When the real material might be expensive or hard to find, creating a look-alike is a fun way to go. Faux items can be found everywhere, especially in fashion. Animal lovers prefer faux leather and fur apparel that look and feel just like the real thing. This project creates a faux sandstone and crystal jewelry box. The technique was first shown on "The Carol Duvall Show" around 1970. The technique can be used to cover any surface that you would like to look like stone.
Instructions
1. Glue crystals on lid of box randomly or in a pattern.
2. Make sure the box is dry and clean of debris. Rip small stone-shaped pieces of masking tape, and cover jewelry box, making sure to layer the edges of tape up onto the sides of crystals. The crystals should have the appearance that they are peeking out from between pieces of sandstone. You can do various sizes or keep them mostly uniform. Cover the entire box, folding pieces of tape over the edges of the lid and the rim of the box, leaving them smooth.
3. Dip a sponge into shoe polish. Apply a thin layer over pieces of tape, and then use a clean sponge to wipe excess polish off, leaving darkened edges of tape and lighter middles. Do little bits at a time, and rub some stones lighter then others to create a realistic effect. Cover the entire box, and let it dry.
4. Decoupage over the box to seal everything, including crystals. Wipe off crystals to avoid dulling them. Let the box dry completely.
5. Measure the width and length of box. Cut the piece of velvet so that it is 1 inch bigger on all sides. Apply glue to the bottom of box. Fold the extra inch under, and press velvet down onto bottom of box. This will give a nice folded edge to the lining.
Tags: Cover entire, edges tape, pieces tape
