EYE- CATCHING CARRYALL

Reinvent a rustic tool carrier to tote a unique tabletop display. René painted red stripes on her carrier and then used a frosted plastic stencil to add the blue medallion design. She advises sanding your carrier well to prepare it for paint, as a smooth surface is imperative for a crisp stencil.

After sanding the wood and wiping away dust, apply white chalky-finish paint with a roller. Let dry. Apply strips of painter’s tape on your carrier to create three horizontal stripes that wrap around all sides.

Paint the stripes red, remove the tape, and let dry. Next, mist quilt basting spray on the back of your stencil so it is slightly tacky and place it on the carrier. Load a blunt- end stencil brush very lightly with blue paint and dab it on, repeating as needed. “That’s the key—several light layers so that it doesn’t bleed,” René explains. Carefully pull the stencil up, wipe it off, reapply the basting spray, and repeat the painting process. Let the paint dry, touching up with a tiny brush if necessary. Protect the finish with wax or a spray sealer.

Fashion patriotic embellishments to bolster the arrangement. First, snip long wood skewers to your desired length. Push the skewers into foam stars covered with gingham fabric or adhere vintage playing cards featuring nostalgic artwork to them with a dab of hot glue. Create the suggestion of flowers by gluing together poker chips, scrapbook paper circles and buttons, attaching the stacks to skewers when dry. Trim floral foam to fit the carrier and insert faux greenery and decorated picks.