Knife Box Re-Do

I found (rescued) this sorry looking knife box at the local Salvation Army Thrift Store. I really liked the finger-jointed corners and large flat surface on top, which I knew would be perfect for some art from the Graphics Fairy (You must check it out if you're looking for sweet vintage images.)

Inside the box, there was a long wood block with slots cut into it. It's the kind of thing that would have held fancy silver butter knives or something similar. The pinkish velvet lining wasn't in awful condition but I had plans right away for the inside so I new it all had to go.

First I removed the block, which was held through the bottom with long metal staples. Then out came the velvet lining. I was getting used to this part as I had done it a few times by now (see my previous jewellery box re-do). My darling husband did me the favour of patching and sanding the outside of the box and then I got to work.

I primed and painted the outside and inner edges of the box (and had to touch the inside front corners a few times as *somebody* kept closing the box before it was fully dry, causing the lid to stick shut and lifting some paint when I pried it back open... not naming names, just sayin'... haha). Then I lined the inside of the box with some heavy woven cotton, similar to drop-cloth but not drop cloth. It has a nice semi-nubbly texture to it. I know... nubbly is not a real word but it works. 

I then added a couple of tiny pieced of adhesive cork sheet to prevent the lid from sticking down on itself again (genius!). My next idea to decorate the top didn't turn out at all. I was going to attempt to transfer an image using ModPodge but it came off in big chunks and looked HORRIBLE. (No pics taken. It was hiding in shame.) So I meticulously (painstakingly) scraped off all the transfer and glue and paper with my fingernail. It took forever but thankfully it didn't harm the surface at all. Phew.

I decided to use my tried and true method of colouring the back side of a printout with a pencil and then placing the image on the cover and tracing it with a stylus. Unfortunately it wasn't a very dark leaded pencil so I could barely see the image. I had to keep tilting and tilting the box under different light to see the faintest outline so that I could re-sketch the image in enough to be able to paint it. Finally all sketched in, I then outlined and painted in the entire crown. Wow! I love this image! (Thanks SO much again Graphics Fairy!)

Once it was dry, I brought it back to my workshop and added a few coats of satin spray sealant to the whole outside of the box (which I now say is a Trinket Box.)

It seemed that time had warped the bottom of the box so to prevent it from wobbling, I glued flat glass marbles to the bottom to serve as feet. That made it even better!

What do you think of my trinket box? I wanted to go for a look that could be used by either a man or a woman. Is it too feminine? Or just right?

Before and after: