Supplies:
- Chipboard Recipe Box
- Graphic 45 Fashionista Collection designer papers
- Neenah Classic Cream cardstock
- Memory Box Licorice cardstock
- Stamps: Kim Hughes Playful Alphabet
- Ranger Distress Inks: Antique Linen & Black Soot
- Memento Tuxedo Black ink
- Spellbinders dies: Decorative Frames & Antique Bookplate 2
- Basic Grey Buttons
- Art Flowers
- Black Twill
- Martha Stewart Baker's Twine
- Studio Paint: Charcoal Black & Dash of Red
- Copic Sketch Marker: 100-Black
- Royal Coat Satin Decoupage
- Red Liner Tape
I've been wanting to alter a recipe box for quite some time and finally, all the elements came together perfectly when I saw this new line of Graphic 45 designer papers! I love the dark, rich, distressed colors and these red, black and cream nostalgic patterns match my kitchen perfectly!
I started this project by assembling the chipboard box. It ships to you flat, but is very easy to quickly fold together. You'll want to adhere it with a very aggressive tape, such as red liner. Then I covered the chipboard recipe box with the Graphic 45 papers, using Royal Coat Decoupage as an adhesive. I loved this Vintage Cherries Graphic 45 print, but there are several other fruit/vegetable prints to choose from in the Graphic 45 line, too, that would work just as well.
Since this box will be in the kitchen, possibly exposed to food and water, once the papers were adhered to the box and dry, I put a protective coat of decoupage on top of the papers, too. I even adhered patterned paper to the bottom of the box and also gave it a protective coat of decoupage.
A 5/8" wide piece of black twill separates the two patterns of paper on the box bottom, with simple loops of twill and a tied button accent on the front. The twill was also adhered with the red liner tape:
The box lid was also covered with two prints of the Graphic 45 patterned paper. I stamped "recipes" using Kim Hughes' Playful Alphabet with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Classic Cream cardstock. I used Spellbinders Antique Book Plate 2 die to cut it only, I didn't emboss it. The edges were sponged with Antique Linen and Black Soot Distress inks.
The mat you see behind the "recipe" label was die cut and embossed with Spellbinders Decorative Frames from Memory Box Licorice cardstock. The two were layered and adhered with the decoupage:
Buttons tied with Baker's Twine and Art Flowers were used to embellished the lid label. The store appears to be out of stock of the Baker's Twine at the moment, but I bet it will be back soon. The package Ellen usually carries has the red twine in it, but no black. So I took the caramel-colored twine from the package and my trusty Copic Black 100 marker and made it black!
To give a professional finish to the chipboard box, you may want to use some coordinating Studio paint on the edges:
I'm sure I'll have a few recipe card projects to share with you in the future, now that I have a pretty place to store them!
