Trash to Treasure! How I Repurposed an Old Silverware Box

If you have an old silverware wooden box, wait until you see how to repurpose it into a usable storage box. This is one of my favorite upcycled trash-to-treasure projects. If you don’t have one, you will be checking thrift stores after you see this transformation.

I have a love for old wooden boxes of any type. They are great for storing items you want out of sight but not out of mind.

I love how they look, especially when they are re-purposed. So when I ran across this old silverware box, I decided it would make a great place to store stationary, stamps, and other office items that get lost in large drawers.

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Thrift Store Find – Repurpose a Silverware Wooden Box

It was slightly banged up when I first spotted it in the thrift store. However, it is solid wood with sturdy construction, and the price was right.

Although the lining was intact, it had to go. Demo time!!!

Silverware Wooden Box Deconstructed

I made sure to keep all the hardware except for the engraved plate that was originally on the top of the box. Those aren’t my initials, so bye-bye!

I filled the holes where the plate was screwed to the top with wood filler. Once that was dry, I gently sanded this area until it was smooth using a fine-grit sanding block.

Hardware Update

I later decided to replace all the hardware except the side handles. One of the drawer pulls was missing, and it was easier to replace all the pulls than try to match the old ones.

I spray-painted the side handles with black Rustoleum paint because the original finish was pitted and rusty in some areas.

Refinish Wooden Silverware Box

Next, I painted the outside of the box with 2 COATS OF ANNIE SLOAN OLD WHITE CHALK PAINT and rubbed a little off around the edges. I then applied clear wax to seal the paint. I’ve included an easy tutorial on how to use Chalk Paint.

I also mixed dark and clear wax and added a coat over the entire surface. This gave a more aged look to the paint.

This is the same technique I shared on my Instagram Stories when I re-purposed the side table in my living room.

Decoupage Inside of Wooden Silverware Box

To cover the inside of the silverware box, I used some old music sheets and decoupaged them to the inside.

This was just something I had on hand and didn’t have to buy. This step would look very nice with any extra wallpaper, lovely stationary, magazine pages, etc.

Since the box’s insides were not smooth and the finish was undesirable, I tore the hymnal pages to cover the inside.

I used mod podge to adhere the torn music pages to the box’s interior. After the pages were dry, I applied another coat of mod podge over the surface to seal the pages and give them a smooth finish.

This was such a quick and easy project. The only difficulty I had was getting rid of my sticky fingers! I would forget and use my hands to spread the mod podge! LOL

So many small items fit perfectly inside the silverware wooden box.

Repurposed Silverware Box

The repurposed silverware box is the perfect size for storing stationary, stamps, paper clips, pens, etc.

I added replacement hardware from Amazon to the front of the drawers. The label holder from D Lawless Hardware is just for looks. I hand-printed “Cards” on a piece of brown craft paper to add to the file card holder.

Remote Control Holder

In addition to stationary, the small drawer is perfect for hiding the remote controls when friends drop by. Otherwise, they are glued to my husband’s hands. LOL

The spray-painted hardware matches the other hardware perfectly.

I initially thought I’d put the new Stationary Box on my desk. However, I love it here! It matches my re-purposed side table so well. Maybe I’ll change the label to “remote controls” and leave it here!

If you like trash-to-treasure updates, check out What You Can Do With a Broken Light Fixture or How to Update a Thrift Store Chandelier.

I hope you enjoyed the process of this repurposed silverware box and that it will inspire you to see beyond the obvious when shopping at thrift stores.

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