I made my first shadow box craft and wanted to share the steps I took.
I had an unfinished wooden shadow box that sat in storage for years. I finally decided to turn it into a floral shadow box with a sweet message inside it. I figured I'd share the six steps I took to create my first floral shadow box.
Step 1: Supplies and Prep
Below are the items I used to craft my first shadow box:
Sandpaper
Pencil
Decoupage glue
Paintbrushes
Scissors and/or paper trimmer
Acrylic/tempera paints
Artificial flowers/plants
Wire cutter or shears
Hot glue gun
Ruler
Foam tape
Double-sided permanent tear tape
*While I used these specific paper packs, you can substitute them with any paper pack you have at home. You can also print designs, cut out designs from magazines/books, or draw/paint your own designs for your own shadow box.
I just happened to have a $1USD rectangular shaped shadow box to work with. Any shaped shadow box would work with this craft project.
I sanded all sides of the wooden shadow box until the surface was smooth to the touch. I intend to give this as a gift to a niece and didn't want to also give her splinters.
Step 2: Paper Background Design
While I could've painted the inside of the shadow box, I opted to use a sheet from my Country Road paper pad. I liked the faux wood panel designs as a backdrop to the other elements I added later.
I used a pencil to mark where I needed to cut the sheet with scissors to fit inside the shadow box. I also could've used my paper trimmer but didn't think about it during this step. I accidentally cut my sheet a little too small, but I didn't worry about it since I was going to glue fake flowers over the bare spot.
I used a paintbrush to brush Mod Podge, a decoupage glue, inside the shadow box. I have a few cheap paintbrushes I only use with Mod Podge. Glue thickens the paintbrush bristles which aren't ideal for acrylic, gouache, or watercolor painting afterwards.
School glue, double-sided tape, or other adhesives would also work well. I chose to use Mod Podge as an adhesive in this step because I also used it as a clear sealant later.
Be careful not to use too much glue like I did in the video. Excessive amount of glue would result in wrinkles and air bubbles that'll be challenging to smooth out. You could smooth out most defects with your fingers, the end of a ruler, or a scraper type tool.
Once I had the sheet of paper in place inside the shadow box, I brushed on Mod Podge as a clear, glossy sealant to protect the sheet.
I then left it alone for over an hour to dry before moving on with the next step.
Step 3: Painting the Box Frame
I used a mix of acrylic and tempera paints to color the frame of the shadow box. The tempera paint was thin and transparent. If you use tempera paint and want an opaque look, you'll need to either apply several layers of the tempera paint color or mix it with a little bit of acrylic paint to increase its opacity.
I let the paint dry for a couple hours before moving onto the next step. If you're impatient or short on crafting time, you could use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
If you want to apply a clear sealant over the painted frame, I recommend doing so at the end of this step. It'll be easier to get a good coverage before adding anything inside the shadow box. I used Mod Podge to protect the paint and give it a glossy sheen, but a varnish or other sealant would work as well.
Step 4: Gluing Fake Flowers and Leaves
I gathered some artificial flowers I've had displayed throughout my house for years. I thought about making origami flowers by hand or with my Cricut machine, but I was too lazy to do so on this day. I decided to use three different types of fake flowers that somewhat matched the painted colors of the shadow box frame.
My regular scissors won't cut through the metal wire of the artificial plant. I could've used wire cutters to cut through, but I happened to have garden shears nearby. I cut some flowers and leaves from the wire stems since I only needed a few for the shadow box.
While I waited for my hot glue gun to heat up, I played around with the arrangement of the fake flowers and leaves in the shadow box. I decided having a few pieces hanging over the shadow box framed gave the illusion of overgrowth. I made sure to leave some space for a small design towards the right side of the flower pieces.
I hot glued the ends of the cut flower pieces inside the shadow box. I probably used more hot glue than needed, but I wanted to make sure the flower pieces don't fall off without force.
Although I chose to use my hot glue gun to adhere the flower pieces, I also could've used another strong, quick set glue like super glue, E-6000, or a 2-part epoxy.
Because the hot glue was quick setting, I was immediately ready to move on to the next step.
Step 5: Inspirational Paper Message
I used a ruler to measure the empty space inside the shadow box. I knew I wanted to add a small design with an inspirational message to this craft project.
I browsed the small designs in my Deep Blossoms Hot Buy paper pad. The paper pad includes designs of different shapes and sizes that could work with this shadow box craft project.
I decided to cut out and use one that included the text, "You are Lovely." However, I also noticed a larger design that included the text, "Love Grows Here." I thought this design could work on the back of the shadow box, even though nobody would ever see it there.
The smaller text design by itself didn't seem to contrast well against the wood panel background. I pulled a sheet of hot pink paper from my Watercolor Rainbow paper pad to a bright pop of color that would draw the eye to it.
I cut the hot pink sheet slightly larger than the text design I picked out earlier. I didn't measure the cut I made. I just "eyed" it and cut it in a way that looked good enough for me.
I adhered the small text design to the hot pink sheet of paper with foam tape to add some depth.
I then adhered the hot pink sheet of paper inside the shadow box with a double layer of foam tape. I gently placed some of the flower pieces over the small design.
If you wanted, you could consider this the last step of the shadow box craft. However, I'm weird and decided to decorate the back of the box for grins.
Step 6: Decorating the Back of the Box
To my surprise, the larger text design was nearly the perfect size for the back of the shadow box.
I used my finger to feel where the edges of the rope and the sawtooth picture hanger. I used a pencil to mark where I needed to make cuts with my scissors.
I didn't worry about perfection since nobody would normally see the back of a shadow box.
After I verified the cuts that I made were good enough to fit on the back of the shadow box, I used double-sided permanent tear tape to adhere it to the box. Yes, I could've used Mod Podge to adhere the text design, but I was done with the mess of dealing with glue at this point.
My Thoughts
My first floral shadow box craft project turned out well! I enjoyed it so much, I went ahead and made a second one. Unfortunately, I didn't document that process, but I took the same steps I listed in this blog post.
What's Next?
I think I'm going to get more unfinished wooden shadow boxes at $1USD each to make craft gifts for more nieces and nephews. If I do something other than a floral theme, I'll be sure to share those themes with you!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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