the mother of invention.

And I needed a matchbox. Anytime I want to light a candle, I have to search all over the house to find a book of matches. So, I decided to repurpose an old tin to hold our matches and put an end to the game of hide & seek.This project is super easy. I started by spray painting the box with black satin paint. To get the stripes, I used scotch tape to make each stripe. I like using scotch tape for smaller projects because it's a nice way to know that your stripes will be even. After taping everything off I painted the stripes first with white acrylic paint, then with a layer of gold.Using an old English-French dictionary, I scanned in the definition of match, and then printed it out so that I could affix it to the box. To give the box a distressed look, I gently sanded the whole thing with a fine grit sanding sponge. And for the final touch, I added a few rub-ons to the front.
et, voila:

2 comments:

  1. You are so creative! I love the distressed look, the dictionary print and the stripes.
    I have to admit I also liked the spearmint gum look, though.
    Brava Gelatina (jelly–as in candy–in Iatliano)
    Ele xx

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  2. I love this! You have talent, Jelly. I have the same problem at home with matches - and batteries! I have an old sideboard where I keep candles and (non existent) matches in one drawer (for emergencies, you understand...???) and batteries in the other drawer. The idea of a large, communal match tin greatly appeals to me. Having Young Adults at home, the batteries are always going missing. There's plenty of the size I don't need at the time, but the AA's are popular items... smiles...

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