Look for Less: DIY Inspired by Mackenzie Childs

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself falling in love with a high-end home decor piece… only to do a double take at the price tag. That was me when I spotted the iconic MacKenzie-Childs tissue box cover—charming, bold, and beautiful, but ouch on the wallet! So, I did what any DIY-loving, budget-conscious girl would do: I rolled up my sleeves and recreated a Mackenzie Childs look-alike myself.

In today’s blog post, I’m walking you through a fun and surprisingly easy DIY project where we take a basic tissue box cover and turn it into a dupe of the Mackenzie Childs checkered design. It’s whimsical, hand-painted, and full of personality—just like the original, but for a fraction of the cost.

Let’s dive into this “Look for Less” project and bring a little designer magic into your home without breaking the bank.

Items Needed: 

• Thrifted Tissue Box
• White Spray Paint (optional)
• Pencil
• Corkboard Ruler
• Dixie Belle Chalk Paint – Fluff*
• Flat Paintbrush
• Dixie Belle Chalk Paint – Yankee Blue*
• Paper Towel
• STAALMEESTER Artist Paintbrush* (optional)
• Dixie Belle Clear Coat – Gloss*
• Zibra Pam Pro 2″*

*Product can be purchased directly through my website [www.juliesdesignsandsigns.com]

I LOVE this Mackenzie Childs tissue box but $70 for a tissue box to go in my daughters room –absolutely not!

I scored this vintage tissue box holder for just 25 cents at a local thrift store. Since I knew I wanted it to have a white base, I took it outside sprayed the entire box with white spray paint.

Unfortunately, once I brought it inside, I wasn’t loving how the spray paint turned out—it looked a little see-through in some spots. So, I grabbed my Dixie Belle Chalk Paint in the color ‘Fluff’ and added a second coat. It gave me way better coverage and added just the right amount of texture!

Next, I used a pencil and a cork-backed ruler to carefully measure out the checkered pattern, making sure each box was evenly spaced and the same width.

If you take a look at an original MacKenzie-Childs box, you’ll notice that the squares often wrap right over the edges—so don’t stress if your measurements aren’t perfect. Letting the pattern flow over the sides actually adds to the charm and whimsical style!

If you’re able to find a tissue box with rounded edges, it’ll give you an even closer look to the brand-name version. The curved lines really help mimic that signature MacKenzie-Childs style.

This is my absolute favorite shade of blue—Dixie Belle’s Yankee Blue! It has that perfect vintage china vibe, and I find myself reaching for it all the time.

Using a paintbrush, I filled in each of the colored squares with smooth, left-to-right strokes to keep the finish consistent with the brand name box.

Then, I dried off my brush with a paper towel and went back over each square with the clean bristles to create a subtle brushstroke effect, giving it that hand-painted, artisanal look.

After finishing one side, I made sure the paint was completely dry before moving on to the next. If you want to speed things up, a heat gun works great for quick drying.

The next step is optional, but I chose to use a thin, pointed artist’s brush to clean up the edges of each square. This helped me outline them neatly and sharpen the checkered pattern.

To achieve the signature pottery look that MacKenzie-Childs pieces are known for, I used a Zibra brush to apply Dixie Belle Clear Coat in a glossy finish over the entire piece.

And that’s a wrap! This project took me about three hours from start to finish, but I really enjoyed focusing on the details—especially perfecting the lines around each square. Plus, it turned out exactly how I imagined!

I loved it so much that now I’m thinking I need to recreate the beige version to add to my living room décor!

This blog is all about a DIY Dupe Inspired by Mackenzie Childs Home Decor

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