Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Anthropologie Inspired Wooden Flower Box

I got this inspiration from a picture on Anthropologie.com's website. It was advertising the "hardware" store that includes knobs to put onto a dresser/door etc. I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of it, but it wasn't something they were selling, it was in the background of a picture of what they actually were selling. Does that make sense? Anyway, I tried to find it again but it had disappeared. So sorry I don't have the original idea picture.
(I got the idea of what words to put HERE)
Here are the supplies you will need
Pieces of wood. I found mine at JoAnne's but they sell them at Michaels. And I know there are experienced woodworkers out there who would laugh that I used this kind. But it was easily accessible, and I don't have a wood cutter so it had to be thin enough to cut with a hand saw. 

sand paper

your choice of wood stain

wood glue (I used Elmer's wood glue instead of the Gorilla glue because the Elmer's is way easier to clean up.)

stencil paint--i used black

stencils




My husband helped me measure the wood and cut it. I used the two short ends from the pieces I cut off the long piece of wood. 










then my husband sawed through the wood. We sanded down the rough edges after that. 



(Sorry, I'm a dummy and forgot to take pictures of the next steps)
Then I painted on the wood stain. (I used Sedona Red)
Waited 15 minutes, then used a paper towel to wipe off the excess.

I let the finish dry overnight, then added the letters with the stencil paint
***This stencil paint is a miracle worker! I have tried to use stencils before by applying acrylic paint lightly, and it just ran everywhere. This stencil paint is perfect because a tiny bit goes a LONG way. I barely used any paint to get through all the letters. Make sure you hold down the stencil where you are painting so you get a clean line. 



Let the letters dry.
 (I let them dry overnight but it probably only takes a couple of hours)
Then I took my sandpaper and gutted the whole thing. I went over the letters multiple times to let them fade. I went over the edges and especially focused on the corners to make it look worn and used.

Here is an example: I concentrated on a few spots to make the original wood come through the stain



Then I used wood glue to glue the entire thing together. This was a little frustrating. 
I learned that you only need a little glue, not a lot. If you use too much it slips and slides around never staying where you want it. So use less than you think you will need to.

After the wood glue dried, I added some faux flower stems and a few stems of "Stardust Gyp." That is what the tag says. I found it at Michael's eons ago and thought this would be a good time to use it. 









Here are a few shots of the finished product


I have  a shelf I am going to paint, put up and put this on. I'm so excited!


Thanks for stopping by!
Huge love,


9 comments:

molly susan strong said...

What a lovely little box! I may ave to make one too! Come by and see my little joint!

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

I am loving that sweet little box you made! Absolutely darling! Thanks for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday~ hope you will come back and share again soon! :)

Amanda said...

Such a wonderful flower box, I love how you put it all together!

emilysnan said...

hiya i'm maggie and i am visiting from make the world cuter i am following you too , i love how the flower box turned out , very aged and used looking x hope you visit me sometime
xmaggiex

By the Bluegrass said...

I love it! The color of the stain is perfect.
xo,
Sena

Kiley said...

This is so cute! I LOVE your blog! We have a lot of similar interests in crafting! I hope you can stop by my blog someday and take a look around! Would love some new followers! I'm definitely following you!

Anne said...

charming!! it looks perfectly weathered.

The Charm of Home said...

This is adorable! You did a really good job on it. Love the lettering! Thanks for sharing at HSH!
Sherry

Jane said...

Oh Hi Karli, nice to 'meet' you - I've been doing some blog cruising, looking for inspiration as my best friend just asked if I could plan a tea party for her daughter's and their friends, and I love your styrofoam ball tutorial so I had to have a little look around the rest of your blog:) Do you know why else I like it... my daughter is crazy about ballet (I never did dance!) so when I saw your header with the black ballerina silhouette I thought it was lovely. All the best, (Aussie girl) Jane:)

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