Use a unique printer’s tray-style wooden box to create a simple keepsake shadow box celebrating a new baby! This photo shadow box DIY project takes less than an hour to make, and the results are so precious you will want to make one for every member of the family. Dig into your scrapbooking stash for pretty paper to use, and show off some of your favorite family photos while you’re at it.
Baby Photo Shadow Box DIY Tutorial Supplies:
- Darice Wooden Memory Box.
- Family Photos.
- Coordinating Scrapbooking Paper (I used DCWV’s The Little Mister Stack).
- Dimensional Baby-Themed Stickers.
- Darice Alphabet Stickers.
- Darice Mini Clothespins.
- Ribbon or Twine.
- Clear Gel Tacky Glue.
- Darice Hot Glue Gun.
- Tabletop Paper Trimmer.
- Craft Scissors.
Step 1. To begin this shadow box DIY tutorial, measure the openings in your shadowbox and cut paper to fit inside each opening. I cut mine a tiny bit smaller than each opening so it would slip into the box easily.
A tabletop paper trimmer makes this part of the project quick and painless! You can also cut each square by hand but it will take a lot longer and the results may not be as precise.
Step 2. Select your photos and trim them to fit inside some of the pre-cut paper backgrounds.
Step 3. Lay the paper backgrounds out on your work space in front of you so you can plan how you want to lay them out in the shadowbox. Try to decide where every component will go before you glue or stick anything onto the paper backgrounds.
Step 4. Once you are confident of your layout, glue photos onto paper backgrounds with ClearGel Tacky Glue. Add the baby’s name to the focal photo with the wood grain alphabet stickers.
Tip: To center the name, figure out which letter is in the middle of the name and start by sticking that letter to the middle of the photo first. Then, work your way outward to keep the name centered.
Step 5. Add dimensional baby stickers to the remaining paper backgrounds. You can also include small trinkets or hospital keepsakes to the shadowbox at this time.
Step 6. Once your layout is exactly how you want it, glue each paper backdrop into its space in the memory box using ClearGel Tacky Glue. I left one large opening in the memory box blank so I could hang something in the foreground of the box.
Step 7. Hot glue the mini clothespins to the front frame of the remaining shadowbox opening. Use the clothespins to clip a ribbon across the opening, then hang another photo or embellishment from the ribbon with the clothespins.
Once you finish your shadow box DIY tutorial, you will be ready to make a few more! They are fun and satisfying, and will be treasured keepsakes for years to come.
You can make personalized shadow boxes for any occasion, not just new babies! Make a shadow box for a wedding gift, a graduation, holiday decorations, vacations, milestone anniversaries, or just about any other thing you can think of. Coordinating scrapbooking paper and dimensional stickers makes this photo shadow box DIY project so easy and fun! If you’re short on photos to display in your shadow box and want to focus more on decor items, check out this idea for a DIY nautical decor shadow box.
About Heather
Heather Mann is the mother of four boys and designs and shares clever crafts with a frugal twist at her site Dollar Store Crafts. She's also fascinated by the unsuccessful (yet humorous) side of crafting, and explores it at her site CraftFail, and in her new book, CraftFail: When Handmade Goes Horribly Wrong.
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