| Jeweled Boxes |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-409 |
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Q: Can you give me instructions on how to make a jeweled box? A: (Debbie Stapley, Ask DIY Crafts expert) This is a fun project that allows you to use your creativity. It requires just a few materials and a little time and imagination. Start with a papier-mache box (or really any type of box with a lid), some tacky craft glue and a variety of tiny beads. (If you wish, you can paint the box first, which I prefer. In that case, you'll also need paint and a brush.) - Begin by painting the entire box (figure A) and letting it dry thoroughly. The reason I like to paint the surface is simple: it makes for a prettier surface, and if a bead falls off, or if the beads don't completely cover the box, it's not so noticeable. I also like to paint the box one color and the lid another, then reverse the colors on the lid (figure B).
- To apply the beads, just use your imagination! First "paint" a design on one side of the box with glue, carefully wiping off any that runs outside the borders of the design (figure C).
- Pour the beads you wish to use into a paper or plastic plate (anything that's large and flat enough to dip the box into).
- Now carefully and firmly dip the glued surface of the box into the beads.
- Check the box to be sure that enough beads have adhered to the surface. If you need to add any or to clean up the design, you be able to do it now, as the glue will remain workable for a while.
- Continue with each side of the box and the lid, then set it aside to dry completely.
There are also many other ways to use beads to decorate a box: - Glue large cabochon-type beads to the lid or the sides (figure D).
- Paint the entire box with glue (figure E), one side at a time, and cover the whole surface with a layer of seed beads. Note: If you do this, be aware that the lid won't go all the way down if you bead the area that fits underneath it. To solve this problem, before you apply the glue, put the lid on the box, then use a pencil or stylus to trace around the bottom edge of the lid. Then when you apply the glue, brush it only as far up as the line you've made (figure F).
- You can also decorate a small box with ribbed sides. Use a fine-point brush to apply glue to the channels and fill with tiny bugle beads (figure G).
These boxes make great containers for gifts -- in fact, the boxes themselves are wonderful gifts! Q: I made a special "time out" chair for my children that works great. Do you have any other crafty ideas that would help teach my children not to whine? A: I sure do! Buy a variety of bottles in different shapes and sizes and label each with a different name: Grouchy Powder, Whining Cure, etc. Then fill each with a different concoction: a cinnamon-and-sugar blend, some honey and lemon, whatever pleasant combination you can come up with. Then each time someone commits one of the offenses for which you have a "potion," give him or her a dab of the appropriate one on the tongue. It's guaranteed to replace that frown with a smile! Q: How can I display my children's books in a fun way so they will value them as much as their toys? A: Why not try grouping the books with toys of a similar type? For instance, group their stuffed bears with books about bears, toy trucks and trains with books about trucks and trains, etc. Q: I love the look of a swag over a front door. Are they difficult to make? A: Not if you use your imagination: Cut a piece of rope the size you want to make the swag. Then add bunches of whatever you want: greenery, fall leaves, etc. Attach them to the rope with plastic ties, overlapping the groupings as you go.
RESOURCES :
Bead Art
Model: 0890243670
Author: Alice Korach (Editor)
Making Memory Boxes: Box Projects to Make, Give, and Keep
Model: 1564967115
Author: Barbara Mauriello
(2000)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Website: www.rockpub.com
Creating Beautiful Boxes with Inlay Techniques
Model: 1558704434
Author: Doug Stowe
Beaded Gifts: A Beadwork Project Book
Model: 1931499020
Author: Jean Campbell
(2001)
Interweave Press Inc.
Website: interweave.com
Boxes and Chests: How To Make and Decorate 15 Traditional Country Projects
Model: 0811725596
Author: Alan Bridgewater and Gill Bridgewater
(February, 1997)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Stackpole Books
Website: www.stackpolebooks.com
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