https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/steampunkd-weekly-pillbox • Posted by Ryals_Shoal
Like a lot of people, I take medicine and vitamins everyday. I decided to spiff up a bright blue free pillbox into something that more suited my tastes (I'm a big fan of things with an old steampunk/victorian era twist) This project is not limited to those that take pills, you can also use these boxes for storing tiny trinkets, jewelry and beads as well! While the painting process is quite easy, waiting for the paints to dry will require a lot of patience, especially for the sealant that will take at least 24 hours to set. NOTE: If you intend to use this project to store your pills, I highly reccomend that you DO NOT paint inside the box because of the chance of chemicals seeping into your pills.
Like a lot of people, I take medicine and vitamins everyday. I decided to spiff up a bright blue free pillbox into something that more suited my tastes (I'm a big fan of things with an old steampunk/victorian era twist) This project is not limited to those that take pills, you can also use these boxes for storing tiny trinkets, jewelry and beads as well! While the painting process is quite easy, waiting for the paints to dry will require a lot of patience, especially for the sealant that will take at least 24 hours to set. NOTE: If you intend to use this project to store your pills, I highly reccomend that you DO NOT paint inside the box because of the chance of chemicals seeping into your pills.
Gather your materials. You will need your cheap pillbox, paints, copper rub n buff, sealant, file and a protected workspace before you start.
With the fine-toothed file, file off undesired lables and marking that you do not want to show up after painting (I only filed down enough to make the letter illegible and just enough to add texture)
Next, paint a base of black acrylic pant (I used all purpose craft/fabric paint) all around the OUTSIDE of the box (Note: I highly reccomend that you DO NOT paint inside the box because of the chance of chemicals seeping into your pills). After the black base is completely dry (about 30 minutes) carefully paint a layer of Crackle Medium paint over the black base, taking care not to scratch the black base (if you do, simply dab the area with black again). Wait for the crackle coat to dry for 20 minutes to an hour.
After the crackle coat has dried, paint the contrasting color (I went with a light green to imitate antiqued oxidized copper) I swirled the paintbrush around the surface of the box a bit in order to hide obvious paint brush strokes. The crackling effect should be effective almost immediately, but it became for obbvious for me after letting the paint dry for 15 minutes.
Next is the fun part! Dab your finger with a small amount of Rub N Buff and VERY CAREFULLY AND LIGHTLY trace the weekly letters with your finger, you just want the letter to be highligted. (I highlighted the brail letters as well.) Using small amount of the Rub N Buff at a time, lightly rub small amounts all over the pillbox (expecially over the corners and edges for a nice worn look) Once you are satified with the results, let the box sit for at least 10 minutes to dry.
Apply the sealent as evenly and carefully as possible over the painted areas of the pill box. The paint will try to peel, especially around sharp edges. In the areas that did peel and chip, I added a tiny amount of Rub N Buff (Note: Again I highly reccomend that you DO NOT paint inside the box because of the chance of chemicals seeping into your pills). IT IS IMPORTANT TO WAIT 24 HOURS OR MORE FOR THE SEALANT TO SET! During the 24 hour period the sealant will still be malleable and prone to accidental peeling. Adding another coat is optional, but probably encouraged since the acrylic paint is very prone to peeling around edges.
Viola! You now have a stylish new antiqued pillbox! :)