DIY Vintage Recipe Box

I am a baker at heart, but realized that if I wanted to survive..and have my kids survive or at least get any sort of nutrition, I needed to figure out the whole cooking thing. I've been doing well for the past few years. I've found some recipes that I just absolutely love and know my kids do also. So, I thought that it was about time to actually start writing them down. I seriously have forgotten about so many awesome recipes that we loved because I didn't write them down. Do you all just go through the phases where you find a recipe that is a hit and you make it like once a week for two months, you have it practically memorized, and then get so sick of it you don't want it any more? We have so many of those...those are the ones I wish I had written down. I know we liked them once, I bet we would like them again!

I remember my mom's recipe box. I dig through that like crazy when I get a chance. Recipes cut out from newspapers are the best! Or handwritten ones past down from my grandma. I definitely have those nostalgic dishes that remind me so much of my childhood. A few I could live without. For instance, the frito pie...you know, with fritos and topped with chili? We had that so much in my childhood it has left a bad taste in my mouth. And the best that I still give my mom crap for is white rice with sugar for breakfast. LOL I have no words! As a mom I still don't understand this :)

I thought it would be fun to make a recipe box that I can hand down to one of my kids with all of our most loved recipes. I did think about building one, but then I found this at Michaels for like $3 and thought that saved time and money and effort :) I'm all for that!

So, instead, I just decorated it a little bit to give it a vintage or farmhouse look.Here's what I did to achieve this look.
Step 1: Stain the outside with a walnut stain.

 Step 2: Paint the inside a vintage yellow.

 Step 3: Get petroleum jelly and rub it on the corners, edges, and slightly in the middle and top.

 Step 4: Paint the outside white.

 Step 5: Once the white paint is dried, take sandpaper and rub where you would like to see it distressed a little, remembering where the petroleum jelly is.

 Step 6: Add some vintage touches. I chose to use a label holder I found from Hobby Lobby. I just hot glued this on there.

 I also added a handle to the top to make it easier to open. You can glue this on if you don't have a huge heavy one, or screw it on with small screws.

 I found some super cute recipe boxes online, but making something that fits your style is even better :) This goes with my decor perfectly! I know it's all distressed now, I can only image what it will look like 20 years from now. Hopefully it survives that long! That's my plan!

 Here's a look at it opened. I love how that yellow pops! I got these recipe cards from Hobby Lobby also. I had plans to design my own, which I still might, but time got in the way of it :) Also, an FYI on the handle you choose, make sure it's not too top heavy or it might just flip the box over when it's opened :)

Any favorite recipes that remind you of your childhood? Bet you can't beat the rice and sugar :) Seriously though, it's super yummy! Ha!

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