Grandma's Sewing Box

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You've seen the meme:  Grandma Had It, Mom Threw It Out, I Bought It Back.  The story of this little sewing box fits it to a 'T'.  While walking through the local thrift store, I saw this sewing box sitting on a bottom shelf.  My grandmother had one just like it and to be honest, I have no idea what happened to it.  But here was another one, looking pretty humble.
The finish was worn, the veneer was chipped, and it was only $2!  

It came home with me.
The first step was to glue all the loose veneer on the legs:

I used wood glue and added binder clips to act as clamps...there's a little tip for you!
After the glue was dry, I did some filling with wood putty, sanded, and painted the legs, sides, and top with Ocean chalk paint. 

After two coats, I distressed the edges and it was time for decoupage! I scuffed the finish a bit with 220 grit sandpaper and wiped away the dust. The Mod Podge was brushed on, making sure to get it into the edge.  
After separating the layers, I placed the napkin on the wood and carefully smoothed it down.
 Out came the plastic wrap to smooth out the wrinkles.  
I have a full tutorial HERE on how to decoupage with napkins.  Trust me, you don't want to try to smooth out any wrinkles without the plastic wrap.  The napkins will tear.  
After they dried, the edges were trimmed with an exacto knife and a second coat of Mod Podge was applied.  
I painted the knobs with gold craft paint so they would stand-out a bit.

The entire sewing box was sealed with polycrylic and this project was done.  

I now have a new (old) sewing box that reminds me of my grandmother.  I'm sure she'd approve of the makeover, she loved bright colors and new things!
Have a great week everyone and thanks for visiting the Cottage.  

I hope you'll pin, share, comment, and follow.  If you click on those 3 little lines at the top right of the blog, you'll see where to find me...or click on 'share'.

Comments

  1. Michele MorinOctober 2, 2018 at 9:31 AM

    You are a wonder! This is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 2, 2018 at 7:12 PM

      Thank you, Michele. That's so sweet of you!

      Delete
  2. Kim October 2, 2018 at 7:24 PM

    This is beautiful, Ann. And your decoupage tips are awesome. You have me wanting to give it another go...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Naomie MooreOctober 3, 2018 at 12:07 PM

    Absolutely darling! Have not seen one of these in years except at over priced antique shops. Yours was a steal at $2! You brought this beauty back to life for decades to come. Fantastic job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 3, 2018 at 7:22 PM

      Thank you. I hadn't see one either, Naomie, so I grabbed it as soon as I saw it! I'm so glad you stopped by...come back again soon!

      Delete
  4. Chas - Chas’ Crazy CreationsOctober 3, 2018 at 5:14 PM

    What a great deal and I love the color! Thanks for sharing on To Grandma's House We Go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 3, 2018 at 7:24 PM

      Deal of the day, Chas! The funny part was it also said, "as-is" and it took me a minute to figure out what they were talking about - the missing veneer! LOL

      Delete
  5. Sum of their StoriesOctober 3, 2018 at 6:28 PM

    This is so beautiful, what an amazing job you did in revamping it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 3, 2018 at 7:26 PM

      Thank you, Julie. Now I can get all of my needles, thread, etc out of the old cookie tin!

      Delete
  6. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasOctober 4, 2018 at 9:47 PM

    OMG!! What a fantastic makeover!! I LOVE it!!
    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words!
    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 5, 2018 at 9:36 AM

      Thank you, Debbie. I always love seeing what's new on your blog!

      Delete
  7. My thrift store addictionOctober 6, 2018 at 8:43 AM

    What pretty colors! I have a sewing box like this that I bought because it reminded me so much of my grandmother. Because the wood on mine is in excellent condition, it's one of the few things that I've kept original, but I love yours. The little gold knobs are fabulous. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 6, 2018 at 10:02 AM

      We all buy those things that remind us of someone, don't we? How lucky you were to find one in good condition. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. annies homeOctober 9, 2018 at 5:19 PM

    so pretty love the peagogks and how thr blur go together
    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 9, 2018 at 7:20 PM

      Thank you, Angie. I will certainly stop by!

      Delete
  9. Ivy, Phyllis and Me!October 10, 2018 at 5:40 AM

    Good Morning Ann, I love your transformation of this vintage sewing box. I also love pre-loved items and surround myself with them in my home. I will pop over and visit your tutorial on using plastic wrap..... I am fascinated.
    Sending you best wishes from England.
    Daphne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnOctober 10, 2018 at 8:43 AM

      Thank you, Daphne. I'm so glad you stopped by...my home is also filled with pre-loved items!

      Delete
  10. Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. OlsonOctober 11, 2018 at 12:32 AM

    You really did a great job Ann. I have a very similar one that I found at a thrift shop. :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownFebruary 11, 2019 at 9:37 AM

    Neat. Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. French EtherealJuly 3, 2019 at 7:30 PM

    Hi Ann, I love this story! Your sewing box turned out great and the peacock looks lovely on it. Great idea and yes, I pinned to a couple of my boards for you. <3

    Enjoy it,
    Barb :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 3, 2019 at 8:15 PM

      Thank you, Barb. I appreciate the pins!

      Delete
  13. KathyAugust 17, 2019 at 9:01 PM

    Great makeover!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnAugust 17, 2019 at 10:24 PM

      Thank you, Kathy. I'm so glad you stopped by. Come back again soon, won't you?

      Delete

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