Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Decoupaged Cigar Box

Decoupaged Cigar Box



The process



In the 70s and 80s I used to do decoupage for fun.

At that time, it was a time-consuming craft, requiring patience. The process of traditional decoupage was something like this:

  • 1. Cut a design (original art or someone else's).
  • 2. Paste it onto a new surface (which you might first paint or otherwise refinish).
  • 3. Protect it with several coats of varnish or other protector.
  • 4. Sand down the decoration after each 5 coats.
  • 5. After about 15 coats of varnish, apply one last coat of protector.

The idea was to make the decoration appear to be flush with the surface.

Now I think most decoupeurs use one coat of Mod Podge and skip the sanding steps.




The Modigliani  Box






Here is what I did to convert my grandfather's cigar box into a keepsake box which I gave to M for his birthday.

  • First, I removed a couple of things from the interior which I'm guessing may have kept the cigars humid. The cedar wood was beautiful so I didn't want to paint it.

  • Then I pasted a removable plate of Modigliani's "The Cello Player" (from a paperback about Modigliani) onto the top of the cigar box. 






  •  The design goes over the box opening. I used a knife to slit the design at the place where the box opened. I wanted a smooth, unobtrusive opening.




  • When you open the box, there's a surprise on the interior of the lid! I pasted a page of sheet music from a Mozart Sonatina. (M's favourite composer is Mozart.) I gave it to him for his birthday in 1977. I call it the Mozart Box; he calls it the Modigliani Box. When I moved into the house with him when we became engaged, he returned the box to me because he says it's a family heirloom. So we now share it!
  • The interior is lined with blue velvet.















12 comments:

  1. Love the box, and even more the extra inside. Obviously your boyfriend-turned-husband did also, as you still have it.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mirka! It has a place of honour on our bedroom dresser, and is well used. :-)

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    2. I can easily see why! Aside from the gorgeous craftsmanship, which is no small feat, the box is a beautiful talisman of love.

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    3. Thank you, Melodye! It was one of my first attempts at decoupage and my first birthday present to M. A lot of history lies in that box...

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  2. Very nice! I like the sheet music inside too. It's a nice touch.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kelly! The sheet music was a bit of ancient history of mine; I retrieved it from my piano bench. I think I must have played it when I was a kid!

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  3. Your grandfather would be proud, Barb. It's gorgeous, both the inside and outside. What do you keep in it now? This curious cat wants to know. That Mozart looks like something I could play too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Vijaya! :-)

      We put secret things in there. Oh, okay. One example is unusable, pre-Euro, Dutch coins.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks, Kevin! I enjoyed making it, giving it, and now sharing it--not only with M, but with my blog readers! :-)

      I have another decoupage piece that I will post about next week.

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  5. Oh, I love this! I might have to copy your idea of the sheet music inside. :)

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Give a hoot.