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  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for Home Living Handbook, HGTV.com, and a handful of other websites. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

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Upcycled! A Wooden Box Finds A New Look

February 28, 2016

This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in February 2013.

Sometimes I find gems at salvage shops. Not always, usually I have to squint really hard at an item to decide whether or not something is going to translate into something great, or actually be purposeful, or ask myself if it’s just going to take up space unnecessarily in my home. This simple wooden box was one of my latest finds, and one that I knew I might have for a long time:

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

It’s from a silverware collection, lined with tarnish-prevnting felt and designed to clasp forks, spoons, and knives when not in use.

Oh, and it was $3. Look hard and thou shall find beautiful things. What I also decided it would be great for is jewelry storage, the perfect little home for my silver necklaces and earrings that are quick to tarnish.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

Keep on reading to see how I planned and executed a unique design for my new jewelry box:

I started by getting inspired, which is basically where any great project begins. Two things popped to mind that could make my jewelry box unique, contemporary, and personlized. First, I knew I wanted to employ my new $18 woodburning kit (a handy hobby tool that I used to personalize a manly Christmas present). Second, Jaime Derringer, the founder and executive editor of the popular blog Design Milk, has taken on a mission to draw a shape each day of this year. Each sketch she shares is mesmerizing, sometimes complicated in their own right but clean-lined, geometric, and unique, and I think you’d like them too–even this far into the year her collection of images present like a gallery (you can follow her progress at #ashapeaday2013 on instagram).

I set out to customize the box by first drawing a series of sketches, shapes, formations with a pencil and ruler. The winning design took inspiration from the way I painted my sunroom floor; purposefully off-center, I tweaked it to be a little more interesting and contemporary by adding additional paralleling lines.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

After cleaning the salvaged box gently to remove residue and some inherent second-hand store grime, I transferred the sketch onto the box top surface by recreating it almost exactly with the ruler and a red china marker. The china marker is ideal because it showed up better on the finished surface than a pencil, and wasn’t as permanent as a marker might have been. (Note, the finer details I did on the fly because I didn’t think that the red wax could mark the surface as accurately as I could freehand with the burning tool.)

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

The wood burning tool can be a little hard to get the hang of, and to help give the tool a path to follow I also went over the lines with a ball point pen to break the finish of the wood. Its gouge is minimal, but would be enough for the point of the burning tool to follow. It is at this point that there is no going back with your intentions to change the smooth appearance of your canvas!

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

I haven’t used the woodburning tool to full capacity yet, so I toyed with a few of the 15 different tip attachments to see what worked best.

Woodburning tools for a custom DIY project that even beginners can do.

The tool works best when it’s hot. And not just hot, and not hot-hot, I mean, use it at it’s maximum burning potential after it has been plugged in to the wall for 15 minutes and is hot-hot-hot. It’s like an ironing torch, and it needs a while to heat up. Never fear though, if you start using the tool prematurely you can always go back over and reburn the areas that you already have passed. Slower passes burn quickly, while moving the instrument quickly allowed less contact time and less burn. This would be an important tip if you were, say, looking to shade something or produce a gradient effect.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

It’s not a fast project, I’ll say that. Burning evenly takes time, patience, and constant attention. I sat hovered over my project for nearly two hours with a cotton rag in my lap to clean off the tip of the tool periodically.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

The main design came along quite nicely. I love the definition of the dark burned wood, it’s as if western design met a contemporary lover.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

When I added the extra paralleling lines, the design matched my vision and sketch.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

I vacuumed the interior of the box out really well before I added any of my silver jewelry to it. It fits my modest collection of silver, and then some. Really, you should know that what you’re seeing in the next picture is all of about $70 of inexpensive accessories, I’m thrifty in the accessory arena too.

Upcycle an old silverware box into a jewelry box.

It’s especially nice to be able to consolidate jewelry, because wherein I had 4 small boxes and a hanging display of necklaces before, now I’m back to having a single box, a less cluttered hanging display, and a streamlined dresser surface.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

How to use woodburning tools to create a modern design in the top of an old silverware box.

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Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast living a very merry, DIY-filled lifestyle. As a freelance writer, you can find my work on many popular home and garden sites, including HGTV.com, Home Living Handbook, a Pursuit Channel for Men's Journal, and other outlets. Follow me on social, or drop me a note.

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  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    You can find me writing for Home Living Handbook, HGTV.com, and a handful of other websites.

    Thanks for visiting!

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