~*Making Antiques*~

Hello Dear Friends!

~*Making Antiques*~... well, of course, I'm not making 'antiques'... hopefully they LOOK like antiques... and even more hopefully will someday BE antiques!  For now... they are just REPRODUCTIONS...

 I'm always on the hunt for old boxes... treasures boxes... mostly wood ones... I totally LOVE the old handmade ones...

This past weekend... I designed a couple of simple, old~looking rugs and used my Amy Oxford #10 rug punch... wool yarns and wool fabric strips... to decorate these beloved old boxes...

 Both were given a quick SLAP of paint with some Annie Sloan Chalkpaint.  I don't have very much of this paint because it is quite costly... but I do have one can of red and one can of blue... my favorites!  I severely distressed the paint... then gave them both a good wax with some brown shoe polish... and then some paste wax...

 Both rugs were designed to look extremely scrappy... and 'messy' if you will...

(this box is 13 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 5 inches)

I left the old hardware on the blue box.  The hook closure is simple and perfect in my mind...

 If you look closely, you can see the wool strips mixed in with the wool yarn... the edges of both rugs were whipped with wool yarn around cotton cording...

 The blue box is thicker and  more 'masculine' in appearance... fat wood construction and big hinges on the back...

 I think the red one is my favorite of the two... but red is my favorite color!

(this box is 14 x 10 x 3 inches)

I purposely left the mark where the old closure once was on the box... because it, in my opinion, makes it look that much more loved and well used...

 Again, if you look closely, you can see the mix of yarns and wool strips... I love that the rugs are both a little 'ratty' looking with uneven loops and even a few snags from the punching...

 The red box hinges are smaller.  Maybe this box was once for silverware?  I don't know... but I love it!

 Both boxes will be coming with me on Friday to Topeka for the 1st Friday Art Walk at Fairlawn Plaza Mall.  If you are near.. come see me!  My Mom will be with me displaying and selling her sweet little, darling bears and critters!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty