I'm all about a good upcycle. I love turning something that was headed for the trash into a cool project for the home. Even better if it turns into something useful! This month, as part of a fun Silhouette Challenge, I did just that! These boxes were literally being thrown away at my office.


They are intended to house wallcovering samples, but I was immediately drawn to the fact that they are sturdy, thick plastic--and I thought to myself--I can so remake these!

I grabbed some of the new Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint (which sticks to just about everything!) and started painting these boxes a deep blue.


It took a couple of coats, partly because the original colors were so dark, but I got good coverage.



Then I worked on some templates with my Sihouette Portrait and some vinyl. Basically, I found a couple of French phrases I loved and added some flowers and butterflies from the Silhouette Online Store. No modifying needed! Then, I just transferred the image onto my painted box, pushing out any bubbles on the vinyl.


I used a dark gray that I have in the chalky finish paint with the vinyl stencil, but then I realized that there wasn't enough contrast between the two paints!But no worries, since the chalky finish paint is designed to be sealed with wax. The wax in this line is very liquidy, so I mixed it with some white craft paint and applied it judiciously to make an antiqued finish. It kind of made the blue look even more chalky! If it got on the gray I just wiped it off with a rag.


And that's it! Hard to believe this was intended to go to the trash. Now I just need to finish the other box!

Want to Check Out More Silhouette Projects?

My Silhouette Challenge buddies and I are all sharing projects on our blogs today, so peruse the projects below for a wealth of Silhouette inspiration!
1. Create & Babble // 2. Kate's Paper Creations // 3. Please Excuse My Craftermath // 4. Tried & True // 5. unOriginal Mom // 6. Mama Sonshine // 7. Adventures in All Things Food & Family // 8. The Experimental Home // 9. The Outlandish Momma // 10. Whats Next Ma // 11. Dream a Little Bigger // 12. Silhouette School // 13. Creative Ramblings // 14. Our Rosey Life // 15. Bringing Creativity 2 Life // 16. Practically Functional // 17. Minted Strawberry // 18. Two Purple Couches // 19. Simply Kelly Designs // 20. Grey Luster Girl // 21. TitiCrafty // 22. My Mom Made That // 23. Architecture of a Mom // 24. My Paper Craze // 25. The Sensory Emporium // 26. Ginger Snap Crafts // 27. Mabey She Made It // 28. McCall Manor //