Upcycled Whimsical Black And White Stacking Keepsake Box

Hello friends, today is Int'l Bloggers Club day and our group challenge this month is Black & White. The timing couldn't be more perfect because I just happen to be undergoing a home office makeover and my theme is, you guessed it...black and white. Well, more grey and white with black & white accents. I've had this small wooden bento-style box in my stash for a few years. It looks to likely have been a high school shop class project. It's three sections make it a perfect desk organizer and so the stacking keepsake box got a whimsical black and white makeover.

Black and White Stacked Bento Style Box Makeover

Upcycled Black and White Stacking Keepsake Box


In case you're new here and wondering what the heck is Int'l Bloggers Club, we are a group of blogging friends from around the world who come together the third Monday of every month to share a themed DIY project.

We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Home of the Edmonton Oilers NHL Hockey Team and West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest malls in the world. We are a 4-hour drive east of Jasper National Park and 5-hour drive north of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies.

Links to this months black and white ideas from my talented friends are at the bottom of the post. Last month for our EGGcellent Easter challenge I made a super easy DIY Dollar Store Easter Wreath.

Back to the trinket box soon to be a desk organizer. So here's what the wooden box looked like before.

Stacking Wooden Trinket Box Before Makeover

Now before the wood lovers beat me with a wet noodle for painting beautiful maple and the lovely half-lap (I believe that's what they're called) joints, I figured if the maker didn't even want their handiwork, then it was fair game. Besides, it sat collecting dust for at least two years in the basement and now it suits my style and will be used on a daily basis. That's a win and justification in my books.

Here it is painted black and white...

Whimsical Black and White Stacking Trinket Box Upcycle

This is what the wooden box looked like inside with the handy three-section dividers.

Wooden Stacking Trinket Box Interior Before

Now the whimsy vibe on this box is business on the front and party inside.

Wooden Stacking Trinket Box Interior Makeover

The plan was to paint the original round wooden knob on the lid black like pictured below and call it a day but it looked...umm...BORING. The lid needed some drama so I went searching through my hardware stash and found this fancy-schmancy rosette knob instead.

Upcycled Trinket Box Hardware Before

Spray painted high gloss black and it's just what the lid needed.

Upcycled Trinket Box With High Gloss Black Rosette Knob

Let's take a closer look at the three divided sections of the bento-style box, starting with the bottom one.

Stacking Wooden Box Bottom Section Before Makeover

...and here it is painted black on the outside and white on the inside with black & white striped paper.

Rather than decoupage the pretty paper I simply set them inside each section so if I want to change them down the road, I can.

Stacking Wooden Box Bottom Section After Makeover

This is what the middle section of the wooden box looked like before...

Stacking Wooden Box Middle Section Before Makeover

...and here it is now white on the outside and black on the inside lined with fun zebra print paper.

Stacking Wooden Box Middle Section After Makeover

And last, this is what the top section looked like before...

Stacking Wooden Top Section Before Makeover

...and here it is after painted black on the outside and white on the inside with a mix of bold black and white patterns.

Stacking Wooden Box Top Section After Makeover

Here are the steps I used to transform the small trinket box


Prepping the wooden box for paint

In order for the paint to have some bite, I removed the glossy clear coat first with my well-used mouse sander.

Upcycled Wooden Stacked Keepsake Box

Painting the wooden box

So the plan for this wooden box makeover was to do it the quick and easy way with spray paint. But with our weather being too cold to spray outdoors I decided to try chalky paint in a spray can indoors.

Turns out even though it's chalk paint it's just as toxic to spray indoors as regular spray paint. So onto plan B, the more labor-intensive route, with a brush. I used Behr Chalk Decorative Paint in the colors Tin White and Classic Noir.

Like I showed in the photos earlier, I alternated the colors so if the exterior was painted black, the interior was painted white and vice versa, layering the paint colors on the three sections for a whimsical vibe. Once the paint was dry I brushed two coats of Dixie Belle satin clear coat to protect the paint.

Replacing the knob on the wooden box

Like I mentioned earlier, I had intended on using the original round knob painted black but the lid needed some drama. Deciding to go big or stay home, it was replaced with a pretty rosette knob painted high gloss black. Yes, I did spray paint it indoors only because very little paint and just one coat was required and I had the windows in the shop open for ventilation.

A pop of bold pattern inside of the box

To add drama to the inside of the box I found some fun black and white scrapbook paper with bold patterns in my stash. Whoa, does that make the eye's go a little wonky or what!

Black and White Bento Style Keepsake Box Paper Liners

I measured each divider, cut the paper with a paper cutter, and set them inside. Easy peasy!

So what do you think? The whimsy of this upcycled trinket box now desk organizer is perfect for my new black and white home office - reveal coming soon!

Black and White Stacking Keepsake Box Before and After

Whenever I go thrift store shopping I'm always on the lookout for wooden boxes, trays, and caddies to upcycle. They make wonderful budget-friendly hostess gifts, wedding decor, and ways to decorate my own home. You can find some of those projects here on my wooden box makeoverswooden caddies, and wooden tray upcycles on the blog.

If you have any questions about this small wooden box makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this Stacked Trinket Box Upcycle, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your Office Organization or Upcycled Wooden Boxes board on Pinterest.


Black and White Trinket Box Upcycle

Now let's go see what my talented friend's made for the Black & White challenge by clicking each link below.

Int'l Bloggers Club Black and White DIY Challenge
  1. A Crafty Mix
  2. Northern Feeling
  3. Raggedy Bits
  4. Faeries and Fauna
  5. Unique Creations By Anita
  6. Interior Frugalista (that's me)

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

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Comments

  1. Marie just Wow!! Would would have thought that a change in color and patterns would make it so glammy!!

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    1. Aw thanks so much sweet friend! xo Guess what I did? When I went to put it in my office, the lid popped off and dented the freshly painted wall. Can win for losing! LOL

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  2. Noooooooooo, from boring to WOW, like only you know how Marie.What and huge difference. I would never have said it was the same box. Love the black and white layers and that new little knob you added on top.

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    1. Thanks Michelle, it fits with the black and white decor in my new office perfectly and it's oh so handy for all those bits and bobs.

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  3. I agree Marie, what ever fits your style is good, you do you! I love this makeover, you really have it so much glam!

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    1. Thanks Katrin! As guilty as I felt painting over that wood it would still be collecting dust in the basement otherwise. I love it now and it suits my office decor perfectly.

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  4. This little trinket box never looked so good. Like always your projects go above and beyond because of all the little final details you put into your projects. Fabulous and handy. I love it Marie

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    1. Aw thanks, Leanna, you are so kind! The bold patterns inside make me smile everytime I open it. It's on my desk and looks perfect with the decor in the room but now I'm trying to decide whether to use it for office supply storage or sewing storage.

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  5. Wow! The transformation is stunningly dramatic and beautiful! You've done am awesome job!

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    1. Thank you so much, Maya! It's a fun little box now and the bold pattern inside makes me smile every time I open it.

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  6. Stunning Marie, you really did do a from drab to fab on this trinket box. It looks so modern and your staging is superb. Well done you 😍

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    1. Aw thanks so much, Anita, I'm glad you like it! 🤗 When I went to set it on my new desk, the lid fell off and hit the freshly painted wall and left a dent. One step forward, ten steps backwards. Grrr

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  7. Hi Marie, this box that you transformed came out beautiful. I love the outside and inside done in black and white.
    Thanks for the blog visit on planting seeds indoors. It will be nice once the weather warms up in May. I like your idea of using egg cartons.
    Have a nice week.
    Julie xo

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    1. Hi Julie, thanks so much for the visit! I'm glad you like the black & white upcycled box. I hope my seeds do as well as yours in those awesome seed kit containers.

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  8. Love, Love, Love the black & white trinket box!! I'm not a fan of painting over wood either, but sometimes you just need to give something a new life so it can live on it someones home. This is what you did & it looks terrific! I just love all of the ideas you come up with! I wish i had half the imagination that you do.

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    1. You are so sweet, thank you very much! This was such a fun upcycle and boy does this handy box have some much needed desk organization storage!

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  9. Have a great week, Marilyn, and thanks so much for the pin and share! xo

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