DIY Jewelry Box Makeover

 We picked up this jewelry box at DI for $3.  The outside was scratched and the felt inside was warped and had gotten attacked by marker, so we wanted to remake it.

First we ripped out the existing felt.  You want to keep the old cardboard bases to use as a pattern for the new.

We had some really cute soft fabric we intended to use for a baby blanket and we decided to use some for this.  I used Elmer's Glue for the felt.  I didn't want the glue to be any stronger or to leak through the fabric. And then dried them in a phone book to keep them from warping.

Then spray painted it black, and glued in the new felt.  I tried rubber cement but it didn't work that well. Instead, I used some liquid nails I found laying around and it worked great.  I spray painted the metal fixtures grey then silver. And aged the knobs with some leftover paint from a faux pewter kit I had.

It turned out great.  Next project, finishing a girl's dresser, and then a picnic table?

Finishing Touches

So here are the final touches for the Kitchen Play set, and I have to say, the fridge door turned out awesome!

First I added a cheap frame we found for a window.  I still need to find a nice picture.

I got a dish-rack that would fit in the bottom cabinet for all the small kitchen stuff we have found at D.I. so far, and kept the other cabinet for random toys.

Now to the best part.  The fridge door is awesome.  Originally I wanted to give magnetic paint a try and do a faux metal finish like I did with the oven door, but that stuff is WAY to pricey.  It's about $20 for a small can, and reviews say that it just doesn't work that well. We have some really strong magnets I got from my parents last Christmas that are awesome, but we also wanted to be able to use Elena's magnetic letters which are quite weak, so we decided to go metal.

I used some scrap wood we found in the parent's garage for a base, then covered it with a sheet of metal we found at Home Depot in the air duct section for $7.  I glued the metal to the wood with a bunch of wood-glue and a little gorilla-glue to fill in the gaps.  I painted the back white and glued a wire tray I found at DI for .50 with liquid-nails.  But the best part is the finish on the metal.  I used some iron wool and a scrubbing sponge to give it a brushed steel polish and it looks awesome.  Finished with the second Ikea handle and some cabinet magnets to hold it closed for $1.

 The fridge shelf was some plexiglass I bummed of the parents and covered with a layer of polyacrilic finish.
 All in all super happy about how it has all turned out.

Totals from previous post: $90

Metal: $7
Fridge tray: .50
Magnets: $1 x 2
Hinges: $3
Frame: free

Wood: free

Paint: free

Plexiglass: free

Handle: already bought

New Total:  103$

Again, a bit more than I expected, but it has been a ton of fun and it looks better than any of the other entertainment center play kitchens I have seen.

Together with the play table and chairs we have an awesome play kitchen!