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Seeing Red – Βλέποντας κόκκινο (Έχω τα νεύρα μου)

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Another month, another party, another gift.  Yes friends, if you have kids you know what I mean. Being the DIY mom that I am, I always encourage my children to make gifts for their friends or at least some aspect of the gift.  In this way I achieve a double purpose.   The gift will have special meaning not only for the recipient who gets a hand crafted gift but also for the child who learns the value of  things. 

Ένας άλλος μήνας, ένα άλλο κόμμα, ένα άλλο δώρο. Ναι φίλοι, αν έχετε παιδιά ξέρετε τι εννοώ. Εφόσον είμαι DIY μαμά, πάντα ενθαρρύνω τα παιδιά μου να κάνουν δώρα για τους φίλους τους ή τουλάχιστον κάποια κομμάτι του δώρου. Με τον τρόπο αυτό πραγματοποιώ ένα διπλό σκοπό. Το δώρο θα έχει ιδιαίτερη σημασία όχι μόνο για τον παραλήπτη που παίρνει ένα χειροποίητο δώρο, αλλά και για το παιδί που μαθαίνει την αξία των πραγμάτων.
A gift box wrapped in fabric, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
On the day of the party my lovely offspring came to me and with watery, pleading eyes asking for my help. (No matter that I had been n̶a̶g̶g̶i̶n̶g̶  asking politely to get it done beforehand.) As we brain stormed we realized she was in a bind because she had no idea what to get for her friend. She only knew that the gift had to have the color red!  At this point I was seeing Red!! Not having much to go on, I looked around the house and came up with this:

Την ημέρα του πάρτη το παιδάκι μου ήρθε σε μένα και με υγρά μάτια, ζήτησε τη  βοήθειά μου. (Δεν έχει σημασία που γ̶κ̶ρ̶ί̶ν̶ι̶α̶ζ̶α̶

, ζητούσα ευγενικά να το κάνει εκ των προτέρων.) Καθώς σκεπτόμασταν, συνειδητοποιήσαμε ότι ήταν σε δύσκολη θέση, γιατί δεν είχε ιδέα τι να πάρει για τη φίλη της. Ήξερε μόνο ότι το δώρο έπρεπε να έχει το κόκκινο χρώμα! Σε αυτό το σημείο έβλεπα κόκκινο, δηλαδή ο μεγάλος θυμός!! Κοίταξα μέσα στο σπίτι και κατέληξε με αυτό:
An old laminate backgammon, chess box before, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
It was an old wood and laminate box, with a chess pattern on the outside and backgammon on the inside. Instantly I thought of chalk paint, because it was the only thing that would stay on without prior preparation and it would dry fast. Here is what it looked like after 2 coats.

Ήταν ένα παλιό κουτί από ξύλο και μελαμίνη, με ένα μοτίβο σκάκι στο εξωτερικό και το τάβλι στο εσωτερικό. Αμέσως σκέφτηκα μπογιά κιμωλίας, γιατί ήταν το μόνο πράγμα που κολλάει  χωρίς προηγούμενη προετοιμασία και θα στεγνώσει γρήγορα.  Έτσι  έμοιαζε μετά από 2 στρώσεις.

painting the box with chalk paint, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Nice but boring. I wanted to give it lots of texture and make it look like old wood.  So I mixed up some colors with the chalk paint and  randomly brushed them on. 

Ωραίο αλλά βαρετό. Ήθελα να του δώσω υφή και να φανεί σαν παλιό ξύλο. Γι ‘αυτό και ανακάτεψα κάποια χρώματα με το μπογιά κιμωλίας και το έβαψα τυχαία.
dding colors to the chalk paint to give it depth and texture, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
I wanted it to have the feel of old wood, grainy with lots of texture. Not chalky paint smooth at all. 

Το ήθελα να έχει την αίσθηση του παλιού ξύλου, κοκκώδη με πολύ υφή. Να μην  είναι  ομαλό.

laminate made to look like old wood, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
close up of the paint made to look like old wood, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Now for the red, my little helper added distressed red on the sides. 

Τώρα για το κόκκινο, η μικρή βοηθός μου πρόσθεσε κόκκινο στις πλευρές.
Adding red on the sides, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
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And on the inside…

Και στο εσωτερικό …
red acrylic paint on the inside, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
The box was done.   We quickly added a layer of homemade furniture wax and  hoped for the best.  

Το κουτί τελείωσε.  Γρήγορα προσθέσαμε μια στρώση σπιτικό κερί για έπιπλα και  ελπίσαμε για το καλύτερο.

finished box, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
top of finished box, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Angled view of painted box, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
And she filled it up with lots of homemade goodies.

Και αυτή το γέμισε με πολλά δωράκια.
Some extra gifts inside the box, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
adding texture to a laminate box, Finished backgammon laminate box painted to look like old wood, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Here it is before:

​Εδώ το πριν:
Box before, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Considering that we finished this in a few hours I would have to say that it turned out pretty well.  Was there a lesson in all of this?  Will I be seeing red again?  Or will we have enough common sense to plan out our gift preparations, instead of waiting for the last minute?

Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη ότι το τελειώσαμε μέσα σε λίγες ώρες, θα πρέπει να πω ότι το  αποτέλεσμα ηταν αρκετά καλό. Υπάρχει ένα μάθημα εδώ;  Ίσως ξαναδώ κόκκινο και πάλι; Ή θα έχει αρκετή κοινή λογική να κάνει προετοιμασίες για τα δώρα, αντί να περιμένει την τελευταία στιγμή;
Finished backgammon laminate box painted to look like old wood, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
Of course the real lesson is in the joy of giving and to that end she was very ecstatic and the  birthday girl was equally happy. 

Φυσικά το πραγματικό δίδαγμα είναι στην χαρά της προσφοράς και προς το σκοπό  αυτό  ήταν πολύ εκστατική και η παραλήπτρια ήταν εξίσου χαρούμενη.
adding texture to a laminate box with chalk paint, Finished backgammon laminate box painted to look like old wood, Seeing Red www.theboondocksblog.com
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  1. Hayley says:

    Ahh the box turned out brilliantly! I think its a great idea to try to make your gifts. Well done for taking the time to do it. Im sure it was very much appreciated. Its very much appreciated you linking up to #frifree4all too 🙂

    • Mary says:

      Thank you so much Hayley. She is now working on future gifts so I won’t be “seeing red” any time soon.

  2. Grace says:

    Aw, this turned out so well! I’m especially impressed with it being so last minute. And I love the cloth wrapping.

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Grace. It was very well recieved, and like you I try to think things through. The cloth wrapping yes, I did that because I did not see the point of spending money on paper that would be thrown away, Maybe the fabric will be reused.

  3. Love all your boxes…so cool looking!!!

  4. Julie says:

    I have a ‘last minute.com’ child too! Just a little planning would save so much grief!
    I love red, so I think this little box makeover and it’s contents are just great!

    • Mary says:

      Those kids are the ones that drive us crazy, right Julie. In fact, not a half hour ago she was looking for a gift she had misplaced. 😉

  5. Cyndee says:

    Mary, what a sweet, homemade gift! Thank you for sharing this on Idea Box. Your post will be featured tomorrow!

  6. Christine says:

    Looks fantastic! Thanks for linking up to Your Inspired Design Link Party! Hope you stop by to the link party tomorrow!

  7. Kalispera mou Mary! Ti yperoxo apotelesma! Mou aresei para poly to paliomeno apotelesma. Filakia

  8. What a great gift, every kid needs a treasure box. And you made this one look very old, a treasure box, indeed. Although your helper forgot to fill you in till the last minute you did a great job! The wood graining is perfect! I’m sure the girl will keep her most special things inside.

    • Mary says:

      Nikki, the funny thing with all of this is that she came to me yesterday and said “Mom, a friend of mine has a birthday in February!” Smart mouth or did she learn her lesson?? lol

  9. Betsy says:

    I love the texture… but the best part is that it was homemade with love! I adore the idea of kids learning to make presents instead of buy them! Thanks for linking up at Welcome Home Wednesdays this week… can’t wait to see what you have for us tomorrow!

    • Mary says:

      Betsy it is always nice to have you visit. You are so busy with your blog and every time I visit you it is looking so new and revised. You go girl! Thanks for your sweet comment. Yes, I beleive it is important to not raise them as just consumers but to also teach them the value of homemade. See you at the party.

  10. This box turned out nicely! It’s always great when we get to help our kids in a pinck . You are a great mom for working so hard on this with her. Thanks for linking at Your Inspired Design 🙂

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Holly, I did such a great job that now she wants to work on a gift which is for February.. Should I be happy about this? So glad you stopped by.

  11. Laurie says:

    First of all, what a lovely gift this makes! Any secondly, I have to admit I do my best work at the last minute. Don’t know why that is exactly, but there you go. I’m amazed at that textured finish and will have to play around with that sometime!

    • Mary says:

      The funny thing is that because we were in such a rush it came out great. If I were to try and recreate it now I would overthink it and fail miserably. Truth be told, I have also done some great projects at the last minute. 😉

  12. Carol says:

    Mary, This turned out fantastic and I love the texture on it. Such a great idea!

  13. Florence says:

    I can picture that whole scenario with the quandary over the gift. The box sure turned out great though. I like that two-tone look to it and I think you achieved making it look old. Then to fill it with goodies too? Wow, I bet that little girl was happy! Some of my favorite gifts were a little hodge-podge of small things. I would love a box like that.

    • Mary says:

      The birthday girl loved it Florence. And I was happy that it was finished in time. We had to blow on it a bit to make sure that all the paint was dry before she whisked it off.

  14. Jodie says:

    I LOVE that you turned the game box into a storage box = fabulous idea! Ha…we may have one of those around & I may be claiming it – lol!
    Thank you for sharing at last week’s reader tip tuesday. Hoping to see you at this week’s party: http://www.jodiefitz.com/2017/09/05/reader-tip-tuesday-weeks-craft-recipe-party-2/
    xo

  15. Love how the box turned out with the rustic look. Nothing shows that you care as much as home gifts, then to have them packed away in a repurposed/homemade gift box is even better. Something you can treasure for years. I bet the birthday girl loved it.
    And I bet you will see red again sometime. I know I tell myself sometimes I will never put something off again. Then I do and stress again getting it done. 😉

    • Mary says:

      I try not to see as much red anymore. I just take it in stride and let the chips fall where they may. I don’t want to have to do everything for them, after all they are officially adults now.

  16. I love how you made over this chess box!! Red is always my favorite in home dec items. It’s a great gift! Love your refinishing techniques. Receiving this gift is a treat!:) Stopped by from the bloggers pit stop party! pinned:)

  17. Handmade gifts are the best and this one is so sweet, Mary! I love it that you shared it with us at Funtastic Friday!

  18. BABA says:

    LOVE IT MARY

  19. That was quick and creative thinking!

  20. Beautiful job. Of course red is my favorite color. I always think handcrafted gifts really show you care. Plus it was nice that you and your daughter worked on it together.

    • Mary says:

      Debra I had no idea red was your favorite color. My daughter loves it too, that paired with black. Most of the time she is more than capable of creating things on her own but every once in a while she needs a nudge.

  21. Nikki Gwin says:

    Some of my favorite gifts are small ones where my husband took the time to make it or personalize something he purchased. Love your idea and how it turned out.
    🙂 gwingal

  22. Cindy says:

    Red is my favorite color…I love it!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

  23. Angelica says:

    Ενα όμορφο κουτί είναι πάντα η καλύτερη ιδέα! Καθώς θα μεγαλώνει το κοριτσάκι, θα το χρησιμοποιεί και για διαφορετικό σκοπό. Μπράβο στην κόρη σου που ασχολήθηκε να το φτιάξει!

    • Mary says:

      Ευχαριστω Αγγελική μου, είναι πάντα ομαδικές προσπάθειες, όπως κι αυτό το μπλογκ… πάντα ζητάω τις γνώμες των κοριτσιών μου.

  24. Pili says:

    Mary, I love the box, it turned out great with so little time! And the goodies are the final touch!

    • Mary says:

      Pili, thanks, it was such a rush job, that is what got me angry.. but in th end it turned out well, althought that red on the inside could have used another hand.

  25. Julie says:

    Hi Mary,
    What a pretty red box you fixed up with goodies to use for your daughters party. It was nice you worked on it together.
    Thanks for joining and sharing this at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
    Enjoy the week.
    Julie

  26. Carol says:

    Well, the box turned out great and was the perfect vessel for the goodies inside! Do I think you will see “red” again? Absolutely, because our little darlings seem to think it’s their duty to spring things at the last minute. My kiddos have kiddos, so I can only smile when I think of the times they will receive payback…..lol!
    Thank you so much for the visit, Mary, and for your sweet comments!

  27. Love that you are teaching your children the value of “made with love by your own hands” gifts. There is nothing better than receiving something made by someone you care about. Love this makeover and the handmade goodies inside. Mom saves the day!!!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Marie, I wouldn’t have it any other way, gotta teach them while they’re still young. I’m so glad you stopped by.

  28. Mary, this is stunning! I’ve never used chalk paint before, but absolutely have to try it out!!! I love the outcome! And I so hear ya! We have parties going on like almost every week and I love the idea of making presents. It’s so personal and just great!

    • Mary says:

      Katrin, chalk paint it the best. It gave me loads of texture and I was able to customize the paint color. Also I make my own because we do not have it where I live. If you are interested you can contact me. Thanks for your sweet comments.

  29. Μπράβο σου Μαίρη μου ,για το όμορφο αποτέλεσμα και το μάθημα προσφοράς ,δημιουργίας και χαράς ! Ίσως στο ελεύθερο χρόνο σας να κάνετε ,μαζί κάτι και να το κρατά ως απόθεμα για κάποια άλλη περίπτωση !Καλ’η σου βδομάδα !

    • Mary says:

      Ολυμπία, χαίρομαι πάρα πολύ που με επισκέφτηκες. Ευχαριστω για τα καλά σου λόγια, και όντως, τα περνάμε καλά με τις κοπέλες μου. Καλή εβδομαδα και σε σένα.

  30. suzan says:

    This turned out fabulous Mary – what a brilliant idea !
    I’ll be looking for boxes now 🙂
    XOX

    • Mary says:

      Hi Suzan with the furniture. It does not look like a laminate box, and that is enough for me! Thanks for dropping by!

  31. Heaven says:

    I love what you’ve done here! Personal gifts are always the greatest to get. I’m not good at crafting, but I admire people who can. Thank you for leaving a comment on my post the other day. I replied there and am so glad you stopped by. 🙂

    • Mary says:

      Trying to come up with personal gifts can be hard some times but in the end it is so worth it. Thank you for your kind words and I am so glad you were able to stop by.

  32. Jessica says:

    I love that you are teaching your children to make gifts. That is wonderful! The box turned out beautifully!

    • Mary says:

      Jessica, if I can teach them to be environmentally friendly in this way that I am one happy mom. Thanks for stopping by.

  33. Πόσο όμορφο έγινε και δείχνει σαν καινούργιο! Σίγουρα τα χειροποίητα δώρα είναι δώρα καρδιάς Μαίρη μου… Καλή συνέχεια

    • Mary says:

      Ευχαριστω Χριστίνα, όλα καλά πήγαν στο τέλος, αλλά μέχρι να φτάσουμε εκεί…. Ευχαριστω που πέρασες από δω.

  34. Mimi says:

    Mary, completely fabulous as always! The box looks great, and the loot inside even more so! You and your daughter are pretty clever cookies, I have to say. I’ve encouraged my 15 year old to offer to make the birthday person their birthday cake. It’s been a great experience for her and for them! Thanks for sharing this one at Five Star Frugal. Love, Mimi xxx

    • Mary says:

      And Mimi, the sense of accomplishment and the smile on their faces is priceless. Thanks for stopping by. xxx

  35. Alayna says:

    Looks like a great gift – even if it was last minute! Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty link party

  36. How creative! Together you and your daughter put together a memorable birthday gift. I saw your link at Pamela’s Treasure Hunt Thursday.

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Ann Marie, yes it is memorable all right, now she wants to work on a Birthday gift that is for next year. I guess my “seeing red’ lesson worked. Thanks for dropping by.

  37. How funny! Well done, it looks fantastic. 🙂

    • Mary says:

      And the best part is that she comes in today and says “I want to work on a birthday gift for February”!! What do we say to that??

  38. Uwe says:

    That is a great idea! Like it!
    greetings
    Uwe

  39. Ntina says:

    Ειναι πολυ ωραίο που τους μαθαίνεις να φτιαχνουν μόνα τους δωρα για τους φίλους! Και το κουτι σας βγήκε πολυ καλό, απίστευτη μεταμόρφωση!

    • Mary says:

      Ευχαριστω Ντινα μου. Να μεγαλώσουν να γίνουν DIYers σαν και μένα 😉

  40. Jess says:

    This is such a neat idea! I totally love it! 🙂
    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

  41. Dianne says:

    I love the redo of that box. It is so nice and I am sure the girl was very happy!

  42. Paula says:

    Fantastic transformation! Hello my dear! Thank you for the beautiful and inspirational post! We would love for you to share this post at our WIW Party today! Hope you can join us!
    Paula
    ivyandelephants.blogspot.com

  43. Debbie says:

    I like the idea of kids “participating” in the gift.
    I loved wrapping the presents. It was the way my got me involved.
    Thanks for sharing this post on #tiptuesday.

    • Mary says:

      Debbie, I had her do half of it, she has an artistic temperment… and she loves to procrastinate.

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