Handmade Keepsake Box

It's really pretty easy to create a gorgeous wooden handmade keepsake box for baby.	A handmade keepsake box is one of my favorite homemade baby gift ideas. It's the perfect gift box for homemade baby blocks, and later, it can be used to save a first curl, baby's first shoes, or other keepsakes and mementos. A keepsake box also makes the perfect gift box to hold another of your homemade baby gift ideas, like these beautiful handcrafted baby blocks or even a couple of cute homemade baby shower gift pacifier clips. See inspiring photos of a handmade keepsake box in the handmade baby gifts gallery.
Handmade Keepsake Box for Baby
Here's what you'll need: A pre-made wooden box, available at craft and hobby stores. The simple boxes without latches or handles are the easiest to work with. Items to decorate your box. I used a cute coordinating sticker and some velvet ribbon for the box you see here. Colored paper to cover your box. I used coordinating scrapbook paper. an x-acto knife sandpaper decoupage glue. I use modge podge. optional: coordinating paper for the inside of your box.

Handmade Keepsake Box
	For this tutorial, I will show you how I created the handmade keepake box that I used as a container for an adorable baby sock roses bouquet. You can follow these directions to cover any shape box or container.
	Gather your supplies. A good craft or hobby store should carry a selection of wood and paper mache containers to choose from. If you like a very distressed finish, use a coordinating or contrasting color to basecoat your project. If you are not going to distress your finished box, then you needn't basecoat.
	Trace each side and panel of your box onto the back of your decorative paper. If your paper design has a right side up to the pattern, be sure to mark this on the back and keep your box pointing the right way when you are tracing.
	Paint your box with an undercoating as desired. I wanted to match the distressed white of the paper I chose, and have a bit of the edges peeking out, so I painted mine white. Cut out your paper panels. It's better to cut just a hair too big than a hair too small. You can always sand or trim off the extra.
	Cover one side at a time with your decoupage glue. Carefully position your paper over the glue. Repeat with remaining sides, until your whole box is covered. Gently smooth out any bubbles in the paper. Allow to dry thoroughly.
	Trim off any edges that overhang. You may scuff the edges with some sandpaper to give the box a softer, worn look. If you'd prefer a wipe-down shiny finish, you may overpaint the entire box with another coat of decoupage glue. If you are lining your box with a coordinating paper, you would work essentially the same way. It's a little tricker to get the correct fit, but you can always trim it with you x-acto blade once it's in place.
	Add the finishing touches to your handmade keepsake box with stickers, bows, ribbon, stamps, or trim. I prefer quick grip brand glue in the green tube, or a thin bead of hot glue to hold ribbon in place.
	Complete your handmade keepsake box by filling it with the perfect homemade baby gift ideas, such as an adorable baby sock roses bouquet, or make some of these precious homemade baby blocks.

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Handmade Keepsake Box

Handmade Keepsake Box for Baby

Handmade Keepsake Box