A Box to Treasure

Supplies | Surfaces

- Brushes - 3/4" Flat Brush, #8 Round Soft Brush, #5 Dry Brush
- Misc - Fine Grain Sandpaper, White Graphite Paper, Tack Cloth, Palette, Paper Towels, Soft Lead Pencil or Stylus

- Wooden Box

Instructions

PREPARATION
Sand away any rough edges or areas and wipe with tack cloth.
PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
1.Apply two basecoats to the inside and outside of wood box with Americana Black Forest Green. Let dry completely. Lightly sand in the direction of the grain of the wood, with a wet, fine grain sandpaper. Sand small areas at a time.
2. Find a leaf in a shape you like. Trace around it to make a pattern. Then transfer pattern design by placing a piece of white graphite paper underneath the pattern and tracing it with a soft lead pencil or stylus. (Refer to photo for placement of leaves.)
3. With a soft lead pencil, lightly mark a straight line around the top of the box, approximately 1" from the border.
4. Dilute Snow-Tex with water to achieve a creamy consistency (approximately 80% Snow-Tex to 20% water). Mix well. Apply this mixture to the 1" border of the top of the box, adding as much volume as you desire. Let dry completely. NOTE: It is very important to work one side of the box at a time and to let that area dry completely before you move to another side, since the Snow-Tex is applied heavily and it could slip down and lose its design. Place area of the box on which you are working in a horizontal position with the table and secure well.
5. Proceed to fill in the design areas with the creamy mixture of the Snow-Tex with the desired volume, applying the mixture irregularly to create different effects. NOTE: I apply the mixture with the tip of the brush, wait about 5 minutes and then dab the applied mixture with the back end of the brush. Repeat the same procedure for all sides of the box, letting each side dry completely before working on another side.
6. Apply a coat of Americana Black Forest Green to all areas of the box with Snow-Tex, making sure to cover all crevices. Let dry.
7. Using the #5 Dry-Brush with Dazzling Metallics Glorious Gold, drybrush all the raised areas in the border and sides of the box. Drybrush inside some of the raised areas, making sure that the color is not darker than in the raised areas. Let dry.
FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS
Spray entire box with Matte Spray Sealer.