The Practical
Hitty Newsletter
Editors: Hitty Henrietta and Charlotte Hitty
Are you looking for an inexpensive yet attractive way to store your clothes or treasures? The Arts and Crafts Teacher, Hitty Mousie, has come up with several ways to refurbish a plain wooden trunk.
Tip: Don't spend a lot on your wooden trunk! The trunks can be purchased at department stores such as Wal-Mart, discount stores such as the Dollar Store, and craft stores, such as Michaels, Ben Franklin Crafts, or Jo-Ann Fabrics, usually for under a dollar, depending on the size you want.
#1 The Painted Trunk
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Hitty Henrietta shows the painted trunk. |
The inside has been painted and stained also. |
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For This Project You Will Need: 1 wooden trunk
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Step One: Prep Work Lightly sand any rough spots on the trunk. If you want, you can removed the hinges and clasp. The trunk should feel smooth to the touch. |
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Step Two: Painting Paint the trunk the color of your choice, inside and out. We chose a beautiful blue. Allow the first coat to dry. If needed, paint a second coat. Sand very lightly between coats. |
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Step Three: Decorative Painting If your trunk has bands or other decorative trim, you can paint it another color now. The trunk we chose had bands, and we painted them black. To give your trunk a 'Sea-Chest' look, study the picture in Hitty, her First Hundred Years, and use it as a guide to painting studs, etc,. |
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Step Four: Antiquing (optional) Put a dab of the brown paint on a plate, and water it down until it is runny. This is going to be the antiquing medium. Put the dry rag around your fore-finger, and dip it into the watered-down paint. Rub it over the outside of the box. If it is not dark enough for you, repeat. Allow to dry between coats. We used the watered brown on the outside, and stained the inside with a watered black, in the same method. |
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Step Five: Varnish (optional) You may chose to leave your trunk as it is. If you decide to varnish the trunk, it will be shiny. The choice depends on your preferences! |
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Final Step: If you removed the hinges and clasp, reattach them now. If you left them on, use a clean, dry rag to gently wipe off any paint or stain that touched the hardware. |
Tip:
If you get paint on the clasp or hinges, let it
dry. Then, use a dry rag to rub it right off.
#2 The Modge-Podged Fabric Covered Trunk
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Hitty Henrietta has made a beautiful fabric-covered trunk.
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For This Project You Will Need: 1 wooden
trunk |
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Step One: Prep Work Lightly sand any rough spots on the trunk. The trunk should feel smooth to the touch. Remove the hinges and clasp. |
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Step Two: Cutting the Fabric to Fit This is a tricky part. You need to cut the fabric to fit the sides of the trunk. We recommend cutting and fitting all pieces before going to the next step. It's a matter of trial and error, and depends on the size of your trunk. |
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Step Three: Modge-Podge Time! Squirt a big dollop of the glue (about the size of a fifty-cent piece) onto a plate. Mix water into this glue until it is watery. Start with the interior. One piece at a time, hold the cut pieces of fabric into place on the trunk and paint the Modge-Podge solution right onto it. Be liberal! You want the solution to soak the fabric and trunk. Repeat until the interior is covered. Set aside to dry. Dry with the lid open! Do not ask me how I know it is important not to shut the lid during any drying time. Or how hard it is to pry the lid open if it gets modge-podged shut. |
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Step Four: Completing the Trunk Once the interior is completely dry, repeat step three with the outside of the box. You may choose, as Hitty Henrietta did, you make 'bands' on the trunk with a contrasting scrap of fabric. It's OK to add these at the same time as the fabric covering, because they will dry right to each other. Set aside to dry. Again--never allow the trunk to dry with the lid closed. |
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Final Step: Reattach the clasp and hinges. |
Tip: If there are bubbles in the fabric once the modge-podge has dried, then merely mix another batch, and rewet the bubbled parts. It will smooth out!
#3 The Stained and Modge-Podged Trunk
Hitty Lilac shows you two of our stained and Modge-Podged Trunks.
Tip: You don't have to use fabric! You can use wrapping paper, paper towels, or magazine pictures for your trunk decorations. Don't be afraid to experiment. (Photographs and computer printed items tend to smear.)
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For This Project You Will Need: 1 Wooden Trunk |
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Step One: Prep Work Lightly sand any rough spots on the trunk. If you want, you can removed the hinges and clasp. The trunk should feel smooth to the touch. |
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Step Two: Staining the Trunk Put a dab of either the paint of your choice or the brown paint on a plate, and water it down until it is runny. This is going to be the staining medium. Put the dry rag around your fore-finger, and dip it into the watered-down paint. Rub it over the inside and outside of the box. If it is not dark enough for you, repeat. Allow to dry between coats. Remember not to shut the box when drying. |
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Step Two: The Fabric Decorations Cut around the fabric pieces you have chosen. We put strawberries on the pink trunk, and Hitty Iffy put sunflowers and bees on her trunk. |
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Step Three:Modge-Podging the Decorations One piece at a time, hold the cut pieces of fabric into place on the trunk and paint the Modge-Podge solution onto it. Be liberal! You want the solution to soak the fabric and trunk. Repeat until the entire trunk (even the undecorated part)is covered. Set aside to dry. |
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Final Step: Reattach the clasp and hinges. |
Tip: You can combine any of the above techniques. For instance, make a painted trunk with a fabric-lined interior. Make a Modge-Podged trunk with a painted interior. The sky is the limit!
