Checkerboard Bread Box

First, I have to apologize to all the English Majors out there that might be critiquing the spelling here. Is it two words for both "checkerboard" and "bread box"? I figured one for the word "checkerboard" because it describes a pattern, and two words for the box as Bread describes the box. LOL! Whatev...

It is that time of year where as a mom, you have spent a lot of time focusing on your children and other people. Christmas decorating, shopping, and the regular stuff we do. If you are like me, you are craving to do something for you or your home but cannot put a lot of time and effort into it. So I bring you this very small Breadbox redo.

First I have to give kudos to my neighbor. Thanks Tiff, for remembering me. We both tend to hoard things that we will "one day" refinish. Frequently that day of the week I refer to as Oneday doesn't come very often around here. 

So a couple months ago I was over at her house and looking through her stuff and she had this cute bread box she got from our local Deseret Industries (thrift store). I immediately made it known should she ever decide she wanted to purge this precious little item I would buy it from her. Well last week as we passed each other in our cars, she asked if I wanted it!! Uh, yes. Definite yes...

I can use all the space in my cupboards. I keep my bread on a shelf in the cupboard, along with bagels, hot dog buns, etc. So this project was one that is giving me some extra space. I just rearranged some things on my counter tops. And voila! I have more space in my cupboard now.

So, I am going to be really lame and tell you up front this is not a step by step how to. I just didn't think you needed pictures of me cleaning this box, and prepping it, painting it and applying vinyl.. But that is what I did. I cleaned it. Then I wiped it down with denatured alcohol. And then I removed the hardware from the original lid so I could begin painting.  

I painted the box and the lid separately. I have noticed that sometimes these older woods absorb paint, so this project required 3 coats. once it was done and dried, I sanded the edges to give it a little worn look. Not too much for this one, as I wanted as much color for the black to pop against.

Using the dimensions of the lid, I designed and cut my own vinyl with my Silhouette cutter. You would have to do the same thing or tape off lines/a checker pattern. The font is called Outstanding. I am really into checkerboard patterns right now, I have no idea why (but you will see a bit more of it coming up in future posts).

I bought a new knob from Hobby Lobby. They have a huge selection and they are almost always on sale. I chose this one, as it matched the look and feel I was going for. But it was tough because there are so many to choose from (yes, I did buy extras in case I changed my mind. No I am not taking them back because I know I will find a way to use them!). A note though: The nut and bolt on the knob is way to long. So I just used cutters to shorten it where I needed it. I also use a fine grit sand paper to smooth it so that it won't cut anyone.

Here is the finished product. I sealed it with a spray enamel. I did not seal the inside of the box, as I didn't want the enamel where the food would be (doesn't that sound really weird?). Sorry for the darker image, I have an east facing house with a covered porch, and it tends to get dark in my house. My only other option is to place on my living room floor... so I am just keeping it real.

It literally took only a few hours. I broke up the monotony of housework, and worked on it and while the paint dried, was cleaning my house. Then I would come put another coat of paint, etc. Yep, a short post, but I hope you like it and it sparks a little creativity during this holiday season. For me, it was a really nice distraction from sewing 12 stockings for Christmas and issues I am having with my Table Redo.

Merry Christmas!