Remember making shoe box dioramas in school when you were a kid? I thought it would be fun to make a grown-up version with my stash and a shadow box.

A shadow box is like a 3-dimensional scrapbook layout to commemorate your favorite vacation, party or picnic. It’s easy to make and it looks super cute standing on the coffee table or bookshelf, or even hanging on the wall. Any paper maché box with a lid can become a shadow box in just a couple minutes with the help of your trusty craft knife.

Supplies:

Paper maché box with lid
Clear acetate sheet
Scrapbook papers or cardstock
Glue stick or craft glue
Paper trimmer
Craft paints, white gesso
Paintbrushes, baby wipe
Craft knife, cutting mat, ruler
Photos, ephemera, embellishments, stickers, trims

1.  Measure a square inside the lid that leaves about 3/4″ around the edges. Cut the square out of the lid.

2.  Paint the inside and outside of the shadow box and lid with white gesso; let dry. A coat of white gesso on top of the kraft surface will help your paint colors look brighter.

3.  Paint the outside with a desired color, let dry, then use a nearly-dry baby wipe to rub traces of a second color on top to create a little extra texture.

4.  Trim and glue scrapbook paper or cardstock to line the inside of the box. Position directional patterns to look good when the shadow box is standing up. For a vacation shadow box, consider using a map or brochure from your destination to line the inside.

5.  Trim a square of acetate to 1″ larger than the window and glue inside the lid.

6.  Decorate the inside walls with ephemera and themed embellishments as desired to create a background for your diorama. Fussy cut your photos, then glue a 1-2″ tab of cardstock on the bottom. Fold the tab back and glue inside the box so the photos are freestanding in the foreground.

7.  Embellish the outside of the shadow box and lid as desired with stickers or trims.

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