Create Your Own Faux French Hatbox.
$10
3
Easy
Are you drawn to gorgeous antique hatboxes from Europe? I've seen some lovely examples from France or Belgium. But those authentic vintage hatboxes cost a pretty penny. Since I didn't want to spend my nest egg on hatboxes, I decided to create some faux french hatboxes myself.
I started with basic blank cardboard hatboxes. You can find these at nearly any craft store. I got mine at Hobby Lobby and waited until paper goods were 50% off to pick some up.
Next I painted them with Fusion paint. Why Fusion? Because you'll use water to remove some paper backing on transfers later on in the process, and the Fusion holds up well to getting wet. I used to use chalk paint, but it was trickier to keep the paint in place when I got to that step. Once the Fusion paint is dry, I use Fusion transfer gel and a mirror image graphic that I just printed on a laserjet printer to create the 'label'.
You simply apply some transfer gel, place your image face down on it and smooth out any bubbles. Wait six to 12 hours, then dampen the paper backing. Carefully rub the paper off and voila!
There are tons of options for different graphics on the Graphics Fairy website.
To see a more detailed explanation of how to create these, please check out my blog post linked below!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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