Creating your own little works of art to share on your holiday table is easier than it looks- and here, I am showing you how. Follow along my photo tutorial and you'll be putting your own spin on these shadowbox napkin rings in no time.
Let me just give you a quick peek at the supplies you will need to gather. The main bones of this project are the 2" x 2" glass slides made by Ranger, the foam core, a 2" wood square and a sharp craft knife. Other stuff, such as the embellishments and trims that go inside the box and the paint colors can be stuff you already have. I highly recommend Aleenes Original Tacky Glue to construct the tiny boxes.
First, use a pencil and one of the glass slides to trace 2" squares on foam core. You will need one square per napkin ring. Notice how I traced my squares off the edges of the foam core so I don't have as many lines to cut.
Make a 1 1/2 square template from a sturdy piece of card stock or card board and use it to trace a square in the center of the 2" square. Don't worry too much about getting your center square 100% centered or making your traced lines look perfect. We have plans to mask all that!
This is how your squares will look when traced.
Now comes the cutting part- A few tips about cutting with a craft knife
- Make sure your knife has a fresh, sharp blade
- Place a foam core piece under the cutting surface to protect floors, carpets, etc or a self healing craft mat
- Make one pass with knife that only slightly indents your traced lines, this will give you a clear "track" when making your second and third passes that will cut completely through the foam core
You will be cutting on all traced lines to make a square with a center square. Once you get your square cut out, use a nail file or paper sander to sand away rough edges and to smooth.
So the three main components of the TOP of the ring are the glass slide that will hold everything in place, the foam core piece that will create some dimension so we can put small embellishments inside and a 2" wood piece that will provide backing.
Before going any further with constructing the top of the ring, paint your pieces in festive colors of choice. I used DecoArt's Americana Acrylics Alazarian Crimson for the wood ring and Antique Green for the foam piece and wood backing.
Once your pieces are dry, you can begin the fun part of the inside embellishments. I used tiny alphabet stamps to stamp a sentiment on a scrap of patterned paper.
Glue your wood backing piece to the foam core square and glue your embellishments in place.
I used a glittered star, some scraps of ribbon, a red jeweled embellishment and my stamped piece for my tiny collage. Use a little glue to hold them in place so they don't go rattling around when handled.
Once you have your embellishments placed inside, place some glue on the edges of the foam core glue the glass slide on front. Again, don't worry that the glue shows or that it isn't straight, etc.
Place self-adhesive flat backed gemstones on the corners of the little box. These not only give your project festive bling but mask the glue lines as well. These can be found in the scrapbooking section of your local scrap or craft store. Look for the ones that come in continuous lines.
Liven up the wood ring by placing this 1" self adhesive scrapbooking tape around the center of the ring. This one is by 7 gypsies. Finally, glue the shadowbox to the wood ring using the tacky glue. Place a generous amount of glue between the back of the box and the flat side of the ring and let it dry for 24 hours before using.
A set of these would make a beautiful hostess gift. They can personalized to your hearts content! We would love to see your take on these. Post your creations on the Crafts n Things Facebook Fan Page. Look for this project along with a coordinating placemat and vase, plus much more in the December issue of Crafts n Things Magazine.
Live Life Creatively,
Melony
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