Over the summer I found this cool box for silverware in my parents' garage while I was helping them clean it out. As you can see from the pictures, it was pretty old and worn out. I could've chucked it in the trash, but I decided to hold on to it and transform it into something useful. My nephew's 2nd birthday was only a month away, so I decided to make it into something he could use to store his books and small toys. I definitely thought about buying toys or a book for him, but he and his parents were moving to Japan only a couple of days after his birthday and I figured less is more.
First, I washed it off with a little soap and water. Then I gutted it out. As you can see, it needed to be gutted out. Then I sanded it down and primed it for painting.
I didn't want it to look completely brand new when I painted it, so I gave it a distressed look. I glued on a couple of cute wooden pictures in the children's arts and crafts section of a local store. Since he loves airplanes and trains, I thought they would be perfect for his box. I stenciled his name on the box so he'll always know it belongs to him.
Rather than leaving the inside of the box completely bare, I put in a felt liner. It also allowed one major element of the old version of the box to link up with the new version.
I envision him using this as a treasure box as he gets older, but I added the verse Matthew 6:20 to remind him where his treasure really is. That verse reads: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Unfortunately, I wasn't there to see Colin when he got his box, but I was told that he really liked it.
