Sunday, July 21, 2013

Matchbook Cabinet

Phew! What a week! Thank you to everyone who left such kind comments to my "Where Bloggers Create" post... I am overwhelmed at the response! I am also about half-way through the list of participants over at Karen's My Desert Cottage site... so if I haven't visited you yet, be assured I will! Oh and if you haven't seen my post yet, there is still lots of time to enter my giveaway!

One of the best things about Karen's "Where Bloggers Create" party is finding new blogs to visit and new ideas to discover. Last year, one such fellow party-goer was Laura at Artfully Musing, a talented lady who has done numerous YouTube crafting tutorials. I recently came across her Matchbook Chest project and planned to make one myself... but instead of her pretty Shabby Chic style,

Laura's beautiful Matchbook Cabinets


I wanted to create one that fit more into the decor of my Victorian Studio.

I watched her two-part video and realized the only thing I had to buy was the set of 10 matchbook boxes; a whole dollar investment. The rest of the supplies and tools I had on hand.


You may be wondering what the heck those gold thingys are in the center of the photo above. Well, a long time ago, I purchased a "Fastenator" - a tool for wide decorative staples. I looked at the staples and thought I could make brass pulls out of them for my version of a wooden card-file type cabinet (a teenie-tiny version of the ones I adore in my own Studio!)

I snapped the staples apart, folded in the prongs on 10 and cut another 5 in half to create the pull and the method by which I could attach them to my little drawers.


Using E-6000, I created my little drawer handles. I can slide in itsy-bitsy labels, but I like the brass showing, so I shall leave them empty for now.


A combination of Ranger's "Vintage Photo" Distress ink and E29 Copic marker coloured each drawer; I left the inside bare as I would be papering them anyway.


Here's how those prongs came in handy; they were perfect to run right through the front of the drawer (I pierced two holes first) and then folded them back (one up, one down) to secure. I also used E6000 behind the face plates to ensure they would hold, as matchbook drawers tend to be a tight fit.


To make the drawers slide in and out easier,  I also trimmed the sides of each drawer before colouring, and bent down the back as seen below.


Then I had to find paper to line the drawers. I needed something with a very small pattern, to stay in proportion with the dresser size. I found the perfect solution in Tim Holtz' paper stack, and used the smallest versions of 10 different patterns, cut to size and laid in each drawer (no glue necessary!)


I love the way they look like each drawer has paints, stamps, stamp pads, old newspaper liners, maps...


Next up was gluing each box together to make two columns of  five drawers. Then after they dried, I wrapped the top, back and bottom with a strip of brown cardstock (a step Laura doesn't do) so my chipboard would have something to adhere to on the back. I also began by applying the back chipboard panel first. She starts with the  sides, but I didn't want the edge at the back to show. So here's the back panel attached (I inked the edges first):


Then the sides and top. As I added each piece, I used my Copic marker to colour them in, creating what I hoped look like wood grain:


The bottom was attached last. I took a piece of dense foam, carved it at an angle with a breadknife, painted it and glued the cabinet on it's new base.

Done! Here's the finished cabinet with a penny added to the photo for scale:


It's the teeniest-tiniest set of file drawers I have ever owned.


Thank you Laura, for your great tutorial and inspiration!


28 comments:

  1. that came out AWESOME!!! I have a few empty matchboxes and want to make something with them but haven't yet. You inspired me to get crackin on it!

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    1. Thank you JoJo! I hope you do one too - it was so much fun... let me know when you do, I want to see it!

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  2. This is adorable! If I didn't already know how small it is, it could pass for a full size set of drawers. Love your clever use of those "drawer pulls" and the pretty decorative paper you used.

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    1. Aw, thanks Betsy. I want to make a bigger one now. Man, those are addictive!

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  3. I love this!!! It fits your decor/theme perfectly. I'm definitely adding matchbox drawers to my "to do" list. :-)

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    1. It was a fun, fast project (my favorite kind). Thank you Carmen!

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  4. So clever! I just can't believe you transformed match boxes into these amazing works of art!

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    1. Aren't they cute? Laura's tutorials are just great.

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  5. I love the way it turned out. I have had that same tutorial bookmarked for nearly a year and STILL haven't done it. Bravo to you for tackling it and I do love your interpretation.

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    1. Ha! Great minds and all that, eh Kathy? I hope you post when you make one - love to see your version too!

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  6. Wow, it looks it is full size if you didn't have the penny. Where did you find those little glass bottles and jars for the top?

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    1. Those bottles I had in my stash... I tried to find the smallest items I hand on hand. Tim Holtz has a set of tiny bottles, the smallest of which may look good if you try this.

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  7. Oh my gosh, this is so darn cute! And so realistic looking! Love it!!

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    1. Ha! Thanks Donna! Now I just have to find some really teenie, tiny supplies to store in it! ;)

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  8. Oh my gosh this is cute! I have got to make one sometime. Thanks for sharing! Happy to be a new follower. Going to check out your create space.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Thank you Jann! Welcome and I do hope you do one too - I'd love to see more!

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  9. That's really cute. Thanks for sharing that.

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  10. So totally adorable! I like the way you used ink to make the drawers "wood" - turned out so fun! A nice addition to your craft space I'm sure

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    1. :) Thanks - I am glad the ink worked; that was a fluke, really....

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    1. Thank you Laura! I am so glad I found your site and all your wonderful tutorials - I am looking forward to trying even more.

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  12. Oh my goodness, this is adorable. I absolutely LOVE it!

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    1. Thanks Ceekay! Laura has some great ideas and is so easy to watch her tutorials and follow along.

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  13. I am always Impressed with Miniature Creations, so much attention to Detail and certainly a Labor of Love! Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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    1. Hi Dawn, and thank you! I love miniatures too - some incredible work out there - and a lot of fun to create!

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  14. Maureen,
    How totally creative, and I saw how many comments on your other post, OMG! it must of taken you days to read them all..wonderful post that it was"
    Hoping you are having an amazing week!

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    1. Thanks Dagmar! Yes, I am overwhelmed with the response to my Where Blogger's Create post; next year you should join in on the fun!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you were by. I appreciate and read with delight each and every comment!

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