You can leave the wood of your tack trunk natural and apply a coat of clear acrylic glaze followed by furniture wax to obtain a natural finish for an unpainted trunk. If you prefer you can paint your tack trunk in your stable colors and add cut outs or decals to decorate the trunk.
If you are making a trunk as a hope or blanket chest, you can stain or paint the wood. Many of these original chests (including the one I based my design on) were painted with a very durable milk based paint, or finished with a vinegar paint decorative finish. Many painted wooden chests were also decorated with stencils, and there are some small brass stencils in craft stores which can be used on miniature trunks. This basic lidded box can be made in many sizes and finishes for a range of small scale scenes.
