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Handmade
Keepsake Box

It's
really pretty easy to
create a gorgeous wooden handmade keepsake
box for
baby.
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A
handmade
keepsake box is one of my favorite homemade baby gift ideas.
It can be used to save a first curl, baby's first shoes,
or
other keepsakes and mementos.
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Handmade Keepsake Box for Baby
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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.
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Handmade Keepsake Box
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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.
Fill with something adorable!
I also made some cute free baby poems to print on cardstock that can be glued inside, or given as a tag with your homemade baby memory box.
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I'd love to hear from you! Just contact me to send photos,
ask questions, or make suggestions.
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