My niece received a group of baby bath product to review and while I was checking them out, I realized they’d be adorable in a wooden box. So I went about creating a box to coordinate with the colors of the products and I crocheted some baby washcloths to go with it. It was fun presenting her with the little box of baby items and it reminded me that adding a personal touch to a gift, whether it be a baby shower gift, birthday, or just because gift, can make it even more special

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - choosing the right size

Hand Painted Box Supplies Needed

I started with a plain box I happened to have on hand. I first made sure all the items I wanted to put  inside fit and then I lightly sanded it all over. Next I pulled out my new Martha Stewart Vintage Chalk paint and started painting. I selected Linen for the outside and Sailor Blue for the inside.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - inside

The Linen was a perfect match and I love how well it the paint went on. The 1″ brush I used is my go-to brush I seem to use on about 90% off my projects.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - base coat paint

As the Sailor Blue started to dry, I realized the color wasn’t quite right so I mixed Antique Sky (greenish) with the Sailor Blue and came out with a color that was a much better match for the blue on the products.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - colors

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box -painting the basecoat for insideThe Sailor Blue is on the left and the new mixed color is on the right.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - letter stenciling

I only did one coat of the chalk paint because I wanted a worn and weathered look. Next I stenciled the word “bath time” on the side with Tilled Soil Martha Stewart Vintage Décor Matte Chalk.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - stencil tape

And because I love to do things out of order, I used stencil tape and created a line around the bottom and added a border of blue paint.  It should have been done before I stenciled the words, but I didn’t decide it needed it until after.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - removing stencil tape

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - sanding before waxing

After it dried, I lightly sanded the entire piece with superfine sandpaper to give it a weathered look. It also brought out the Linen from underneath the blue paint.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - Martha Stewart Vintage Decor Clear Wax

Once the entire box was dry for 24 hours, I applied Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Decor Clear Wax.  Before I opened the bottle, I assumed it’d be much thicker, like a paste. But it’s actually quite fluid with some solids in it. I used that same 1″ brush and covered the piece.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - applying clear finishing wax

Then as instructed, I wiped away the excess clear wax (though I noticed it said “damp cloth” later) and set it aside to dry for 24 hours.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - martha stewart vintage decor

After 24 hours I used a dry cloth to buff the wax.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - buffing clear wax

Next I wanted to antique it. I did the clear wax first to give me room for error. If I added the colored wax right onto the surface of the paint, there was no turning back unless I repainted the piece. Waxing it in clear first gave me a protective layer should I decide I don’t like the antiquing.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - antiquing corners

I didn’t want to lose the Linen color so I didn’t antique the whole piece. I only did the corners, interiors, and  borders. I brushed it onto the corners feathering it into the piece.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - antiquing

Then I wiped away the excess. I covered the entire bottom with the antique wax. It’s always scary when you paint the entire piece with something so dark.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - painting with antiquing wax

But because I’d used clear wax for the first coat, it wipes away easily.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box - wiping away antiquing wax

I used a rough towel because I wanted a rusting look. Here’s the finished bottom – the linen is showing through the blue and it’s hard to see in the picture, but the brown adds a great antique look.

DIY Baby Bath Gift Box  -- finishing the bottom

Once the antique wax has dried for 24 hours it’s time to buff the entire hand painted box with a clean and dry cloth and it’s ready to give!

Create a Crate for Storage or to personalize a gift

There you go! The finished project’s total cost? Under $5 (unless you have to buy the paint, but it’s pennies worth of paint or you can use what you have on hand) and just a few minutes of work (though granted, you’ll need to plan in the necessary drying time), you’ve created a one-of-a-kind hand painted box to present your gift it. Now it can work as a storage box in its new home or be sanded and repainted and repurposed for something else.