By Phoebe Peach
Creative Projects with Mezzie and Frank
This old shoe shine box needed restoring, the paint had peeled away and the timber dried and dull. I used a combination of paint and wax to restore the box whilst keeping the rustic look.
Products used:
Mezzie + Frank Chalk Style Paint - BAROSSA
Gilly's Carnauba Polish (Clear)
Gilly's Black Wax
Gilly's Restoring Polish (Clear)
Gilly's Cabinet Maker's Wax (Clear)
The first step was to clean the shoe shine box. I used a vacuum to remove the cobwebs and a damp cloth to wipe down the surface.
The box was previously painted red, however with most of the paint peeled away I decided to paint the sides and leave the timber top and the metal panel with a waxed finish.
Pictured: Shoe shine box before paint & wax.
Paint Application
Mezzie + Frank Chalk Style Paint 'Barossa'
After mixing the paint well with a paint stirrer the paint was applied using a paint brush to the three timber sides of the box. The box only needed two coats of paint, with two hours of dry time between each coat.
Pictured: Applying Mezzie + Frank Chalk Style Paint in the colour 'Barossa'.
Black Wax Application
Gilly's Black Wax was applied with a cloth to the timber top of the box and over the paint to create a darker, rustic colour to the timber and paint. I applied the wax sparingly and buffed away any excess with a clean cloth.
Pictured: Applying Gilly's Black Wax to darken the raw timber.
Pictured: Applying Gilly's Black Wax over chalk paint for an antiquing effect.
Sealing - Carnauba Polish
Gilly's Carnauba Polish can be applied as a finish to timber, metal and chalk paint. Using an old rag, the polish was applied to the entire shoe shine box as the final coat to seal everything in. I applied the polish in a circular motion sparingly and buffed away any excess with a clean cloth.
Pictured: Applying Gilly's Carnauba Polish as the final coat.
Pictured: Finished photos.
Interior door
On the inside of the shoe shine box I followed Gilly's 3-step-waxing process to nourish and restore the timber.
Step 1 - Nourish: Gilly's Restoring Polish is a nourishing polish designed to feed the timber and give a good initial sheen. I applied the polish to the timber with pressure in line with the grain and buffed back any excess with a clean cloth.
Step 2 - Build: Gilly's Cabinet Maker's Wax is a firm building wax, designed to develop a protective layer on timber and fill in any imperfections such as hairline cracks or tiny holes. Using 0000 Steel wool I applied the wax with pressure in line with the grain and buffed back any excess with a clean cloth.
Step 3 - Finish: Gilly's Carnauba Polish is a fast-drying surface finish, rich in carnauba wax and beeswax. Very soft and easy to apply, it hardens quickly and when buffed, imparts a beautiful hard, high sheen. Using an old rag I applied the polish in a circular motion and buffed back any excess with a clean cloth.
