Thursday, April 15

Tutorial: Decoupaged Train Case







Materials:
}Train case or hard plastic make-up case
}Mod Podge (I prefer the matte finish)
}1"or 2" clean, paint brush
}Pen knife
}Scissors or paper cutter
}4-8 different scrapbook papers (not card stock)
}whatever you'd like to embellish the case with- ribbon, chipboard letters, stickers, buttons, felt shapes, fabric flowers, decorative brads, photos, etc.

Instructions:
}Start by cleaning the case, inside and out, with a damp cloth and drying it thoroughly. Sometime, older cases are lined with fabric which often smell musty. I use Odo-ban which helps to deodorize and sanitize the fabric.

}Cut a section of paper (however big you like) and brush a moderate amount of Mod Podge on to the back. Let it dry for a minute before applying it to the case-- the Mod Podge works best when it's just a little tacky. While the paper is drying, brush Mod Podge on the case where you plan to adhere the paper. Smooth the paper on to the case, pushing out any bubbles or wrinkles. Pay special attention to corners and curved edges. I do a lot of smoothing with my thumb as I mold the paper around these tricky parts, trying to avoid too many creases. Sometimes, using smaller sized pieces at the corners help them go more smoothly. Continue this process until the whole case it covered.

}Use the pen knife to trim any edges, over hangs or around hardware.

Tip: Don't worry too much about little rips or creases, you can always cover them later with embellishments.


}Once the Mod Podge is completely dry (I usually let it sit over night), attach embellishments the same way you did the paper. Let the Mod Podge dry again, then paint Mod Podge over the entire case, sufficiently sealing all the embellishments and paper.

}Let it dry over night and voile! you have the perfect case for practically anything or anyone!



(My friend, Emily, made this one for her daughter. SO cute!)

P.S. I would love to see how your cases turn out! Post a link in the comments section.

4 comments:

Liz said...

soo cute! but where are you finding these old cases? cheap?

Unknown said...

This is so cute that I can barely stand it!

Becca said...

I find the cases at thrift stores. They are never very expensive-- between $3 and $5, but they can be hard to find. Really, you could use any kind of container or box-- tool boxes, tackle boxes, old type writer cases, luggage, makeup organizers they sell at Walmart or Target. I have thought about doing this to cardboard storage boxes, too.

wordandcraft said...

YAY!!!! I am so glad you did a tutorial on this. I know I keep saying this, but seriously, I am going to make one of these someday...you know, after finals...and seminary graduation...and the Primary activity...you get the picture. Someday.