Technicolor Dreams: Potato Safe??

So this is what I worked on this weekend with my husband!

I have always wanted one of these. Every time I go to a craft fair I look at the handmade unfinished ones but they are just so expensive. So...I happened to find one of 'these' at our local thrift store. Now...I don't know exactly what you call it. Its a thing to put potatoes and stuff in. Well...at least I think...well, that's what I'm doing with it. So anyway.....at my husbands Grandfathers house, they have this hunch like thing with tin doors and my mother in law said they call it a Pie Safe (a place to put your baked good to cool off without have any flies or critters able to get at it). So...I am going to call this my Potato Safe...(haha...silly name I know). So...if anyone knows what its really called, let me know!

First of all, I forgot to take a before photo. But just imagine....it was a medium brown...dirty....with dirty black hinges. No knob...just a hole from one. There was a dirty warped screen in the door with a couple wooden pieces hot glued to it. A couple hearts and a couple ducks, ya know...the ones that used to be all the rage in your kitchen!

My mother in law helped me paint it. At first I wanted to spray paint it....but it wasn't covering so well (I was trying to use what I had on hand), and I was going to paint it white. But I noticed there were SO many imperfections....I decided to go with black acrylic paint which covered MUCH better. Then I sanded the edges to give the country distressed look.

Then I went shopping with my husband to get a knob and originally I wanted to put a piece of chicken wire in the door, but couldnt find any. So....We bought a roll of Aluminum Flashing and some Tin Snips. So my husband helped me with that part. I found a design online to punch in the tin....(which makes your wrist very sore, btw).

I think it turned out GREAT! I know it isnt perfect, but I like it and it serves the purpose that I wanted it for. The 'thing' cost me $8 at the thrift store and all I bought was the knob, flashing & tin snips. Not bad!