I have wanted or perhaps needed a bread box in my kitchen for as long as I can remember. My household is obsessed with bread items, but we don’t have the pantry space for them. The problem is most bread boxes have that country charm, or maybe even that whitewash farmhouse appeal. Those styles do not play well in my world, so I knew if I were to own one, it would ultimately need be a DIY project.
For months I kept my eyes open for a plain bread box. I wasn’t too picky about the design of it, as long as it was something paintable. I came across plenty, but finally chose this one at a local Goodwill. I thought it was perfect. I liked the door in the front with the glass window.
I bought it, and it sat in my garage. I had creative block! After all of this time waiting to find a home for my bread! I finally sat it on my kitchen counter, and hoped inspiration would hit. And then I realized I really wanted to do something special with the clear window… some type of etched or faux stained glass! I researched tutorials on creating a faux stained glass and most included some sort of puffy paint to mimic the leading. Some of the images looked OK, but I was fearful that it would look crafty. Yet again, I put it aside, and began work on another project. Usually, when working on projects, I test out a bunch of different products to find one that will provide a favorable end result. I happened upon Clear Sticker Paper from Silhouette
You can print directly onto this paper using your home computer. There is no need to have a Silhouette account, own a Silhouette machine, or know how to use Silhouette. I like the fact that the colors look a bit muted once printed, giving a more realistic stained glass appearance. All in all – sticker paper for the win.
I thought the stupid little wooden knob on the bread box was ridiculous, so I removed it (ie: had my husband saw the damn thing off). Knobs and handles are just one of those things that can bring so much added character to a piece. I happen to have a small collection of antique knobs, pulls, and handles. As I played with each one, it became very apparent very fast, that it was the hardware that would be a focal point of this bread box.
I absolutely fell in love with the lion’s head pull. No surprise there… the amount of lion’s heads I have in my house are only second to my skulls! Unfortunately, when I first starting working on this project, I designed several brightly colored and overly detailed stained glass designs, but the hardware seemed to be competing with the colorful glass design. Sometimes you just need to know when to edit down. I needed something subtle. I researched images of Victorian Glass, and found inspiration to create a new design. I used Adobe Illustrator to design the artwork, and then used Photoshop to fill in the colors.
Here are a few tips when creating a faux stained glass image.
- Use heavy line weight for all of the lines.
- Ensure all lines create completely closed spaces to ensure the fill color doesn’t bleed.
- Lines should be black or dark charcoal.
- The colors will become muted as stickers, so be mindful as you select your colors. Notice how bright the golds were in my design.
- Mix a variety of colors. You’ll notice real stained glass usually is made up of many colors. Even in the design I finally chose, I used a similar color throughout, but mixed up the tones and shades.
Another important thing to note with this project…. Because the sticker is clear, and the colors are therefore muted… it is very difficult to see the artwork with a black background. I painted the inside walls of the bread box white to allow for enough contrast to fully appreciate the artwork. No sense in doing all of that work and not be able to see it!!
What you’ll need to recreate this project:
- Wooden Bread Box, with window (if you’re not lucky enough to find a thrifted bread box, I happened to find the identical Bread Box on Amazon
)
- Black Paint
- White Paint
- Paintbrush
- Knob or Handle
- Stained Glass Image
- Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper
- Printer
)Tape off the window and paint the bread box.
Measure the window, and create the stained glass design.
Print the design onto the Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper.
Cut the design to size and adhere to the bread box window. I attached mine to the inside. If you want to do this, you may need to print a mirror image of your design if it’s not symmetrical.
Replace Knob or handle.
Now, you’re ready to use your new and improved faux Victorian stained glass bread box…. Enjoy!
If you’re a fan of image transfer projects, perhaps you’ll like the DIY Metamorphic Skull Metal Wall Art, this DIY Death’s Head Moth Bookstand, or these Poison Coffee Mugs!
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OK! So now you’ve got my creative juices flowing. In the absence of Sticker Paper, I’m wondering whether I can print on sticky back plastic (contact paper your side of the pond). I have some lovely frosted stuff that I used for the Apothecary cabinet that would look great with a printed ‘window’ detail. Thanks Alex!! Sue x
That would totally work! Great idea!