Mini Shadow Box

My brother just got married and the theme of their wedding was what inspired this little craft. You can do whatever theme you want, though.

They had a "Tiffany's" themed wedding from the iconic blue to diamonds on the table. They even had their flowers in Tiffany's boxes as the centerpieces.  My son was the ring bearer and he carried a little Tiffany's box when he walked down the aisle (he actually RAN down the aisle, but it was cute anyway :0)) That is the box I used to make this project.  It is a quick craft too; I completed it while my son took his afternoon nap.

Gather your supplies:

You'll need glue and/or Mod Podge (my love affair with M.P. continues), hot glue and whatever you are going to put in your shadow box. I used the Tiffany's box, the fake diamonds from the table and the wedding invitation.

It is easiest to do one side of the box at a time then put the two halves together. I started out by cutting out the numbers for the date they got married to put  on the front edge of the box. I put a light layer of M.P. on the box then put the numbers on top, so they stick. Then I brushed on another layer of M.P. over the numbers. The M.P. goes on white, but don't worry, it will dry clear. I did the same thing in the inside of the lid, except with the letters "J & C."

I wanted the inside of the box to have the same pattern as the invitation, so I used the fluff piece inside the box to measure my paper piece. If you are using a box that doesn't have the fluff piece, you can just measure the inside of the box with a ruler and cut the paper out.

Then, spread hot glue on the fluff piece. I opted to keep mine in the box because I liked the lift it gave, but you can not use it if you want. Put the paper you cut out on top of that.

I printed out a picture of the bride and groom and lined it up on the wedding invitation. I glued it down and cut it out. This made it stable, like cardstock. I also M.P.'d over the image to make it even sturdier.

The picture was lined up so you could see their names from the invite on the back.

Then I lined up the photo on the paper that is attached to the fluff piece that goes in the bottom of the box. I used an exacto knife to cut a small slit the length of the photo.

Now you can add hot glue to the bottom of the box and put in the fluff piece. Put the photo into the slit you just created. I added a small line of hot glue just behind the photo too, to help keep it upright. Then I put the hot glue randomly in the space left and placed the diamonds all around. I suggest dry fitting anything like before gluing, just to make sure you are happy with the layout.

Now you can work on the top lid of the box. Find the center and poke a hole with your scissors. I started the whole with my scissors, but finished it off with the screwdriver so the whole was nice and round. Another option would be to see if you have an electric drill with a drill bit the size you want and carefully drill a hole. I was going to have my husband do this, but he was working and had the drill with him.

Thread your ribbon through the hole you just made. (Yes you will see that I already attached the two halves. Do as I do and not as I say. I promise it will make your life much easier :0)

I had set aside two little diamonds and used them to adorn the top of the box. just hot glue those down. It is at this point that you should be safe to attach the two halves of your box.

My finished product:

Now they can hang it up (Christmas tree, perhaps) or it can just be on display on a table or dresser. And using the elements from their wedding, they can enjoy the nostalgic factor as well.

I hope they like it and I hope you do too.

Can't wait to see your shadow boxes.

Happy Crafting!