DIY Project: Heart Jewelry Box Upcycle

I love doing little gifty flips! This DIY Project Heart Jewelry Box Upcycles takes a sad thrift store find and makes it an adorable gift for someone special! It was just so sad sitting there at the Goodwill – with no one to love it and all it wanted to do was love. What could I do?  I couldn’t just leave it there. So I decided to give it a little make-over and viola! It’s ready for love!

Here’s what’s I used for this DIY Project:

• Thrift store jewelry box
• Dixie Belle Paint Barn Red Chalk Paint
• Rust-Oleum White Spray Paint
• Minwax Polycrylic Water Based Protective Finish, Gloss
• Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear, Enamel Spray – Gloss
• Hobby & Craft Sheet Metal, Cloverleaf
• Painters Masking Tape
• 3M Ultra Flexible Sanding Sponge, 220-Grit

To get this DIY project started, I removed all the hardware and cleaned the box up a bit with some vinegar spray and a paper towel.  Then I lightly taped the inside, just to keep my messy painting habits off the nice velvet.  I saved the glass, even though I wasn’t going to use it in the final project, it was going to come in handy.

It took me a minute to finally decide what color to paint this.  I have a super cute pink chalk paint that would have done nicely, but with the pink inside it was gonna be a bit too much.  So I decided to go with Dixie Belle Paint Barn Red Chalk Paint.  Red is actually one of my least favorite colors – I know, right? I’m a weirdo.  I think it was because I was forced to wear red gym clothes in high school and let me tell you… red is not my color.  But this Dixie Belle Paint Barn Red Chalk Paint is stunning and a little goes a long way.

While my jewelry box was drying, I took the glass that I saved from the lid, and measured it out onto my craft sheet metal.  I used some serious sheers to cut this bad boy.  It’s not terribly thick or hard to cut, but it will tear up a pair of scissors after a while.  Then I sprayed both sides with a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum White Spray Paint and some Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel Spray.  I let it dry for about 30 minutes per coat or so – or when I remembered to do it.

Now that my little box was painted, I took my sanding sponge and rough’d her up a bit.  I feel like pieces tell me where they like to be distressed.  I usually start on a corner and then lightly take it on the edges to see what gives away first and then focus there.  She’s looking pretty rough now – don’t worry, she get’s prettier.  

I wiped all the sanding dust off my box, making sure it’s really free of any dust.  Fun little tip – I find that dry sweeping pads, like the swiffer sheets, are amazing for this task and several other DIY projects that I do.  Then I did painted on two coats of Minwax Polycrylic, allowing it to dry about 30 minutes between each coat.  This Dixie Belle Paint Barn Red Chalk Paint really comes out rich and vibrant with that polycrilic on it.  I just love this step in a DIY project because it just makes the paint come to life!   

I have a very cool detailing attachment for my vacuum cleaner, so I used that to clean up any debris on the velvet – very handy for a DIY project like this one.  But, should you not have a need for a detailing kit with vacuum cleaner – by the way we have never used it in our cars – painters tape works pretty well too.  Then I put it back together, placing my now painted craft sheet metal where the glass used to be.  Look how precious she turned out!!!!!

This DIY project would be such a great Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day gift.  Or a perfect first jewelry box for a little girl!  Or just any lady who loves to love… jewelry that is!  Who would you give this sweet box to?