Let’s be honest, most cardboard boxes of tissue are just plain ugly! What are tissue manufacturers thinking? Who do they have in charge of designing those ugly boxes? When your family is suffering from allergies, or sick with a runny nose that ugly box of tissue sits out, front and center for everyone to see. Nobody wants to look at that ugly box! When I came across an inexpensive wooden tissue box during my last foray to my favorite thrift store, I decided to transform it into something really beautiful to look at.
I started with an inexpensive plain brown wooden tissue box cover. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than it was kinda boring looking. In all honesty, it actually looked much better than some of the hideous designs on most cardboard tissue boxes. But I knew I could easily make it look much, much better and transform it into a functional decor accent for my home. If I am going to have something sitting out all the time, I want it to look fabulous!!! Don’t you?
Supplies:
- Tissue box
- Rubbing alcohol
- Paper towels
- Acrylic paint in the color of your choice
- Paint brush
- Transfer images, I used Iron Orchid Designs (IOD) Transfers
- Transfer rubbing stick
Decide what images you want to use to embellish your piece. I picked up this package of vintage inspired “Exploration” Iron Orchid Designs (IOD) transfers at one of my favorite local boutiques. I didn’t know what I would use them for at the time but I loved the vintage look and I knew I would get inspiration to use them at some point.
IOD carries a variety of transfer images to choose from. Check out their website for loads of ideas and products you can order directly from them at ironorchiddesigns.com. It’s a small business run by two women and their website is chock full of design inspiration using their products. I’m not paid to promote them, they carry high quality products that I love to use and I love supporting small businesses.
Once you decide on the transfers you want to use, it’s time to decide on the base color of the piece you are embellishing. In order for the transfers to really “pop” pick a color that contrasts with the transfers you’ve selected.
Use a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol to clean the surface of the tissue box. This will ensure the paint sticks to the surface and will help prevent the paint from chipping off. Once the surface is clean and dry, paint the box in the color of your choice. It may take several coats of paint to achieve the finish you want.
Because the transfers I selected have a vintage look to them, I decided I liked the way the finish looked after just two coats of paint. The subtle striations in the finish gives the piece a more vintage look that will work nicely with the vintage look of the transfers.
Once the paint is dry it’s time to add the transfers. For the best results, it’s important to keep a couple things in mind. Placing images off-center and folding them over onto more than one side will give the piece more interest. Don’t crowd the piece with too many transfers. Be sure to leave some “negative” empty space in between each transfer. This will allow you to appreciate and see each transferred image on the item.
Remove the waxy paper backing away from the image you have selected. Place the image on your piece and use the rubbing tool that comes with the transfer package to firmly rub the image onto the surface of your piece. Apply firm steady pressure over the entire image until it releases from the plastic film and transfers onto the surface of your piece.
Gently peel away the plastic film on top of the image.
Continue this process until you have transferred all the images onto your piece.
That’s all there is to it! See how easy it is to transform an old dated item and breathe new life into it? I have to confess, functional accents are my favorite way to add decor to my home. Instead of filling your house with dust collecting tchotchkes, use a few functional decor accents instead.
Did You Try This Technique?
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For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!