Good day everyone!
I want to tell you the heartbreaking story of one box.
The fact that I look at garbage dumps, landfills, all kinds of garbage is no longer even a secret or news, although until that moment I had never been so bold, especially at such an hour of the morning, to take something, but I really wanted to. Well, just imagine...
It’s a sunny autumn morning, as always I’m flying, running and always stumbling, just rushing to work. Honestly, well, as in the song it is sung “And I’m walking like this all in Dolce Gabana” .... and I see a box lying there, old wooden and terribly tattered. It’s a shame, of course, to write something like this, but what can I do? This is the harsh truth of my creative life. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t pass by, I felt so sorry for her.
Then the picture is simply oil... I flew up, as if stung, to this garbage dump, grabbed something from the ground, stuffed it into a bag and with an imperturbable look continued on my way, tapping my heels on the asphalt... By the way, the garbage dump is located two steps from my house ... in general, I’m even scared to imagine what my neighbors and residents of the house thought about me, I’ve lived there for more than 20 years and already know everyone and everything, and, accordingly, everyone knows me, such oddities in my behavior have never been noticed ... Many will say , oh well, no one saw, no one cares about anyone, especially in the morning... I’m trying to convince myself the same thing that everything is fine, no one saw us, and even if they did, they didn’t understand anything.
In general, I won’t go into too much detail about my torment and mental anguish; I’d rather tell you about the box itself. I ran to work and the first thing I did was look at my foundling. Here she is, a beauty...
And the box is not of wondrous beauty, not even carved, just some kind of quiet horror... The first thought, you’ve lived to see Lanka, the neurosis clinic is already giving you absenteeism, it was necessary to tell such a thing... I just felt sorry for her, this Well, you have to mock the poor thing like that... I can’t even imagine what it looked like in its original form, judging by the protruding nails, it was apparently upholstered with something, most likely with fabric. It’s like you had to want this fabric so much that you would tear it off so mercilessly and simply throw the naked poor thing out into the street... Then the painstaking work began to restore and bring this poor thing into divine form.
Maybe someone will be interested, I still captured the transformation. The MK turned out to be very large, there was a lot of work, so if you don’t want to bother yourself with subtleties and wisdom, look through the pictures, the principle of operation is visible.
1. The first thing I did was remove all the nails; it was impossible to drive them in, they were larger in size and if I started driving them in, they would all come out from the inside of the box. For reliability, all the parts of the box were coated with glue “Joiner”, perfect for all types of wood (I have no idea what kind). I had to buy very tiny carnations, by the way, the box is not as flimsy as it might seem, it’s clear that it wasn’t made today or even yesterday.
2. Since global painting and finishing are planned, before work I coated the surfaces to be decorated with Eurolux acrylic primer for better adhesion to paints and putty.
3. The surface is of course not at all smooth. To level the surface, I used acrylic putty for wood “Decor”, perfect for wooden surfaces in need of restoration, ideally hiding defects and flaws.
I wanted to keep the wood in the box and not modify it too much, so I decided to finish only the front side of the box. Using a spatula with intermediate natural drying (do not use a hairdryer, cracks may appear), I applied several layers of putty, leveled the layer of putty with a palette knife, achieving a more or less even surface. After complete drying, I sanded it down so that the surface was perfectly smooth. Next is another layer of acrylic primer.
4. Using a sponge, I covered the surface with a layer of acrylic primer from Sonnet. The lid is round and it is clearly impossible to glue the napkin evenly; folds cannot be avoided. I took a regular office file, peeled off the extra layers of the napkin, placed the napkin face down and, using a fan brush and water, “glued” the napkin onto the file. I placed the file on the lid and separated it, the napkin lays perfectly flat without wrinkles. Coat the napkin with decoupage glue. I glued the napkin to the sides of the box in the same way.
5. Well, where would we be without my favorite monogram. For the monograms I used acrylic universal putty. I placed the stencil on the side of the box and, using a palette knife, applied a layer of putty; without waiting for it to dry, remove the stencil. I did the same manipulation on both sides.
6.I also did not ignore the inner surface of the lid. I have a stencil like this with an adhesive surface, it’s very convenient, you don’t need to fix the edges of the stencil, just attach the stencil, apply putty and remove it.
7. After all the monograms had dried, I took eye shadow, well, I didn’t have anything suitable in color, applied it to the monograms with a brush and lightly walked over them with sandpaper, thereby aging and shading them a little.
8. Covered the entire box with a layer of matte acrylic varnish. Then I took acrylic paint “Dark Ocher” and with a sponge, smacking, I walked along the edges of the box.
9. And finally the finishing coat. One layer of glassy varnish and a couple or even three layers of matte varnish. Well, the more, the better. At the end, we attach the fittings so that our box can be closed and opened.
Tell me EVERYTHING)))))
Well, she's a beauty! Of course, someone will say, the efforts weren’t worth it, well, I don’t know, comrades, I love difficulties, and I couldn’t pass by and leave this little thing to live out her life naked, and even in the trash heap...
You be the judge, I hope my shame in the trash heap)))) was worth it and I gave new life to this wonderful box.
Honor, glory and praise and my deep gratitude to everyone who came and read to the end)))
This is the story I got.
Good luck to everyone and endless creative inspiration!!!
Good day everyone!
Another story about being brought back to life))) ... Namely, a tea box... Not much of a backstory....
Do your neighbors guess or maybe they know who lives next door to them?))) Mine somehow incredibly found out that I was doing decoupage. So one day a neighbor came to me and brought one extremely unattractive miracle, or rather a tea-type box. The sight of her, of course, just scared me. And not by what they wanted to offer me, and not even by the volume of work that I had already mentally imagined, but by my appearance. The first thing I asked was what military operations had she been in?))) It turned out that the neighbor was given a tea box with different types of tea, well, an ordinary gift set. So she’s not a fan of collecting and decided to throw it away, but then for some reason she thought about me and decided to give it to me, but in order to make my work easier, she decided to get rid of the trim, and the trim, as it turned out, was velvet.... well, I’m silent. ... why..... did she decide to do this??? I don’t know... well, at least I should have done it carefully.... Well, okay, why complain at all, it’s good that at least I didn’t throw it away, the box is wooden and very strong. Well, in general, they gave and gave, I thanked my neighbor, of course, but there was one thought in my head... this is how much work you gave me, dear neighbor)))
I probably did it for three weeks, there really was a lot of work. Of course, I filmed the process, of course there is nothing special, but in case it comes in handy for someone. I can’t even call it decoupage, it’s more like restoration.
I apologize for some of the photos, the quality is not so great, because I took them in the evenings, or even at night, and you yourself understand what the lighting is like. And of course MK turned out to be very large and there will be a lot of photos.
This is how it came to me... know comments)))
The first thing I did was fill all the potholes and unevenness with putty for wooden surfaces. In the end, almost the entire surface of the box had to be leveled.
After the putty had dried, I covered the entire box with acrylic primer.
I glued some masking tape inside the rectangle. I did the same procedure on all sides of the box.
Next I took light gray acrylic paint and painted all sides of the box.
After drying, I very carefully removed the tape.
Then I took acrylic putty and used a stencil to make monograms on the inside of the lid
Using another stencil, I also used putty to make monograms on the front side of the lid, on the front side of the bottom of the box and a small pattern on the sides of the box
The next step of wear is to age the box. Using sandpaper I thoroughly went over all the corners and ends of the box. At the same time I sanded all the monograms
The next step, aging the monograms themselves
I took bitumen paint and applied a generous layer to the monograms using a brush. Immediately I washed off the excess with a cotton swab. Thus, driving the bitumen paint into all the cracks and squiggles, while leaving the monogram itself untouched. It’s my first time working with bitumen paint, I don’t know the intricacies, sorry, I’m still learning, but I smeared it a lot))) It’s not easy to erase this daub, there is a special linseed oil for erasing excess from crackle, etc., but I have it no misfortune, and why do I need it? I have olive oil, well, it’s no worse)))
Here's what I got
I do the same with all the monograms, the ends of the box are also lightly coated with bitumen paint
After all the procedures, I cover the entire box with a couple more layers of acrylic varnish, and finally, with a soft cloth, I cover it with a layer of wax
And the final touch is the handle for the box.
I covered the handle with acrylic primer, then applied a layer of bitumen paint, wiped off the excess with oil, then covered the handle with a layer of acrylic varnish and wax
The handle was simply glued to metal moment glue
Well, that seems to be all!
There was a tea box, which became a jewelry box. My hand won’t rise to put the tea bags in it now.
I showed it to my neighbor, it’s a shock in our opinion))) They kindly hinted to me that the box would be good, I’d like one like this)))) I said no question, order it, we’ll do it in the best possible way)))
He thinks...))) I’m incredibly happy that the issue of donating this box was discussed at the very beginning, otherwise I would have had an attack of asphyxia right now, or simply put, the toad just strangled me, give it away and even for free... For me personally I wouldn’t hesitate to say, but give it to me, knowing what kind of work and effort goes into all manual work, it wouldn’t even occur to me to reduce the price, I know how expensive the materials are, how much time it takes to do the work itself, on the subtleties, and in general how much of my The craftswomen put energy and effort into their creations, how can you think that it can cost 5 kopecks... I never cease to be surprised by this fact every time I voice the cost of the work... Well, I don’t pay attention, I’m just thinking out loud... I'm grumbling))) I'm getting old or something))))
Friends, 2015 has almost come to an end. We still have several orders left that were not published on the website, which we have already restored and returned to customers. Today we will talk about two antique boxes from the early 20th century. Both belong to the same person and are family heirlooms. We invite you to look at a short article about what they were like before restoration, what work was done and the results of the restoration. Happy New Year everyone!!!
BOX 1
Made from solid linden. Dimensions 23x17.5x7cm.
The box was made in Russia sometime in the early 20th century and has been a family heirloom ever since. It was intended mainly for storing jewelry, money and little things dear to the heart.
Damage: In many places the structure of the box is unstuck. There is a crack on the bottom. The entire surface is covered with numerous scratches. The front panel under the lock is completely broken.
Sequence of restoration work:
1. Removing scratches.
2. Gluing the structure.
3. Making an insert for a carved lock.
4. Making an insert to eliminate the crack.
5. Sanding.
6. Oil coating.
A few photos of the gluing process (using clamps) and making the insert for the crack.
And we present to you a restored box from the early 20th century:
BOX 2:
This beautiful burl box from the 2nd half of the 19th century arrived in our workshop.
Manufacturer: factory of brothers Nikolai and Vasily Makarov.
Time and place of manufacture: Russia, Slobodskaya, Vyatka province, 2nd half of the 19th century.
If anyone doesn’t know, the Makarov workshop has become widely known since 1829. In those years, Grigory Makarov received a silver award at the 1st All-Russian manufacturing exhibition in St. Petersburg for achievements in his profession. After his death in 1856, the business was continued by his son Vasily, and then by his grandchildren - Vasily and Nikolai.
Material: birch veneer birch burl.
On the outer part of the bottom of the box there is a mark - “N. and V.V. Makarovs in Slobodskoye", reprints of awards:
1. All-Russian manufacturing exhibition of 1865 with the inscription “For hard work and art to Nikolai and Vasily Makarov” with the image of the profile of Alexander II, the Russian emperor and autocrat.
2. All-Russian manufacturing exhibition of 1870 with the inscription “To Nicholas and Vasily Makarov” with the image of the profile of Alexander II, emperor and autocrat of the Russian
3. Imperial Society of Natural History Lovers at Moscow University 1863
4. Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition 1872
Damage: There is veneer peeling on the box; veneer fragments are missing in two places.
Sequence of restoration work.
1. Removing shellac varnish
2. Elimination of small dents.
3. Replenishment of lost veneer fragments.
4. Gluing the loose veneer.
5. Shellac coating (we will apply about 20 layers).
Present to your attention restored antique box from the mid-19th century:
Happy New Year, everyone! Are you looking for where to restore a box in Moscow? Who to entrust with a valuable antique family heirloom - contact us. We know how to treat other people's history with care.
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The master class “How to update an old box with a beautiful applique” was conducted by decoupage master Olga Miroshnichenko
The best gift is an old-new thing
Valentine's Day is approaching and, regardless of whether we celebrate this holiday or not, I want to please my soulmate with a pleasant surprise. Probably the best gift is something made with your own hands. “Evenings” invites its readers to master a unique and rather ancient technique of applying appliqués, which originated in medieval Europe. It is called decoupage from the French word “decoupage”, which means to cut out. Thanks to simple subtleties, each of us is able to transform an old chest of drawers, a case for glasses, a favorite box and even furniture in the apartment... We invited Olga Miroshnichenko, a well-known decoupage artist in Dnepropetrovsk, to teach a master class at the press center of "Dnepr Vecherniy".
To create, you need glue, a napkin and imagination...
1. Let’s say you still have a rare box, but, alas, it doesn’t look presentable. You can completely update it thanks to the technique I proposed. If the surface of the item is exposed with varnish or paint, then sand it with sandpaper. We begin the work by degreasing the product with alcohol or glass washing liquid (if we are working with glass) and covering it with light paint. When working on a wooden surface, I use white acrylic water-based matte paint, which is sold at a hardware or art store. By the way, it is suitable not only for working with wood, but also with any other material.
An important point is that we apply the paint not with a brush, otherwise stains are inevitable, but with a piece of sponge for washing dishes.
2. For decoupage, you can use both professional decoupage cards, which are sold in specialized stores, and any clippings from magazines or postcards. But most often, hobbyists use paper napkins with bright designs because they are easy to work with. In this case, mine is decorated with roses.
We carefully cut out the flower. Since our napkin is multi-layered, we separate only the top layer of the tenderloin. I recommend that beginners think in advance about what the applique on the product will be. First prepare all the parts, calculate so that they fit on the surface, and then proceed to the next step.
3. You will need PVA glue, which must be diluted with water in a ratio of 50x40, so that you get a fairly liquid consistency. You can also use special glue for decoupage. Next, attach the cutting to the surface of the item to be decorated and, using a medium-hard synthetic brush, apply glue with smooth movements. You need to do this along the surface of the drawing with movements from the middle as if you were drawing a sun. Make sure that no bubbles or creases appear. Having finished the work, you will see that the competitions of your clipping have become blurred, and only flowers in the composition you defined are on the box. To speed up the drying process of the glue, you can use a hair dryer.
4. We will need several outlines for drawing or glitter. These are usually sold in art stores. Contours for children's creativity, and even ordinary nail polish, are also suitable. Using the available paints, we draw individual details of the application. We can add some sparkles. It all depends on your imagination. The main thing is not to overdo it, because everything is good in moderation. Now you need to wait a little while the product dries.
5. The final stage is coating the box with varnish. I recommend purchasing Caparol furniture varnish at a hardware store. It is absolutely non-toxic and is ideal even for working on children's toys (if there is a large amount of work). Professionals use acrylic varnish, which is sold in hobby stores. Using a brush, carefully apply the varnish to the surface of the product, thereby securing the application. All you have to do is dry the box and you have a completely new exclusive product in front of you. You can give it to a loved one on Valentine's Day or any other holiday.
Wizard tips:
Before creating an application, you need to use sandpaper to ensure that the surface of the selected product becomes perfectly smooth.
Only dark surfaces need to be exposed with a light primer. This is done so that the application does not get lost on a dark background.
If your cutting is made of thick paper, then, first, you should apply glue to the base surface, thereby fixing the applique well. Next, we follow the standard scheme.
For Valentine's Day, you can do the following - glue a heart to the surface of any product, write a wish using an outline and fix such an application with varnish.
You should not take a brush that is too large, as you will not be able to work on small details with it.
With the help of decoupage you can update not only furniture and dishes, but also shoes and bags. First, apply primer paint to the desired area of the boot and wait until it dries. Then stick on the applique and fix it with a thin layer of varnish.
Before taking on serious work, practice on regular plywood or glossy cardboard.