• Purchased 8-1/2 inch x 5-1/2 inch x 8-3/4 inch wooden recipe box
• Wood sealer
• Fruitwood wood stain
• Satin-finish varnish
• Brushes: 3/4 inch synthetic flat, #12 synthetic flat, #8 synthetic flat, #1 synthetic liner, spatter or old toothbrushDelta Ceramcoat Colors
• Black 2506
• AN Antique Gold 2002
• AU Dark Burnt Umber 2527
• BD Bright Red 2503
• BG Black Green 2116
• CB Candy Bar 2407
• CH Charcoal 2436
• EY English Yew 2095
• OG Soft Grey 2515
• OP Old Parchment 2092
• QG Quaker Gray 2057
• SP Silver Pine 2534
• ST Spice Tan 2063
• TS Tomato Spice 2098
• White 2505

1. Download the free pattern for this project. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.

Bass pattern

Fishing Lures pattern

Download Adobe Acrobat

Prepare the box

2. Sand all surfaces with 100- and then 150-grit sandpaper. Remove the sanding dust with a tack cloth. Apply wood sealer to all surfaces, and let the sealer dry. Sand again with 150-grit sandpaper and wipe clean.

Paint the pieces

3. Base-coat, shade, and highlight the design areas with #12 and #8 flat brushes, using the size that best fits the area. Paint details with a #1 liner brush.

4. Stain all surfaces of the box and the drawers with fruitwood wood stain. Let the stain dry. Dilute AU with water to ink consistency. Dip a spatter brush or an old toothbrush into the paint, and spatter the outside surfaces of the box and the drawers. Let the paint dry.

5. Transfer the oval pattern to the top of the box. Using a 3/4 inch flat brush and BG, paint the top of the box around the oval, and the box's front and bottom edges. Transfer the fish and lure patterns.

6. Base-coat the body and the tail fin EY. Paint over the fins on the body, but do not paint the other fins or inside the mouth. Base-coat the inside of the mouth QG. Dilute BG with water to ink consistency and, using a #1 liner brush, paint the spotted design along the back and on the side of the fish. Float BG shading across the top and QG highlights along the bottom of the fish and on the end of the tail fin. Float CH shading inside the mouth along the right side.

7. Base-coat the fins SP and paint the eye AN. Dilute EY with water to ink consistency, and paint the detail lines on the fins. Using black thinned to ink consistency, outline the eye and paint the pupil. Dilute SP to ink consistency, and paint a wide line around the mouth. In the same manner, paint a BG line next to the SP line, and paint the detail lines on the tail fin. Float BG shading on and around all the SP fins, except the one on to.

8. Base-coat the front section BD and the back section OG. Referring to the photograph, use a liner brush to paint a QG line along the entire length of the bottom of the lure, extending slightly beyond the back and more beyond the front. Dilute Black with water to ink consistency, and paint a narrower line under the QG line.

9. Using the thinned Black and the tip of the liner brush, apply the dots on the top of the lure. Let the dots dry. Float CH shading along the top of the lure. Float back-to-back white highlights in the center of the lure by first floating white in the center of the lure. Quickly flip the brush over and float again, placing the white side of the brush next to the edge of the floated white. The strongest color will be in the center, and it will fade away on both sides.

Hooks, propellers, and screw eyes

10. Base-coat QG. On the front propellers by the red and yellow lure, float CH shading on the back left side of the top propeller, and at the base of the other propeller. Dilute CH with water to ink consistency, and paint a line in the curves of the hooks and the screw eyes, and on the underneath side of the shank of the hooks.

11. Using paint thinned to ink consistency, highlight with OG just above the shading in the curves of the hooks and the screw eyes and along the shank. Still using OG, paint a line on the upper right side of the top propeller, and float a highlight on the lower right side of the bottom propeller.

Finish the box

12. Dilute Black to ink consistency, and paint a thin line along the back edges of the back propellers.