I picked up this old lidded storage box recently at an auction. I love the inset panels but overall it's a little too primitive for my taste. I knew I wanted to do something to it but couldn't put my finger on what.
I love the original writing on it (Clawson & Wilson was a wholesale dry goods store in Cleveland in the early 1900's) but it wasn't crisp enough to leave as is and be decorative.
So inspired by the writing on the box and the recent Jeanne d' Arc magazine I went to my folder of magazine tears (do you have one of these?) and pulled out one of my favorites. This photo is from Caroline Verschoor's country home near Leesburg, Virginia, which was featured in the May 2007 issue of Country Home. I have always loved this chair.
I see them everywhere but I can never find the right feed sack now matter how many hours I spend searching auctions or online. You know the ones...fantastic graphics, fonts and colors (without farm animals) but you won't have to give up an arm, leg or your first born to bring it home? So I decided to make my own. I took a piece of scrap linen and cut it to fit the inset panel of the box. Then I penciled on the letters taking liberty to drop a few so that it fit the square. Then I filled them in with a black Sharpie. Next time I think I will use a gray or brown to better mimic the fading of the ink on the aged feedsack. Then I sprayed the inset panel with adhesive and pressed the fabric in place with my hands, lifting and smoothing as necessary.
After a coat of paint I like to call "a little coffee in your cream ma'am?" a new life has begun!
I was going to take this into the store to sell it, but.........I like the way it looks at the end of our sofa. What is inspiring you right now?
I love the original writing on it (Clawson & Wilson was a wholesale dry goods store in Cleveland in the early 1900's) but it wasn't crisp enough to leave as is and be decorative.
So inspired by the writing on the box and the recent Jeanne d' Arc magazine I went to my folder of magazine tears (do you have one of these?) and pulled out one of my favorites. This photo is from Caroline Verschoor's country home near Leesburg, Virginia, which was featured in the May 2007 issue of Country Home. I have always loved this chair.
I see them everywhere but I can never find the right feed sack now matter how many hours I spend searching auctions or online. You know the ones...fantastic graphics, fonts and colors (without farm animals) but you won't have to give up an arm, leg or your first born to bring it home? So I decided to make my own. I took a piece of scrap linen and cut it to fit the inset panel of the box. Then I penciled on the letters taking liberty to drop a few so that it fit the square. Then I filled them in with a black Sharpie. Next time I think I will use a gray or brown to better mimic the fading of the ink on the aged feedsack. Then I sprayed the inset panel with adhesive and pressed the fabric in place with my hands, lifting and smoothing as necessary.
After a coat of paint I like to call "a little coffee in your cream ma'am?" a new life has begun!
I was going to take this into the store to sell it, but.........I like the way it looks at the end of our sofa. What is inspiring you right now?
22 comments:
Oh, I love it! What a wonderful job you did there! I'm crazed when it comes to boxes of all sizes. I look for them at every antique mall.
Brenda
Very creative...love it! I would love to see the entire room that the box is in. I love seeing how other people decorate their homes. You have done such a beautiful job with your store, I would love to see what you've done with your home:)
Love what you did - it looks fabulous!
That is truely awesome. You did a fabulous job and it is so funny I am so like you. When I find something that I think I will put in my booth and because I am not quite in love with it it should be easy and then I play with it just enough to make it impossible to sell.
Again great job and great find.
Becky
did you freehand the letters?
I love it!Great job....as usual!
Love the way this turned out! You did a great job!! I love the old lettering, too.
marcie
This is wonderful! I love your blog. Your style reminds me of a shop in our area - Daffodils. Our blog is new and hopeful at www.theoldtimeyshop.blogspot.com
YOU ARE MY BLOG FRIEND, YOU ARE!!!
THANK YOU.
HUGS FROM MAINE
Luv how you replicated the print on that chair! And yes I do have a folder of tear sheets with numerous ideas that I will hopefully someday do :0) ~ Blessings, Katy
Hi...I'm interested in purchasing the Jeanne d' Arc magazine...I just signed up for your email list...Will you be notifying your list when the new issues come in? Thanks, Katie
Those feedsacks have called me too- I am hoping to take a screenprint class this spring at a fabric store near here to learn to do it....GREAT idea! You can always enjoy it for awhile and then send it on down the road to make someone else smile too....
It turned out beautiful...
I love anything to do with burlap! The box turned out great! Love it!
Theresa
This is so great! My daughter & I brought home about a dozen or so coffee feedsacks from an antique shop in Savannah last year and we still haven't really put them to use (well, this weekend she actually did cover a cork board with one of the sack...). I may copy your idea!
Ruth
It turned out amazing. I also love that chair and have been on the lookout for reasonable grain sacks....good luck on your search.
Oh this is just brilliantly beautiful!
Wow! Visiting from A Soft Place to Land! Love your site and will be back! :)
I love it! Can you please share what you done in painting it?
Seriously AWESOME! I love mixing old things with new things in my home.
Visiting from A Soft Place to Land.
This is such a clever idea and it turned out just gorgeous!!
I totally love it!
I love it--it is wonderful!
I took a an old wooden box with wonderful writing on it similar to yours and had two coffee tables made. I had iron bases wrought for each of them. One lives in my house (yay) and the other is going to my stall for sale. Pictures hopefully soon on blog...love your table!
xo lulu
Post a Comment