What I Did With a $5 Vintage Doll Trunk (And What I'd Do Differently)
I found it at a thrift store for five dollars. It was red, scuffed, covered in old stickers, and had that particular smell that vintage things get when they have been stored somewhere interesting for a few decades. I had no idea if it was worth anything. I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I bought it anyway, which is basically the origin story of every project I have ever done.
What it became is a French-inspired vintage doll trunk painted in hot pink and navy and layered with the IOD Paradise paint inlay and the IOD Brocante transfer. It sold in my booth at the Painted Tree for $39.95. Not a bad return on five dollars and an afternoon.
Here is how I did it, and more importantly, here is what I would do differently.
The Products I Used
Before I walk you through the process, let me introduce the players, because two of them might be new to you and they are worth knowing.
DIY Clay Paint by Debi's Design Diary is a chalk style paint with a clay base, and that clay is what makes it special. It goes on thick, it covers beautifully, and it has a natural texture that gives finished pieces a depth you do not get from regular chalk paint. I no longer carry this line, but my friend Wendy does. You can find it here: Wendy Molinaroli Art
IOD Paint Inlays by Iron Orchid Designs are not a transfer, not a decal, and not decoupage. They are actual artist quality paint on a carrier sheet that gets pressed into wet paint on your surface. When you peel the backing away, the paint stays behind, embedded in your piece. The result looks like something that was collected over time rather than something you made on a Tuesday afternoon. I used the Paradise Paint Inlay on this trunk. I carry IOD paint inlays in my shop: Shop IOD Paint Inlays.
IOD Transfers are pressure sensitive rub on images. The Brocante transfer is inspired by French flea markets. It includes eight sheets packed with Eiffel Towers, florals, vintage text, clocks, butterflies, and more. They are buildable, meaning you can layer them and overlap them without the result looking muddy. You can find the Brocante transfer here: IOD Brocante Transfer.
All three of these products together are what made this trunk look the way it does. None of them alone would have gotten there.
How I Did It
Step 1: Clean it
The trunk was in rough shape, so the first thing I did was scrub it clean. Grime, old sticker residue, and whatever else had accumulated over the years needed to go before any paint went on. This step is boring and I always want to skip it. Do not skip it.
Step 2: Paint
I painted the entire trunk, inside and out, in DIY Paint’s Kissing Booth, a hot pink clay-based paint. The inside stayed pink. Once the pink dried, I painted the outside of the trunk in Hey Sailor, a deep navy from the DIY Paint, leaving the pink peeking out in places.
Step 3: Apply the IOD Paint Inlay
This is the step that changes everything. While the navy paint was still wet, I placed the Paradise Paint Inlay face down onto the surface, pressed it in gently with a damp rag, and let it dry. The inlay is tropical in its colors, birds and botanicals in warm pinks, oranges, and greens, and those colors came through the navy in the finished piece.
Once dry, I spritzed the back of the carrier sheet with water, waited about 30 seconds, and peeled it away slowly from a corner. The paper came away clean while the paint stayed on the trunk.
Step 4: Seal
Before the transfers went on, I sealed the whole piece with a water based topcoat. This is not optional. IOD recommends sealing before transfer application to get the best adhesion, and they are right.
Step 5: Apply the IOD Transfers.
Once the sealer dried, I rubbed on the transfers. I used the Eiffel Tower, the Herboristerie style text, and a few other elements from the Brocante set, positioning them and then rubbing the carrier sheet firmly with the included tool. Be sure to burnish the transfers by rubbing them with a clean, dry rag. This catches any bubbles that might be left under the image.
Step 6: Seal again.
Final coat of topcoat over everything to protect the transfers. Done.
What I Would Do Differently
Here is the honest part.
The clay paint left brush strokes on the surface before I applied the inlay, and I wish I had sanded it smooth first. Clay paint is thick by nature, and that thickness is part of what makes it beautiful, but it also means the texture comes with you into every layer that follows. If I were doing this again, I would sand the navy coat once it dried, apply one more thin coat of navy to give the inlay something fresh and wet to press into, and then proceed. A drop or two of water mixed into the clay paint also helps it flow a little more smoothly if you want a flatter finish before laying the inlay down.
The other thing I would think harder about is the pink showing through the navy. The intention was for a little of that base color to peek through in places. Whether it actually happened the way I planned or whether what you are seeing is entirely the paint inlay coming through, I honestly cannot say with certainty. The point is: the layering worked. It just did not work exactly the way I imagined it, and that’s fine. It rarely does.
The trunk sold. Someone loved it. Imperfect results and beautiful outcomes are not mutually exclusive, and if you are waiting until you have the technique perfectly dialed in before you start, you are going to be waiting a long time.
Where to Find the Products
I carry both IOD Paint Inlays and IOD Transfers in my shop. If you want to try this kind of layered project yourself, these are the two products I would start with.
IOD Paint Inlays: Shop IOD Paint Inlays
IOD Transfers: IOD Transfers
For the DIY Paint in Hey Sailor and Kissing booth, visit my friend Wendy.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through those links I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.