DIY: Wooden Keepsake Box

For Tyler's birthday, I was really unsure of what to get him and since I am low on funds, making something was my best option! I decided to make him a wooden keepsake box that was decorated for traveling since we plan on traveling together in the future or even for his own travels and he can put souvenirs in their as well. I'm really happy with how the entire box turned out and now my mom even wants one! If you're interested in making one for yourself or for someone as gift, it is super easy.

Supplies:

• wooden box (can be purchased from Michaels, AC Moore, or your local craft store - you can pick from various boxes and sizes)
• acrylic paint
• paintbrushes
• Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer

After you have all of these supplies, it is best to plan out what you want on your box and to even sketch it out beforehand. What I did was draw certain pictures on the sides first and painted those in before painting the entire box a specific color. This helped because it was much easier to paint in details and the colors stood out a lot more besides painting over a darker color. My suggestion is to outline all of your pictures after the paint has dried, it really makes your designs stand out more if you have a solid colored background. Once you've finished the outside of your box, you can paint the inside if you'd like or line it with felt or a patterned sheet of paper on the bottom to make the box look more finished. Once all of this is finished, I used a Mod Podge spray that was an acrylic sealer which would help the box last longer and help the colors stay. And then voila! Your box is finished and ready to be used (:

Front: never stop exploring

Back: compass & camera

Inside: painted maroon and the bottom lined with a patterned sheet of paper