Do It Yourself: Shadowbox Jewelry Display

Hello Darlings!

I am a huge fan of DIY projects. I’ve loved working with my hands ever since I toddled around watching my father working on our house and my grandfather crafting wooden toys. So, when I saw these display cases I knew I had to figure out a way to create my own version, thus my shadow box jewelry displays came to life.

What you will need:

 Please note: I made two at once so what is shown here is double what you will need if only making one.

• ·      A Shadowbox- I got mine from Michaels using a 40% off coupon that you can get almost weekly on their Smartphone app!
• ·      Paint: I love the consistency of Benjamin Moore paint and they have a great color selection
• ·      Corkboard- Michaels has corkboard that fits perfectly in their shadowboxes!
• ·      Craft/Scrapbook Paper: I used Bazzill brand paper- their paper has great textures
• ·      Wood Glue- I always use Gorilla brand.
• ·      A Paintbrush
• ·      Painter’s Tape
• ·      A Sponge Applicator (optional)
• ·      Regular Glue
• ·      Newspaper
• ·      Not pictured: Pins, Scissors, A Razorblade (optional)

Step One: Paint!

First, line your workplace with newspaper or a drop cloth to prevent stains; I am a messy creator. No matter what project I am working something will get everywhere- paint, sawdust, powdered sugar- anything.

Next carefully apply painters tape to the glass of the shadowbox. This makes the painting process much easier and the cleanup of the glass after the paint has dried much faster. Then PAINT! Make sure to get the inner lip of the shadowbox to keep the color uniform. TIP: If you have a hinged shadowbox like mine place something small like toothpicks between the door and the actual box so you don’t accidentally paint the box shut.

If you like the color and paint coverage on your box you can stop here; I added a second paint coat to amp up the saturation. Let dry completely.

Step Two: The Corkboard!

Adding cork in the shadowbox allows for you to rearrange the pins that will hold your jewelry to suit each collection of jewelry you display. To jazz up the look of plain cork I added craft paper. First you need to cut the paper out to the exact same size as your board. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is arrange the paper underneath the corkboard, trace with a pencil and cut it out. 

Once this is finished, spread a thin layer of glue on the cork and place the paper on top. This is where the sponge applicator comes in handy. Depending on the thickness of the paper you chose too much glue will wrinkle the paper, the thinner and more even the layer of glue is the better the paper will look after. While the glue dries, flip the paper/cork combo onto a clean surface and place a weight on it, this will also help the paper to dry flat. 

Step Three: Combine the Two Parts!

 Once both the paint and the glue are completely dry you can join the shadowbox and the paper/cork combo. To do this paint a layer of wood glue inside the recess of the shadowbox, making sure to get paint along all the edges of the bottom board. Place the corkboard on top of the glue and add a weight on top. Wait for this to dry completely. If you had any paint seepage or accidental splotches you can use the flat edge of a razor blade to carefully scrape them off.

Now all you have to do is stick in some pins, arrange your jewelry and enjoy!

Tinkerbelle wanted to help!

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