Transform a Plain Box into a Stunning Faux Antique Book

Easy Mixed Media Tutorial for Elegant Home Decor

Today I'm excited to share a gorgeous mixed media project that transforms an ordinary wooden box into an elegant faux vintage book that makes a stunning decorative piece for your home. This project was inspired by an image I'd tucked away in my crafting notebook long ago - a beautiful vintage-style book with an elegant face and decorative elements.

What I love about this project is how it combines multiple techniques and materials to create something that looks complex but is actually quite approachable. The wooden book box becomes a canvas for your creativity, allowing you to play with papers, stencils, bling, and embellishments to create a piece that's uniquely yours.

Whether you display this on your coffee table, bookshelf, or give it as a special gift, this faux book box creates an air of vintage elegance while providing secret storage inside. Let's dive into this mixed media adventure together!

Materials Needed

• Wooden book box (mine is from Michael's, approximately 9.5" x 7.75" x 2")

• Vintage-style paper with face image (from vintageretailtherapy.com)

• Decorative background paper for the cover

• Decoupage medium (I used Deb's DIY Liquid Patina)

• White paint for base coat

• Adhesive rhinestone wrap/bling strip

• Gold leaf/gilding for edges (I used Deb's DIY Golden Rule)

• Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink pad (in a brown tone)

• Decorative stencils (key and script patterns)

• Ink pads in black/brown and gold metallic

• Small chain for decorative accent

• Small gear or clock embellishment

• Fake eyelashes (optional)

• Stickles glitter glue (I used Mercury Glass and Platinum)

• B7000 adhesive or strong craft glue

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

• Fabric for inside lining (velvet works beautifully)

• Vintage quote or text for inside

• Decorative key charm (optional)

• Small paint brushes

• Scissors and X-acto knife

• Deli sheet or parchment paper

Step 1: Prepare Your Book Box

Start by painting your wooden book box with white paint. This creates a clean canvas and ensures your decorative papers will show their true colors. Allow to dry completely. Make sure to paint the spine and all edges of the box, but you can skip painting the inside if you plan to line it with fabric.

Step 2: Select and Cut Your Paper Elements

Choose a decorative paper for your book's background. I selected an elegant patterned paper that complements the vintage face image.

For the face image, carefully trace around the outline of the face on your background paper, then cut out this section so the face image will lay perfectly on top without the background showing through. This creates a seamless look when layered.

When working with face images, always make your cuts slightly inside the actual edge of the face to ensure no background paper shows through.

Step 3: Adhere Background Paper

Apply decoupage medium to the front of your book box. Position your background paper and smooth it down with your fingers, working from the center outward to remove any air bubbles.

Wait a moment before adding a top coat of decoupage medium. This prevents wrinkles from forming. Use a deli sheet or parchment paper to smooth over the top coat for a perfect finish.

Always apply your decoupage in two stages - first to adhere the paper, then after it's set, add a top coat for protection.

Step 4: Add Stenciled Elements

Using decorative stencils, add visual interest to your book cover. I used a key stencil and a script stencil to create dimension.

For a unique technique, try using an ink pad directly through the stencil instead of paint. Press the ink pad gently through the stencil openings to transfer the design. I used both brown/black and gold metallic inks for different effects.

For extra dimension, try dry-brushing some gold paint or gilt through the stencil as well.

If using ink through stencils, be aware it may smear when sealed. Do this step after any wet applications are completely dry.

Step 5: Add Decorative Bling

Apply adhesive rhinestone wrap/bling strip around the edges of your book. For areas where the box has hinges, carefully cut out spaces for the hinges using an X-acto knife, then continue the bling on the other side.

For hinged areas, you may need to paint them with a matching metallic paint to blend with your decorative elements.

Step 6: Add Dimensional Elements

Attach a small decorative frame around one of the eyes on your face image to create a monocle or opera glass effect. Add a small chain extending from the frame for an elegant vintage touch.

Position and attach small embellishments like gears or clock elements to enhance the vintage aesthetic. These add wonderful dimension and interest to your piece.

If desired, carefully apply small pieces of fake eyelashes to the eyes on your image for a whimsical touch. When attaching small elements, use a combination of hot glue for immediate hold and B7000 or other strong adhesive for permanent attachment.

Step 7: Distress the Edges

Using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (or similar), gently brush along all edges of the book box, focusing on corners and seams. This instantly ages your book and helps all elements blend together cohesively. Apply the distressing to the spine of the book as well for a consistent aged look.

Step 8: Gild the Page Edges

Apply gold leaf, gilding wax, or metallic paint to the "page" edges of your book box. This creates the illusion of gilt-edged pages and adds luxurious detail to your project. After applying the gold, you can brush on a bit of antiquing glaze or more distress ink to age the gilding slightly.

Step 9: Add Glitter Accents

Using Stickles or similar glitter glue, add small sparkly accents to highlight certain features. I added touches to the earrings in the face image and a few other decorative elements.

Note: Always add Stickles as your very last step to avoid smearing or getting glitter where you don't want it.

Step 10: Finish the Inside

Line the inside of your book box with decorative paper or fabric. Velvet creates a luxurious interior that enhances the vintage feel. Add a meaningful quote printed on vintage-style paper to the inside lid for an extra special touch.

The Finished Product

Your completed faux vintage book box is now ready to display or gift! This versatile piece works beautifully on coffee tables, bookshelves, or vanities. It provides both decorative appeal and secret storage space for small treasures.

What makes this project special is how truly customizable it is. You can select papers, images, and embellishments that match any decor style or create one that reflects a specific theme or person when making it as a gift.

Variations and Ideas

• Wedding Memory Box: Use wedding-themed papers and embellishments to create a keepsake box for storing mementos.

• Seasonal Themes: Create different books for various holidays or seasons to rotate throughout the year.

• Children's Treasure Box: Use fairy tale images and whimsical embellishments for a magical children's version.

• Masculine Design: Use maps, vintage sports images, or darker colors for a more masculine aesthetic.

• Steampunk Style: Lean heavily into the gear and key elements with additional metallic embellishments for a steampunk look.

I hope you've enjoyed this mixed media adventure! Remember, there are no strict rules in mixed media - it's all about layering, experimenting, and creating something that speaks to you. I'd love to see your versions if you try this project!