The Secret Material For A Faux Leather Look

A friend of us is a skipper and he owns a pretty sailboat, he loves the sea and goes sailing with his family as much as the weather permits. He was turning 60 and invited us to his party so I thought something nautical could be something he would like.

I don’t find it easy to make things for men; women are easy, we love almost everything! So I decided a box would be our present, he could use it at home or at the office.

It started like this. I gave it a light coat of paint and traced the shape of the clasp because I didn’t want it covered.

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

I applied a coat of watered white glue on one side. I used a 1:1 ratio.

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

Here it comes the secret material… drum roll please… a kitchen towel! I glued it to the box, leaving some creases.

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

I added more glue and another kitchen towel so it would have more texture.

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

I repeated the process on all sides except on the top. I had printed a beautiful image and decoupaged it there.

Then I took some dark wax and a rag and rubbed all sides with it to give the box a leather look. I finished it with two coats of varnish for protection. Doesn’t is seem real old leather?

The secret material for a faux leather look · DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net The secret material for a faux leather look · DIY nautical box for a sea lover using some decoupage or white glue, it makes a great handmade gift | Via www.sweethings.net

He liked the present and we had a wonderful party… after all, Italians and Spanish are quite alike so there were excellent food and good music all day long!

The secret material for a faux leather look, using some glue and dark wax too · My Sweet Things

If you liked this post maybe you want to check some others here, or my fake old codex which is one of my favorites.

Enjoy your week!

Hugs,

Pili

Do you love DIY, recycling, home decor, furniture transformation and all kind of crafts? Then we have the same passion! I would love to share all my crazy ideas and projects with you so I would love if you SUBSCRIBE for my post e-mails.

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36 comments

  1. Keri says:

    Woah!!! That’s incredible Pili!! I’m blown away by how you made this box!!! Adding paper towels and aging it was genius!! Of course, image transfer of that cool ship added that beautiful detail! Love it!!!

    • Pili says:

      Hi, Keri! I have so much fun experimenting with different things!! Sometimes they look great, sometimes don’t 😉

  2. Mary-the boondocks blog says:

    Pili, this is so special. I was shocked when I saw you put paper towels on to the box. And then when you used the stain it came out so cool. What a wonderful gift to give a skipper of a boat. You are so talented and never cease to amaze me.

    • Pili says:

      You’re always so kind, Mary. I know what you mean… sometimes my husband says I’m going to make the house explode because of my experiments lol

  3. Katrin@KreativK.net says:

    Pili what an amazing gift to give! It’s lovely! And I agree, it’s so hard to find something for a man, but I bet he is loving it! You are amazing at what you do with transferring pictures Pili!!! Increible!!!

    • Pili says:

      Thank you so much, Katrin! Decoupaging is not as difficult and the results are great. His wife told me he brought it to his office, that’s a good sign!

  4. Laurie says:

    Pili, I’m amazed at the technique you used to cover the sides of the box and the print for the top is wonderful! What a lovely, lovely gift! Pinning to share! Thank you for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
    ~Laurie

    • Pili says:

      Hi Laurie! I know it can be quite shocking at first, but as you can see the result is so cool!
      Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you commenting.

    • Pili says:

      Yes, it’s really cool, and if you do it with kids they will love it and will try to use other textures.
      I appreciate you visiting!

  5. Nikki Frank-Hamilton says:

    I can’t believe that you whipped this up, it is gorgeous! I am sure it will be that sailors prized possession and that it is taking a place of honor in his home. The techniques you have created make it all look so aged and old. It’s so cool!!!!

    • Pili says:

      Hi, Nikki! As far as I know he is really happy with it, and I love experimenting with new things. At first they may seem a challenge, but I end up loving them!
      Many thanks for your visit, I always appreciate it!

  6. Beverly says:

    This is lovely, Pili! The technique you used with the towels gives an amazing look. What a thoughtful and beautiful gift for your friend!

    • Pili says:

      I love nautical decor too, Indah, and as far as I know he’s really happy with his box… so I am double happy!
      Thank you so much for your sweet comments 🙂

    • Pili says:

      I can imagine your face Hayley! You must have thought I was losing my mind! Not yet… well, maybe just a bit

  7. AJ @ Aspen Jay says:

    Pili how did you ever think about using paper towels to add texture?! What a great idea with a very awesome affect! I admit I was very skeptical when I saw the picture of you applying it and then going through and seeing the final product! Just amazing and loved the image you choose. What a great, perfect present for your sailing friend. As always, thanks for sharing your creativity with us at Talented Tuesday.
    Cheers,
    AJ

    • Pili says:

      Hi, AJ!! The idea is not new, I used it also for an old fake Bible I was asked to do and it looked so real that I decided to use the technique for the box too.
      I can tell he was really happy with his present, and he is displaying it in his office.
      Thank you so much for visiting!

  8. Linda at Mixed Kreations says:

    Wow how beautiful, and what an amazing transformation. You did a beautiful job on it. Can’t believe a paper towel. I will have to try this technique. I this the box is a perfect gift for a man, and I bet your friend loved the box.

    • Pili says:

      The result is really cool, Linda, I am sure you will love it when you try. Tin cans will look great with this technique too. And yes, he loved it

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