Tutorial: Crackle Paint Box

Last weekend I was at a benefit for a old friend from school and participated in the silent auction.  The item I won had bottles of wine, candy and napkins.  I knew what I would do with the wine and candy!  The napkins were so pretty I wanted to make something with them.  And this what I came up with

Supply List: Wood box, Napkin, Paint - Base Color and Topcoat contrasting, 

Martha Stewart Fine Crackle Effect, Mod Podge and Iron

1. Paint the box with your base color. I used Bayberry Folk Art Paint and let dry for 24 hrs.
2. Then apply with a brush or sponge brush the Martha Stewart Fine Crackle, let dry.
3. Paint your topcoat contrasting color. I used dark brown Folk Art Paint. Then wiped off topcoat leaving color only in the cracks.
4. I ironed the napkin flat so it was nicer to work with. The napkin I used was 3 ply so I removed the bottom 2 leaving just the top ply of the napkin. By just using the top ply of the napkin it is thinner so the crackle from the box will show through once applied.
5. Cut out what you want to use from the napkin.  I decided to use the border of the napkin to wrap around the bottom part of the box and I cut out a circle of the main picture for the top of the box.
6. Taking the piece I was using for the bottom I started on one end using my Clover mini iron and carefully ironed the piece to the box. The heat from the iron will bond the cut piece of napkin to the paint on the box so the piece will be nice and flat against the box.  I did the same with the circle piece I cut out for the top. I started ironing from the center out.
7. Apply Mod Podge. I watered the Mod Podge down a just little on the first coat so it would brush on easier without tearing the napkin.  When that was dry I applied one more coat of Mod Podge.

A funny memory came to me when I applying the Mod Podge. When I was very young I would take a cutesy picture, burn the edges then glue it to a flat rock and "Mod Podge" it. I wonder what happened to all those masterpieces! If Mod Podge holds up like Twinkies someone will find one 100 years from now and call it primitive art!