INSIDE : Learn how to create a statement marbled piece using simple acrylic paint and an old wooden toy container. In just a few steps you’ll be painting your own Marbled Wall Shadow Box.
I am in a big hand painted marble kick. I just recently made some hand painted marble cocktail napkins and now I’ve turned to painting wood. Now that I know how easy it is, you will probably be seeing more of this from me. Today I am so excited to share my Hand painted Marble Wall Box.
If you are looking for more information about everything involving marbling, my Marbling 101 post might be just what you are looking for!
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We love the Melissa + Doug brand toys and many of them come in these really nice sturdy wooden crate/boxes. My kiddos received a “Melissa & Doug Pizza Party
” making kit from a relative this year and I instantly snatched the box up for myself!
What supplies do I need for a Hand painted Marble Wall Box?
Shadowbox – Ours was a Melissa + Doug toy
White Spray Paint
Acrylic Paint
Gold Metallic Paint
Paint Brushes
Elmer’s Wood Glue
I can still hardly believe I took this brightly colored (tacky) box and made it something lovely.
First, I used washi tape and taped off the interior of the box and the top edge. I wanted those to stay natural wood. Using white spray paint with a primer, I did three coats to cover that bright red and green.
The back of my box actually popped off during the painting process. I grabbed a handful of blue and green acrylic paints (about four or five). I also used a soft gold and Bronze Metals Leafing Finish
for my accent colors.
How to create a painted Marbled Look:
1. Start with your darkest color and paint two swooshes across the board. Then do one more swoosh in the upper corner, a wide “U” looking shape.
2. Then use your next darkest color and create wide and thin lines. The beauty of this hand painting is there is no right or wrong!
3. After you have used all your colors, use your accent color in three places. This adds the perfect variation.
At this point, the main box was dry and I removed the washi tape. I used Elmer’s Wood Glue
and reattached the back to the box. I let that dry for 24 hours with a few heavy boxes sitting on top of it.
I was so THRILLED with the outcome.
The soft gold and bronze leafing add a soft shimmer in different lighting.
I am slooowly updating our master bedroom from gray, orange and white to some of these blues and green colors. It looks so great in our room.
Check out a few of my other Shadowbox projects:
Interested in my many other marbled projects? You can check out some of these!
Great project! Thanks for sharing it at The Pin Junkie! I’m stopping by to let you know that your handpainted marble wall box is being featured today in a roundup of home decorating ideas.
Oh thank you so much, Bonnie!!
How cute!
Such a great idea. Love the pattern you painted & colors you used. Thanks for sharing at the party! Hope to see you again soon!
Clever! Clever! Clever! Seriously, this is awesome!
Thanks, Kyla! It was such a fun project.
This is so beautiful Amy – as is everything you do:) Love it – featuring it at Work it Wednesday this week. Thanks for sharing it!!
Krista, you are always TOO kind. Thank you for the feature, I love your party!
I love this! The marbled look in the colors you chose is beautiful. Great repurpose for that toy pizza box!
Thanks so much, Kirsten! It was fun to transform that box into something so lovely!!
Wow – super creative and it looks great! Nice job.
Thanks so much, Jen!
We made these in Summer Camp. They are awesome! Visiting from Treasure Box Tuesday!
I’ve painted these boxes before!! I can’t believe how stunning this is. You sure know how to pair colors. It turned out just lovely. Thanks for linking up to The Creative Circle!!
I love this, Amy! Love the colors that you choose as well!
Oh, thank you so much Tara!!
This is so beautiful! I love the marble look! I’m visiting from the Fugal Crafty Home Blog Hop and your cookies have been pinned! I would love it if you’d share it at Totally Terrific Tuesday Link Party. It starts tonight at 10pm. I hope to see you there!
Thanks for the kind words, Christie! I’ll stop by your party for sure.
This is a really creative idea & it looks great!
Thanks so much, Deborah!! I appreciate the comment.
Loving the marble trend right now! What an easy AND classy way of pulling your bedroom color scheme together. It’s very nice! I picked up some magenta gold and grey marble paper that I’m having fun playing with. I wrapped a wooden craft box with some and framed the prettier section of the paper. I have so much paint right now that I just have to try your technique for a hand painted marble finish.
I’ve been wanting to buy some marbled paper for a few projects, yours sounds lovely! Yes, give the painting technique a try… it’s pretty easy!
That’s just beautiful! What a good idea:)
It looks stunning!! Such clever idea, love it
Thanks so much, Bharati!!
So pretty! Love the marble look! Pinning!
Thanks friend!!
Wow this is so beautiful! Marbling looks so fun – I’ll have to give it a whirl 🙂
Thanks Erica! It really is pretty easy, you should DEFINITELY give it a try.
That is such a simple technique with BIG impact. I didn’t think I liked the marble look but you have me reconsidering 🙂
I wasn’t so sure myself and now I want to marble EVERYTHING, ha!
This is so beautiful and creative. Last year I used a bunch of these awesome toy containers and turned it into a shell display gallery wall in my home. They are great for holding all of our shells. I always felt weird tossing these containers, so I kept them until I came up with a better use. That color and painting you did is amazing!
A shell display is a great idea! I’ve got one more of these wooden boxes and I’ve been trying to think up another great idea… that might be a fun one.
This is a great idea. I have a few of those Melissa and Doug’s. Have to try this. I am stopped by from the Blue I Style link party.
I love that you made this using a Melissa & Doug box! I swear I held on to one of those for a year, thinking I could come up with some creative use for it, but never did. I just can’t get enough marble, great project!
As beautiful as your cocktail napkins! Simply lovely, Ames!
Thanks so much, Shelley!
I love this idea!! thanks for sharing
Stunning! I just love the colors you choose to make the marble!
Aw, thanks so much Ama!
Very pretty! What a great way to upcycle. Melissa and Doug toys are awesome. It’s cool you find a way to reuse the box! Visiting from Create it Thursday. =)
Thanks so much, Natashalh! I agree, I just love Melissa + Doug toys… and now I love them even more since I know all the fun possibilities with their packaging, ha!
I love the colors that you are using. In my art class we are learning to mix colors and make colors that coordinate with each other. You painting gave me such inspiration!
So fun you are taking an art class! Glad this project was an inspiration, what a complement!! Thank you.
It’s so pretty!! I love the marbled look, and the fact that it’s something easy to find! A lot of the boxes like this people re-do are thrift store finds. Which is awesome for them, not so awesome for people wanting to get the same thing in their home xD
Thanks so much, Havok! I agree, this was a very easily accessible project.
SO beautiful Amy! Your creativity seriously blows my mind girl!
Thanks, Kristi!!!!