Ok, so I was real excited about the pictures that I'd framed for Miss Priss's room the other day and was all prepared to hang them up and move on when I came across this birthday card at Target the other day...
Aren't they cute? Paper dolls! I LOVE paper dolls and this card was so sweet, it gave me a great idea for original artwork.
TA DA! Shadow Boxes!
Here's the Breakdown...
I bought the shadow boxes at Hobby Lobby (of course). They were $3.99 a piece, but marked down 40%...
They were unfinished wood, so I had to paint them. TIP: With unfinished wood, it's a good idea to sand it down with 220-grit sandpaper before you paint. Otherwise, the wood might rise with the paint and make it scratchy.
And don't forget..."Take the time to prime!" Memorize it...Know it...Live it. Seriously, though, it really does give you a more professional outcome.
To save money, I used the leftover paint from Miss Priss's furniture. The color is Cream Delight.
I thought it would be cute to use a coordinating paper behind each of the dolls to give each one an individual look and make it just a little more interesting to look at. It's scrapbook paper and I got it at Hobby Lobby. (Dude, seriously...someone over there should be sending me a check. I'm just sayin...)
Now with any shadow box, the key is the shadow. I used a foam board. I went with 10mm which is the thickest size because this particular shadow box was kind of deep. I cut it lengthwise, long enough where it would give a strong foundation to the doll. Widthwise, I cut it thin enough where you wouldn't be able to see it from the side.
I attached it to the back of the doll with double-sided mounting tape. I used mounting tape because I wanted the bond to be stronger than probably regular Scotch tape could provide.
After that, I put the lids on each box and called it a day. This was a fun project and I love the idea that Miss Priss now has totally original artwork for her room that's cute and girly, but says nothing about her being a "diva," "princess," or "drama queen." Because she's none of those things...at least not every day.
What am I going to do with the other pictures? They are going to go live at BlueMomma's house. She just had a beautiful little girl and the colors will go better with her new nursery than in Miss Priss's room anyway...so it's a win-win!
Lessons Learned:
I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you this, but the shadow boxes come with the hanging hardware already attached. When you go to glue the doll inside the box, make sure you check the back first so you don't accidentally glue the doll upside down. I did it on, not one box, but two before I realized what I'd done.
Take the time to tape off the frame with painter's tape to protect the glass. I didn't and it was a real chore to get all the paint to come off when the project was done.
Supply Breakdown:
4 Shadow Boxes - $9.40
4 Pieces of Scrapbook Paper - $1.16
Spray Adhesive
Paint & Primer
Double-sided Mounting Tape - $4.99
10mm foamboard - 4.99
Birthday Card - 4.99
Total Cost: Approximately $26.00
Timeframe to Complete: Approximately 4 hours.
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 3.
1 comments:
love, love, LOVE them!!
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