Ispasiyo: Gift Wrapping: Faux Wooden Box

I'm not sure how I first did the faux wood design. I just know that I didn't have paint at the time, was too broke to buy acrylic paint and aside from a few sharpies, the only coloring medium I had was a set of soft pastels. Somehow, with a sliver of inspiration, I accidentally made a faux wood grain effect.

+ The gold ink/ stamp pad is optional for additional texture

+ You can use plastic cups for the water. Here, I used an empty yogurt tub and another plastic tray.

+ Scrap paper does not need to be kraft paper. I just used craft paper because 1) I'm recycling it from a parcel we got a few weeks ago 2) easier coverage when the base is in shades of beige and brown.

+ Sponge Brush works best for applying Mod Podge but any brush works. I usually use a stiff/ old brush for additional texture.

Step One: Apply Mod Podge on your paper. You can either use one big piece of paper to cover one side of the box entirely OR cut the paper in smaller strips and cover one portion at a time. I find that when you cut the paper with scissors or an xacto knife, the the straight line creates a more obvious seam. Whereas if you just tear the paper, it creates a more natural look, and it can be easier to hide the seam.

Step Two: Cover the box with the modpodged paper. I like applying a thin layer of mod podge on top as well, but you don't have to. Cover all sides. Let it dry completely.

Step Three: Color the box. These are the usual pastels I use: brown, golden, orange, red and black. Experiment with the colors, keep in mind the tone that you want to achieve.

This is how my first layer turned out. As you can see, it doesn't need to be perfect. Again, experiment. Don't be scared to get it wrong.

TIP: I like black on my edges, because it gives me the dimension I like. I also like adding a couple of darker, harsher black lines.

Step Four: Smudge and blend the colors together, then color some more if you didn't quite achieve the tone you want yet.

Repeat step four with all sides. The picture above shows how it looks once the pastels are well blended.

Step 5: Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge. It's best if the brush strokes are all in one direction. Go over the surface a few extra times with your brush; this helps blend the colors even more.

And you are DONE.

IMPULSIVE ADDITIONAL IDEA:

I had some extra pink paint mixed on my palette from a different project, so I impulsively decided to stencil it. Personally, I thought it was overkill and immediately wished I didn't. That might be because of the color though. I think some gold accents would have been better.