Make your own easy faux shadow box

Hey everyone! I am Cathy Frailey and I have recently made a faux shadow box inspired by the variety of products you can find in the CCB shop – from papers to Architextures Treasures, there are hundreds of items you could store in your little shadowbox pockets. but what if you dont have a said shadow box… well, let me tell you a story…

Printer trays and shadow boxes are a must-have for a gypsy! You can fill them with all kinds of trinkets and mementos from your travels and life events.
7gypsies has provided an incredibly easy way to make one of these by using one of their Architextures papers that has a shadow box printed on it! All you need is your imagination to fill it up!

Architextures 12×12 Paper – Upper & Lower
Architextures Parchment Rub-On – Pose
Architextures Parchment Rub-On – Live
Architextures Trinkets – Ink Pens
Black & Kraft Damask Paper (scrap)
7gypsies Gypsy Moments (scraps)
Heirloom Collection: Sewing on Ivory Paper
7gypsies American Vintage: 12×12 Go & See Paper
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Coffee Shop
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Pearl
Canvas Corp Ivory Bookmark
Various wood/metal trinkets
Craft mesh
Rusty Wire
Matte gel
12×12 cardboard
Tim Holtz paper dolls
Lacquer
Foam mounting squares
Distress ink
Scissors
Lighter (for distressing)
Glue gun

I have a couple of large printer trays at home that I’ve filled with fun little trinkets and oddities!
I’ve used them as my inspiration!

The first thing I did was just start laying things out on the paper – I went through a lot of variations and moving things around! Just play with the squares and your supplies. See what works for you.

One thing I did was cover one of the bookmarks with strips of old dictionary pages, then dripped some Coffee Shop on it.
I attached one of the Architextures pens and scribbled on some black ink at the tip
The bookmark fit perfectly in the long space on the paper!

I cut out the thimble from the Sewing paper and put some lacquer on it to make it look shiny.

For one square, I used the map side of the Go & See paper as a background for my rusty metal wings.
I used the lighter to distress the paper – be careful!

Adhere your finished shadow box onto your piece of cardboard for a fab decor piece!

Don’t forget the packaging – Architextures has some great stuff on their packages! And mesh always adds a grungy touch!

I went around my map with some rusty wire attached to metal caps.

The silver Architextures tile and key were a great addition to the black fluted paper square.
A spritz of Pearl mist was an added shimmery bonus!

My favorite area – a rub-on corset with a mannikin mounted on foam.
The corset has some Pearl mist painted on. The thimble is nice and shiny and also mounted with foam.

This my finished faux shadow box – what do you think? I love it!!!

Happy crafting, my friends!

Cathy Frailey
blog and Instagram

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