Stenciled Box Make-Over and Some Stenciling Tips!

So, in just over a week, Coffee Break Design and Retro Cafe Art Gallery will be vending at the Indianapolis Heirloom Stamping and Paper Arts Festival! Show prep is well under way, and one of my favorite parts is creating the displays and art samples. I desperately needed something to put under my cash register so that I could operate it while standing and not killing my back! Something to raise it up a bit. I almost bought an overpriced faux wood box from Meijer, but I hesitated. It was just a box, and I really wanted drawers. I'm so glad I waited!

Instead, I went to my local Goodwill store and scored this (ugly) but awesome piece. It's actually a VHS holder! VHS what? Yes, it's hideous, but it was only $2.99 and I saw the potential. Not to mention it was the perfect size and exactly what I envisioned for my register.

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All it took was some spray paint and Coffee Break Design Stencils, and voila!

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To create the box, I simply used spray paint to spray on a base coat of red paint (outside of course). And then I went to town with the Stencils. I really didn't bother masking them of, however if  you want a nice clean look, you can tape them down using wide painters tape. This will protect the area you aren't currently spraying. Or you can do what I did and lay scrap paper around the edges.

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Our Stencils are made from durable stencil oil board, so you can use them over and over again. People have asked me how to clean them, and the answer is don't. Yes, they will get paint on them, but it won't hurt anything. In some ways the paint helps protect them even more. I've had some of the same stencils for years, however when and if they become unusable (haven't encountered this yet) you can use your awesome painted stencils in a journal spread or collage. They are very affordable (some as low as $1.50) so you can always buy lots more!

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The other thing I love to do, is right after I have sprayed my Stencils, while the paint is still wet, flip them over onto a piece of scrap paper, or directly onto your journal or collage. It helps remove some of the excess paint, plus, you get awesome papers to use in a later project!

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Stencils are super fun to layer! Since spray paint is so opaque, it really doesn't matter whether you layer light to dark or dark to light. Of course our stencils also work great with markers, pens, stencil paint & brushes, ink & color dusters, airbrush systems, spray inks, and so much more. If you are using really wet mediums, such as our Varitone Ink (basically like spraying on water) you can seal them first with a spray acrylic sealer. Of course if they are already covered in spray paint, they should be pretty well sealed.

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The purple layer was done using Copic Markers and a Copic Airbrush system. That is why it's semi-translucent, unlike the spray painted areas. To finish and protect the box, I sprayed the entire thing with a matte acrylic sealer at the very end.

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Even though no one will see it, I couldn't resist spraying the bottom too. It was just so FUN!
The Stencils I used for this project included: Large Optical, Muy-Walk, Muy-Run, Muy-Jump, Large Flock, Large Onomotoholes, and the Large Heart Background.

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Could this have been a more perfect fit? There is even a drawer for my credit card machine and another for storing receipts! I love it when things work out. Checking people out will be so much more fun now!

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Here is our Heirloom booth from last year. This year we will have even more goodies, including all 166 Stencil Designs! And all customers will get a special coupon to use at Retro Cafe Art Gallery. I hope to see some of you there. It's always so much fun meeting so many customers and reuniting with other vendor friends. You can view the show information HERE.

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How about a little Stencil Giveaway?

1. Leave a comment on THIS post and let me know how you like to use your Stencils. If you don't have any, tell me how you would like to use them if you had some!


2. On Wednesday March 7th (the day after my birthday!), I'll use a random number generator to select a winner to receive a 5 Pack of Coffee Break Design Stencils!

3. If you are a winner and already a Facebook Fan, you'll receive a 10 Pack! Go here to 'like" us. Let me know in your comment if you are a fan, and please only leave one comment. Good luck and XOXOs to you all!

Winners for the Egg Shrine Kits will be announced on the same day. Be sure you are entered!