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    Home » Thrift Store Makeovers » Small Wooden Trinket Keepsake Box

    Small Wooden Trinket Keepsake Box

    Published by Gail | Published October 11, 2017 | Updated June 30, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    I’m fixing up a small wooden trinket keepsake box for this month’s Thrift Store Décor Challenge!

    small wooden box

    This small wooden box has been hanging out in the shed for years. I had already worked on it years ago, but set it aside for some reason. Anyhow, it was time to revisit this project and “get it done”. Smile

     

    wooden thrift store box

    small cedar keepsake box

    The box is in really good shape, it just needs a little paint and TLC.

    Sanding interior of cedar box brings back the scent

    sand cedar to refresh it's properties

     Did you know that sanding the inside of a cedar box is the way to refresh it’s properties?

     

    *this post contains Affiliate Links, read more here*

    dremel sander

    Using a sanding pad on my Dremel Multi-Max made it easy to get inside the box as well as sand out some blemishes on the lid of the box. Someone had carved their name in it. The top of the box became soooo smooth!

    Always keep a small dust brush on hand

    remove dust sanding dust from project

    After sanding I used a dust brush to remove the dust on the outside ornate places and my leaf blower to get the dust out of the corners inside the box.

    Prepare to paint Thrift Store Trinket Box

    paint wooden trinket box

    I gathered my painting supplies, Heirloom Traditions Heritage (all in one) paint—Iron Gate, and a cheap chip brush.

     

    Don't forget to paint the underneath side of your project

    paint underside of wooden keepsake box

    I began by painting the underneath side of the small wooden trinket keepsake box with my chip brush. Did you notice how loved my brush is? I use these things forever before I throw them out.

     

    paint wooden keepsake box

    Initially I wasn’t going to paint the inside lip of the wooden keepsake box, but bare wood was showing while the box was closed. This paint is fairly flat and dries very quickly.

     

     

    paint lid wooden trinket box

    The top turned out really pretty. All signs of the names that were carved in the small wooden box were gone.

    Embellish details of wooden box with rub-n-buff

    wooden details small wooden trinket box

    Aren’t the ornate wooden details of this box so pretty?

     

    turquoise rub-n-buff

    I tried applying the turquoise rub-n-buff with a latex glove but it wasn’t giving me the freedom to get into the edge of the details.

     

     

    apply small amount of rub-n-buff with finger If you’ve never applied rub-n-buff—you may not know that you use a tiny, tiny amount. Less is more when it comes to this fabulous highlighter!

     

    beautiful turquoise rub-n-buff

    I really think it’s time to hop over to Amazon to order more colors of my rub-n-buff. Recently I had to throw away the gold color because it was too old and dried out. Look how pretty it brings out the details. Easy Peasy!

    Buff the detailed area

    don't forget to buff

    Don’t forget to BUFF!

    Optional: add small stencils

    stenciling with rub-n-buff

    I used some Martha Stewart adhesive stencils with the Turquoise rub-n-buff.

     

    rub-n-buff stenciling

    I wouldn’t recommend doing the rub-n-buff stenciling without using some sort of adhesive stencils. These stencils are reusable many times.

     

    small black wooden trinket keepsake box

    I love the look of how muted the rub-n-buff looks on the details and the stenciling.

    Fill your wooden trinket keepsake box with treasures

    wooden trinket keepsake box makeover MyRepurposedLife.com

    These are treasures from my Aunt Polly from around 1955. She passed away a few months after I was born. She was only 25.

    small wooden trinket keepsake box makeover using rub-n-buff MyRepurposedLife.com

    PIN IT!

    I was named after her (our first names are the same), so I was the recipient of her memorabilia including her diary, photos, autograph book and other personal items. You can see this autograph is from Bud Abbott!!

     

    wooden keepsake box of treasures MyRepurposedLife.com

    Aunt Polly’s fiance was reported missing in 1950. I imagine that she probably wore these gloves to his memorial service. In the photo on the left she is holding a bride doll that now stands on her cedar chest residing in my bedroom for most of my life.

     

    wooden trinket box holds remotes and more MyRepurposedLife.com

    On a lighter note, the small wooden trinket box can also hold  remotes and more on the coffee table.

     

    Now, let’s take a look at the thrift store projects my friends have been working on:

    thrift store project makeovers

    Fall Centerpiece Petticoat Junktion

    Wooden Trinket Keepsake Box My Repurposed Life

    Painted Toilet Paper Basket Domestically Speaking

    Wall Mounted Paper Holder Refresh Restyle

    Painting Old Faux Pumpkins Our Southern Home

    Please hop over to visit to check out the projects above. Tell them MRL sent ya! I love these monthly blog challenges because it causes me to do projects I wouldn’t normally be doing. Do you enjoy the smaller, easier projects?

    gail

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    1. Christy @ Our Southern Home

      October 18, 2017 at 9:08 am

      Boxes are great finds at thrift stores. I always buy them. I love this look. It really looks like an antique. So pretty!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 19, 2017 at 7:38 pm

        Thank you so much Christy. I'm taking it to my craft show this weekend. I hope it finds a fun new home. 😉

        gail

    2. Lauren

      October 11, 2017 at 8:47 pm

      This is SO pretty! I have a bunch of wooden boxes I got at a yard sale a few years ago -- still waiting for me to do something with them. I've never used rub-n-buff but I love the way it brings out the details! Such sweet keepsakes from your Aunt Polly too.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 12, 2017 at 9:43 pm

        Ohhh, Lauren--you should definitely get some rub-n-buff. I have it in several colors. 🙂

        gail

    3. Jennie

      October 11, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      I love rub n buff. When we recently moved I got rid of some dried outtubes that were probably 30 years or more old. Time to order more.

      Reply
    4. Maryann

      October 11, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      What a great find! Love the stencils on top.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 12, 2017 at 9:44 pm

        Thanks Maryann! 🙂

        This was a fun project, I love being in this group of talented bloggers!

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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