Beaded Jewelry Box
Requirement 8 is
a lot of fun -- there are so many
ways to make and decorate a jewelry box.
This one is a little different. It takes
more than one meeting, but looks great.
Materials Needed:
Unfinished wood or cardboard box
Glue stick
Pencil
Chalk
Ultra fine point permanent marker
Yardstick
Scissors
Wrapping paper or
other colored
paper that can hold up to glue
Newspaper or plastic to cover your table
Mod-Podge decoupage coating
1.5mm holeless glass microbeads
Paper or plastic
plates with raised edges,
one for each scout
Paintbrushes (1" foam type work well)
Wet paper towels
to keep fingers
and tabletop clean of Mod-Podge
Good broom and dustpan
(the microbeads WILL get on the floor and are hazardous)
Felt or other non-knit
lining material
(knits will roll at the edges and be hard to handle).
If you are using boxes more than three inches round or square,
9x12 inch felt squares will NOT be big enough
unless you cut two pieces and fit them together.
(Click here for how to
calculate how long a single
strip must be to go around the inside of the box.)
Felt for the bottom of the box
Mirror to fit inside the lid of the box
Glue designed for
attaching jewels, like Gem-Tac
(to glue the mirror to the inside of the box)
Directions:
Choose a BOX and
LID.
Write your name in pencil on the bottom of the box.
Cutting out the wrapping paper and lining/felt:
Trace the top of
the LID on the back of the wrapping paper,
then cut it out. We aren't going to cover the bottom
of the box with paper, so don't trace that.
Roll the outside
of the lid and box on the back of the wrapping paper
to estimate the length needed -- to make sure you are cutting
long enough strips of paper to go around the sides.
Cut two strips: one for the lid,
one for the box. Make each longer and wider than you need --
you will trim the side strips after they are glued on.
If your lid is very
tight fitting, you will need to glue paper
only on the part of the box side that the lid doesn't cover
(or it will get too tight to close).
In that case, make sure one side of that
strip of wrapping paper is completely straight.
When you glue it on, you will line up the straight edge
of the wrapping paper with where the edge of the lid will be.
You may want to use one edge of the roll of wrapping paper,
if possible, or draw a line with a ruler to cut along.
If the lid fits loosely enough to go over a layer
of paper, you can just cut both strips larger
than the sides they will cover.
Run the piece of
chalk around the edge of the LID,
then press it down on the felt or lining material. Cut out
on the chalk line.
Run the chalk around
the edge of the BOX and
press that down on the felt the same way.
Then do it again, so you have two felt pieces to fit.
(If you are using a different lining,
make one piece of lining and one of felt.)
For the felt lining
of the inside sides of the box,
you will need to measure exactly and mark the
strip to be cut out of the felt with the marker.
If the box is round
or rectangular, you can measure its diameter
and inside height and calculate
the length
and width of the felt. Use the yardstick and permanent
marker to draw a rectangle the right size, and cut it out.
If it is oval, as in this picture,
measure the inside height, and use a strip of paper
inside to measure the inside circumference.
Then mark your felt rectangle to be as wide
as the height and as long as the circumference.
Check the fit of
the felt,
as you may need to trim a bit for it to lie flat.
Gluing on the Wrapping Paper:
Use the glue stick
to cover the top of the lid.
It's good to use two coats, as the first coat tends
to soak into the wood very quickly and not stick as well.
Make sure to go all the way to the edges.
Glue the paper on the top of the lid.
Smooth out any wrinkles before it dries.
Use the glue stick
the same way on the sides of
the box and the lid. Wrap the paper around the sides,
letting it hang over top and bottom (unless you have
a tight fitting lid and must start your paper
below the edge). Smooth wrinkles carefully.
Use the scissors
to carefully snip away the extra.
It works best if you look at the inside of the ring
of wrapping paper (instead of the printed side) as you snip.
Looks great! But wait -- there's more.
Gluing on the Beads:
Put a layer of microbeads
in the paper plate.
Each scout needs her own plate,
since the beads will start to clump up from the Mod-Podge.
Put the lid on the
box first. Coat the side of the BOX thinly with
Mod-Podge UP TO the edge of the LID (but not on the lid yet).
Let it dry. Don't put on beads yet.
Take the lid off
the box. Put a second, THICK coat
of Mod-Podge on the same part of the side of the box
that has the first thin coat, but not on the part
that will be covered by the lid.
Blot and roll the
side of the box in the beads. Use your fingers
to spread beads on bare areas and brush away beads
that are more than one layer thick. Brush away
any that are hanging over the edges, too.
Set it aside to let it dry on newspaper or plastic.
Do the side and top
of the lid the same way. It helps
if you can fan your fingers inside the lid to hold it so you
can cover the entire outside surface with Mod-Podge at once.
The top of the box is the most visible part, so use your
fingers to sprinkle beads on bare areas
and pat them flat where they are lumpy.
Let the lid dry, too. Wipe hands with wet towels.
Sweep up beads.
When dry, gently
knock off loose beads.
If you want to really make sure there are no bare areas,
dab Mod-Podge with a fine paintbrush on the uncovered areas
and sprinkle beads on them, and let that dry.
If you are ten years old, you can skip this step.
Coat all the beaded
areas with another coat of Mod-Podge.
It will look awful, but it will dry clear and keep the beads
from continuously falling off when you use the box.
You can coat the unbeaded area of the box
that will be covered by the lid to give it a finished look,
but coat it thinly. Try not to leave extremely
thick areas between the beads, but you will
still need to let this dry for at least several hours.
When you return,
coat the insides of the box
and lid with a thin coat of Mod Podge
to seal the wood, and let it dry.
Gluing in the mirror and lining:
Meanwhile, trace
the mirror on the felt for the
inside of the top of the box. Cut out the center
of the felt a little INSIDE this line, so the mirror
will be partially covered by felt at the edges
(to help hold it in place). Make sure any marks
you make are on the same side of the felt as any you made before.
Put jewel glue on
the inside top of the lid, spreading
up to the edges but not up the sides. It should be thick enough
to stick the mirror to the wood, but not so thick
it soaks through the felt or oozes out under the edges.
Spreading it smooth with the foam brush may help.
Lay the mirror inside
the lid,
then lay the felt, markings down, on top of that
so the mirror shows through the hole.
Have lots of wet and dry paper towels in case any
glue gets on the surface of the mirror
and so you don't leave gluey fingerprints on the felt.
(Notice how I figured
out the part about
not making the glue too thick under the felt.)
You will not be
lining the side of the lid, just the inside top of the lid.
Otherwise, your lid won't fit on the box.
Coat the bottom of
the box with Mod-Podge or glue
and put a felt cover there.
Completely coat the inside bottom and sides, and fit in the bottom
lining piece and side lining strip. Let all dry.
By this time, you
should be able to tell your boxes apart,
even though
the names are now covered by the felt bottoms.
Check to make sure
your lining isn't loose. If so, repeat the gluing.
You are finished!
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