Valentine Heart Trinket Box

Please tell me I’m not the only complete sucker for end cap cuteness.  I should wear a t-shirt or a sign or something.  I walk into the craft store and drool over the supplies on the end caps.  Usually, there is no completed project to spark an idea for what I might do with the supplies, but they pair the glitter and the paper mache boxes and the pretty cardstock all under a big sign that says Valentine’s Day is COMING and I throw it all in my cart because I can’t resist and God forbid I don’t make something fabulous for Valentine’s Day.  I mean, I know that’s why they put it there and I know I shouldn’t buy stuff for which I don’t already have a crafty plan, but….I can’t help myself.  So, a couple weeks ago, it was the heart boxes that ended up in my cart with no intended purpose.   I was trying to figure out how what to do with them and it occurred to me that I could mod podge a picture onto the top of the box, just as well as paper.  So that’s what I’ve done.  In the name of furthering Olivia’s bedroom makeover, we have a photo-topped, heart-shaped trinket box.  And it’s perfect for stashing little things on her nightstand.

Supplies:

heart-shaped paper mache boxes (or any shape/size – these come in all kinds of shapes and are really inexpensive)
Matte Mod Podge
foam brush
cardstock
photo sized to cover box lid
glitter
pipe cleaners
hot glue/hot glue gun

1. Determine the placement of the picture on the lid of the box. A square or rectangular box is pretty simple, just trim down the sides. For the heart box, I held the photograph in front of the lid in front of a window and moved it around until I had the photo placed where I wanted it.

2. Trace around the lid onto the back of the picture and cut out. Cut to the inside of the traced lines so that the photo is just slightly smaller than the top of the lid.

3. Coat the entire box with a coat of Mod Podge and let dry. Use a foam brush to add another layer of Mod Podge to the back of the picture and the top of the box lid. Press the photo onto the lid and smooth out any air bubbles. Allow to dry completely.

4. Meanwhile, trim strips of cardstock to fit the sides of the box. Apply Mod Podge to the sides of the box and the back of the cardstock strips and glue in place on the box. Allow to dry completely.

5. When everything is dry, use a foam brush to coat the entire box (over the picture and the cardstock) with another coat of Matte Mod Podge. Allow to dry.

6. Use a hot glue gun to glue pipe cleaners around the edge of the lid. You could alternately add glitter or some paint around the edge.

7. You could also apply paper to the inside of the box in the same way. I poured a good amount of Mod Podge inside the box and spread it all over with a foam brush. Then, I dumped a whole container of glitter inside and tipped the box around so that the glitter adhered to the entire inside. After it dries, you can coat the glitter with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it in if you want.

Move that pretty box into its new decorating space. I’m still shuffling things around and adding some new things to the decor in the bedroom.

This heart trinket box was so inexpensive to make, it can stay for as long as my daughter likes it and I won’t feel bad when it’s time to shift things around again! The cork horse that she made in school last year will need to stay for a good long time, though. It’s the cutest, right? Whose clever idea was that thing?