Transform a Tissue Box Cover

                         

I sneeze all the time. I don't know what sets me off, but I have Kleenex tissue boxes all over the house just in case I have to sneeze. Once I get started, I can sneeze several times before it stops. It doesn't matter where I am - the bedroom, greatroom  or kitchen. If I could put a tissue box in the shower, I would, lol!

I must say that I am very particular about how the store bought tissue boxes are decorated. I can't buy just any design color! I'm always on the lookout for ones decorated with a bit of purple or more and sometimes that's hard to find. So I have to "settle" for whatever is out there. I've always said to myself, I need to make my own tissue box covers, but I never did - until now!  

I was in a Goodwill and saw a plain old gray tissue box cover. It was tagged at $3 and thought, now is the time - so I bought it along with a couple of other items I might upcycle in the future. 

When I got home, I looked online at Michaels and found an unfinished wood tissue box cover for $6.99.  Hobby Lobby didn't have any, so three dollars was quite the bargain - just in time for this month's 'Do It Over' Designers Blog Hop!

The "Do It Over Designers" is a group of creative bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/ DIY, hosted by Anne @The Apple Street Cottage. It happens the 4th Saturday of every other month and it's all about taking something old and/or unused and 'doing it over' into something new. Anything from fabric, old dishes, and decor, to dressers and hutches. Items found in closets, cabinets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it! 

You won't believe how easy it was to transform the thrift store tissue box cover!

Supplies Used:

• Wood tissue box cover
• Tape measure or ruler.
• Laser printed design/scissors
• White acrylic paint/sponge brush
• Matte Mod Podge/paint brush
• Parchment paper
• Clear plastic bag (Ziplock) 
• Craft knife
• Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer

Let's begin by making sure the wood surface of the tissue box is clean and free of any dirt, grime or oils.  It's best to use a damp cloth to do this. You don't want to soak the wood with water or cleaning solution. They might cause the wood to swell. Once the surface is cleaned and dry, use a tape measure or ruler to measure the tissue box cover. I measured it at 5.5" on all five (top included) sides. Then I looked online for a purple print design that I liked which I copied onto WORD using the 5.5" measurements and printed it out using my laser printer.

Once the first design sheet was printed, I cut it out to see how it would look on the tissue box cover. Perfect! Then printed out four more copies to cut out. I planned to put this tissue box cover in my kitchen, especially since my kitchen cabinets are white.

The next step is to place a sheet of parchment down on your work surface and paint the box with a couple coats of white acrylic paint, letting it dry between coats.

Once the acrylic paint is thoroughly dry, using a paint brush, begin applying a generous layer of Matte Mod Podge (for a flat finish) on the surface of the tissue box - one side at a time. 

Gently lay one of the square sheets down on one side of the tissue box cover, starting in one corner and moving toward the opposite corner, down and over until that side is covered with the design sheet. Repeat for the other three sides matching the flower design.

Use plastic food wrap to smooth out the paper and prevent wrinkles. Let dry.

Once all four sides are completely dry, begin adding Mod Podge over the design - 

on all four sides.

Let dry completely or overnight.

I love how the corners and edges of the tissue box cover are showing the painted white edges of the tissue box cover - especially since my kitchen cabinets are white.

For the top, apply a generous layer of Mod Podge and lay the final design sheet on top.  

Smoothing out, as before. Pay close attention to smoothing the paper down and around the opening - making sure it's sealed down.

Once the top design sheet is completely dry, begin cutting out the opening using a craft knife.

How cool does this look!

And finally, take the tissue box cover outside to apply Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer to protect the finish.

Hope you enjoyed my decoupage transformation!

Be sure to visit all of this month's creative Projects by the 

"Do It Over Designers" listed below:

Pandora’s Box

Purple Hues & Me

Unique Creations by Anita

Sum of Their Stories

The Apple Street Cottage

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Little Vintage Cottage