When it comes to social engagements, I’m kind of a stickler for old school etiquette. If you’re invited to someone’s home, bring a hostess gift. If shopping for that perfect gift is not your thing, at least bring a bottle of wine. And if you’re going to bring wine, why not add a personal touch with this DIY Skull Wine Box…. a gothic hostess gift sure to wow.
Just last week I happened across this little wine box while poking around a thrift store. It was perfect timing to find this little treasure. For months my head has been so deeply wrapped around the Witches Dinner Party I hosted for Halloween, that I desperately needed some new inspiration to get my goth-it-yourself juices flowing again! That usually calls for some treasure hunting!! I’m a fan of salvaging wooden pieces, because they are so easy to transform … whether it’s a simple paint job, or an image transfer. The handle on this piece was removable – score!! And the simple painted windows… while far from my aesthetic… sparked my imagination! And we’re off!
I love wine boxes. Look.. I know they are just an elaborate way of gift wrapping an awkward shape, but seriously… the difference between handing someone a bottle of wine in a brown paper bag, and one in a decorated wooden box is HUGE. And this little find happens to also be a wine caddy, so it doubles as a way to actually serve wine to guests or store wine at a drink station.
With the holidays right around the corner, you can certainly expect a few more invitations than usual to all of those holiday get-togethers, so this seemed like the perfect time to do a project like this. Holidays or not, if you or your hostess, or even a family member are into skulls, this makes a great gift. And if skulls are not your thing, any stencil will work…. won’t be as cool… but will work.
What you’ll need:
- Wooden Wine Box or Caddy
- Skull Stencil
- Wood Icing Textura Paste
- Putty Knife
- Black Paint
- Paint Brush
- Spanish Copper Rub n Buff
Remove any handles or hardware from your box.
Secure the stencil to your box. I used tape. Just make sure the stencil is flush with the surface. If it picks up in any spots, the image may bleed.
If any surface of the box around the stencil is exposed, ensure it is covered. You do not want to accidentally get the wood icing anywhere except the design. Because the stencil I used had other designs, I also covered those with tape. Painters tape would probably work best, but I happened to have a roll of scotch tape at my work space, so I went with what was fastest.
Using a putty knife, spread the wood icing across the stencil. Do your best to keep the icing predominantly over the design. Apply a fairly thick layer. The thickness you apply in this step, will be how thick the final design will be. Depending on how detailed your stencil is, you can choose to wipe away some of the icing from the areas around your design. Mine was too detailed to do that.
Carefully lift the stencil away.
If any of the icing is left in areas not part of the stencil design, don’t panic. Give the icing about a minute, and it easily comes away from the surface with any sharp tool.
Allow to dry overnight.
Paint the entire box and wood icing design black.
Once Dry, carefully apply a small amount of Rub n Buff to the raised surface of the skull. I used Spanish Copper because I liked that it was subtle, but there are tons of colors to choose from, and I highly recommend buying the Rub n Buff Sampler Set
Now grab a bottle of wine, maybe tie a velvet bow on the box for added holiday cheer, and you have yourself an impressive gift. Or what the hell… keep it for yourself now that you’ve made it and realize how freakin cool it looks! 🙂
Update: if you don’t feel like making one of these for yourself.. check out the MeandAnnabelLeeShop on Etsy. I have a few of these for sale!
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I like that, simple but effective. Had not heard of this textura paste before, have to try it. Thanks!
Thanks Terry! It looks like the link I used to buy the Textura paste is currently sold out, but I noticed that particular brand available on other sites. I also noticed other textura pastes from different brands available on amazon. I’ll probably order those and see if I get the same results, and update the post once I do. Let me know what you end up trying and how it goes!!