I love to craft but recently haven’t had the time nor inspiration to start something new. But things changed when I was asked if we had any vintage cigar boxes for an upcoming event. We do have several but thought a few more might be needed. So when we saw a display of new boxes at a  local thrift store, we imagined they could be made to look vintage – didn’t quite know how – but heck, we picked up six. (Of course, now we wish we had bought the whole bunch!)

When the days got shorter and the nights longer, the crafting gene was activated. With a bottle of decoupage product in the craft cabinet, all I needed were images. It didn’t take long to find them – authentic public domain labels in full color. From beautiful ladies to trolley cars and air balloons, these vintage cigar box labels from the early 20th century are amazing!

I printed two of each – for the outside and inside lid – and steadily worked on these every night. This was my first decoupage project so I had a lot to learn. Some of the sides are painted and some are decoupaged. A few have parts of the original labels; others are totally masked.

The two final steps were to add felt feet to keep the bottom dry and a ribbon hinge so the lid could stay upright. Although none of them are perfect, they sure look pretty!

Of course, these aren’t vintage cigar boxes, but they remind us of those times long ago. They are now on our shelves ready to add a little pizzazz to your event!

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