Christmas Gift Box Topiaries

This is a little project I designed that I'm calling Gift Box Topiaries

You can use them as a gift, 

or you can put gifts in each box, 

or just use as decoration year after year.

Each box is attached to the lid below it so they come apart for you to fill with your gifts, 

candy or whatever.

Here's a rundown of the process...

I ordered bulk paper mache' boxes in sets of three.

The boxes are 8", 10" and 12" in a set or 

4", 6" and 8" in a set

and large craft birds.

Primed and painted the boxes with base coats. 

I used spray paint for this and also spray painted the insides for a finished look

For the bases, I gathered wooden pieces and parts and played around 

with them until I had bases for all of the topiaries

Here are most of the bases all primed with spray primer and ready for paint

 Here are some of the lids as I was painting....
 This set of lids goes to the boxes that are decoupaged with the vintage sheet music
.

After these were painted I glazed them to give them an
antiqued look to match the sheet music.

Here's my connect the dots technique I use to paint quick diamonds.

I hardly ever measure diamonds unless I want a really precise look... I usually just wing it. 

To start, for the first diamond,  I tap on a tiny dot of paint with the end of the paint brush...

one where I want the top of the diamond, and one for the bottom.  

Then I decide how wide I want it to be and put two dots in the middle...

  

Once you have your first diamond "dotted" out, then it's really easy 

to make alternating dots.... eyeballing the spacing for the rest of the diamonds.

Then you connect the dots and fill in with paint.

  To me this is much faster than measuring and drawing out.

 I personally like a more handpainted look so it doesn't bother me if they aren't precise. 

I think when you look at it overall, they always look spaced pretty evenly

 To embellish the tops of boxes I added various elements...

I used feathers....some from feather boas 

and others from this feather duster. I just pulled out feathers as I needed them

I also gussied up all the artificial birds with glitter glue that I brushed 

or dotted on to give them a little extra sparkle

I also added different craft picks, beads and/or artificial leaves along with the birds.

I've been seeing the sheet music used everywhere so 

I followed the trend and made one with vintage sheet music. 

And check this out...

I did  not even notice this was the song until the Mod Podge 

was on and I was about to apply it to the box! 

How cool is that?....meant to be!

I ended up making six of the large size topiaries 

and four of  the small boxes...

 all in various designs

Another one with sheet music but this time just on the lids.

This one has the freehand diamonds.

The base is a wooden bowl and a wooden round piece glued and screwed together

Some fun, funky green ones....

The plaid one on the left is a star shape and it's base is an upside down planter.

Top of the plaid star boxes

More bright, fun ones with "painted" ribbons as if the boxes were wrapped.

The small one on the left has a wood candlestick as the base.

The large square on the right has a 

wooden bowl and a wooden plate piece for the base

Another star shaped version. 

For this one I used a stamp and added little dots along with the stamped design. 

I didn't use ink but dabbed paint onto the stamp and applied.  

It gave it a very uneven image which was perfect s

o I followed suit by painting the the rest of the box with a distressed gold finish.

These Topiary gift boxes were a Guest Blogger project at 

Infarrantly Creative

Find Lucy Designs on Facebook and Pinterest too!

Sharing with...

A Reader's Window Transformation!

Lorena, one of my creative friends sent an awesome window makeover project she made.

  Lorena also shared her breadbox redo after she was inspired by my breadbox makeover 

Here is what she started with for her current project,...

an old window from her house, um, how lucky to have cool 

window's like that from your own house!

and here is her finished project!  

She created a beautiful art piece using the window and scrapbook papers

 that she decoupaged onto the glass panes.  

Very cool Lorena, thank you for sharing this!

Join me on Facebook and Pinterest too!

Mosaic Surfboards Part 1 - Sea Turtle, Palm Tree and Waves

I've been working on a custom order for three mosaic surfboards and thought I would go ahead and post some "during" pics. 

My client wanted 3 different designs to fill a large wall in her home.

I've got most of the glass cut and ready to go.  You can see the client's fabric swatch plus a general idea of the designs on paper which could change as I go.... you never know

 She envisioned a water design on one, a foilage design on another and sea turtles or fish for the third board.  Other than those instructions and the fabric swatch, she pretty much gave me free reign...yay

There are three but here are 2 of the shapes cut out of 1/2" plywood, they are about 5 1/2 feet tall

.....aaaaand away we go!  Here is a during shot of the palm tree board

....the wave/water board.  It changed a little from my first drawing. 

Another shot of the palm tree with the sand and 

I'm playing around with the tiles up top, they aren't glued on yet

Here are the sea turtles with coral and the swirly patterns of the water done so far.

Everything is going along so smoothly and then.....

the space I have left to fill on the palm tree surfboard....

and the glass I have left to do it with. .....Grrrrrr. 

Stained glass shop is not open on weekends so the rest of this board will have to wait until Monday.  

Here is a shot of the board with the missing pieces ....

I ended up doing a night sky with little gold "stars" in the sky.

Just need to finish the edges and grout.

You can see the completed pieces HERE

Fine me on Facebook, Pinterest

or visit my Etsy Store to see all the surfboards I offer

Thanks for checking them out!

A Reader's Breadbox Re-do!

One of my super creative reader's, Lorena, was inspired by my breadbox makeover and just sent me pictures of her own breadbox transformation and I just had to share!

Would you believe this sad little breadbox could be transformed into....

This?

Wow, I love it, what a transformation! Thanks so much for sharing Lorena!