RePurposed Cigar Boxes

I’ve always had a drive to rescue old or forgotten things and repurpose them, and cigar boxes give me the perfect opportunity to do that. I see them as small works of art, so I choose only the most decorative and unblemished boxes and work hard to give them new lives.  This involves sanding all the wood surfaces until smooth, using paint, stains, wax, paper, embellishments and application of an acrylic sealant for extra protection.

Cigar box box labels are very colorful and vibrant; a result of efforts in the 1800’s by cigar makers to use colorful labels designed to catch the customer’s eye and make their cigars stand out from rival cigar companies, so I carefully preserve and use them in the restoration  process.  Box sides and lids are left open so that the beautiful wood graining can be seen.    Because they are upcycled,  minor imperfections can be expected;  they only serve to add to the overall charm of the boxes.