Huyler's Cocoa and Chocolates Candy Crate

I love to paint advertising signs and crates based on old products that are no longer around.  I find old tins or ad prints and use them for my inspiration.  Believe me when I tell you I am no artist, but a few tricks I learned from my daughter who was an art major in college have taken me a long way.  I found this old crate at a sale.  I try to pick these pieces up for a reasonable price as all the value ends up being from my labor.  This crate is approximately 5 feet long.  It has a hinged lid like a coffin box and it had some hasps already on the front to keep it closed.

Finished Product

 I had my husband paint the crate with Rustoleum American Accents Heirloom White.  I didn't want the box to be too white as I wanted it to have an aged appearance when finished just like an old advertising crate would look.

Crate Box Painted White

 Then I chose my fonts and mapped them out on paper so that I would know exactly how to space my lettering and words.  With the lettering on this box, I wanted a whimsical feel so I staggered the letting in "Cocoa" and "Chocolates."  After all, chocolate is a very fun subject.  At least it is for me.

Getting the Lettering Started

 When it was all mapped out, I went to work and applied the stenciling.  I usually stencil, stand back and look and then go over it again to get a more solid foundation and to add depth to the coloring.

Adding the Printing

 I try to make my pieces look authentic so I do the top and sides.  If it's a box that could be placed down the center of a table, I will do both sides and the lid so the box has printing from all views.  Sometimes I will even put "net weight" on the ends of the box.  Depending how much space I need to fill to make it look real.

Printing on More than One Side to Make it Interesting

 When all the lettering is done, I go back to each letter and do a little shading to give the lettering dimension.

In the End

 Then I sand the whole thing down to age it and then I go over it with a dark stain and put a glaze over it.  If it's too dark, wipe your stain back with mineral spirits.  After the stain or glaze sets up for 24 hours, I then spray it with a lacquer spray.  This box is long enough it could be used as a mantle shelf or mounted on a wall to make a high planter.  I will display this box up on my wall and put plant life in it, maybe a little trailing ivy.