Timeworn Gift Boxes

Figure A

Steps:

1. Sponge or dab stone gray dye ink randomly onto the box. Do not cover the entire box but just age it, paying particular attention to the edges.

2. Sponge or dab sage dye ink randomly onto the box as you did the gray but not as much.

3. Stipple the box randomly with sienna dye ink (figure A).

Figure B

4. Sponge white pigment ink randomly on the edges, top, sides and bottom. Use the white sparingly; you do not want to cover all the other colors you just applied (figure B).

5. Stamp Fancy French Writing in indigo dye ink lightly, randomly, in a few places on the box. You can remove some of the ink by stamping on scrap paper first and then on the box.

Figure C

6. Stamp the other French Writing in sienna dye ink in the same manner (figure C).

7. Cut out a round vintage label from the Blank Labels collage sheet, a par avion label from the Envelope Markings sheet, two vintage postal labels--one from each of the French Stuff collage sheets, and two perfume labels from the French Stuff #3 collage sheet.

Figure D

8. Using a pencil, rub the white edges of all the cut out pieces of ephemera/labels that you will glue to the box. This will remove the stark white edge that occurs when you cut them out (figure D).

Figure E

9. Glue the labels/ephemera to the box (figure E).

Figure F

10. Stipple lightly with sienna on top of those labels to age them, too (figure F).

11. Stamp Ink Spots randomly in bordeaux dye ink. Again, remove any excess ink on scrap paper first; then stamp onto the box so the ink appears older.

12. Stamp black Avignon postmarks from French Envelope Markings-Z on top of the postage stamps glued to the box to "cancel" them.

Figure G

13. Stamp par avion rubber stamp from French Envelope Markings-Z on a side of the box in black. If you are going to insert a present or a note in the box, do so now (figure G).

Figure H

14. Age the twine or string by rubbing some ink on it (figure H).

Figure I

15. Wrap the string around the box and tie a knot on the top of the box (figure I).

Figure J

16. Drip wax and use a seal to seal the knot (figure J). Also seal the four sides of the box.