Jewelry boxes are a great addition to any woman’s bedroom table or chest of drawers. Many women have necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry that is scattered about. A jewelry box can provide a safe and attractive place to store them. You can find some in ceramic, wood, and many other materials in stores. However, it is possible to craft an easy paper mache jewelry box that will better match your decor style.
Materials
Cardboard
Newspaper
White glue
Paint
Sandpaper
Construction
The first thing when it comes to crafting a paper mache jewelry box is planning how big you need it to be to house all of your rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Once you have the basic measurements down, you must cut the sturdy cardboard for each side of the box. You should use a sharp craft knife to cut the cardboard. Make sure the edges are straight so the box will come together nicely.
Once you have the sides and bottom of the jewelry box cut out, you should cut out the lid. The lid should be slightly larger than the base so that it does not fall in. You should also cut out a piece of cardboard small enough to fit just inside the top opening. This will be affixed to the bottom of the lid so that it sits in the correct way on the base. You can glue it on as long as you are sure the measurements around the outside are even.
Next, the sides of the box should be attached to the base with some glue or even straight pins stuck up through the base. Small pieces of tape can also be used at this point, but should be removed with you put the paper mache on as it will not stick properly.
Then you get to start with the paper mache. To make it, you simply have to mix the white glue with water until it is thin. Tear the newspaper in small strips and soak one by one in the glue mixture.
Each strip should be placed on the cardboard frame separately. Be sure to overlap the edges and press any large wrinkles and bubbles out of the paper. You must cover both the inside and out of the cardboard structure completely in several layers of the paper mache.
After the whole box is completely dry, you may sand it slightly if necessary. After that, you should paint it with two coats of plain white primer. After the primer is dry, you can decorate the paper mache jewelry box.
Decoration Ideas
The easiest way to decorate your box is by painting it in any color or pattern. You can also stencil a design on it. Decoupage is a great option for decorating your paper mache jewelry box. You can also glue on crystals, faux gems, beads, lace, trims, and ribbons.
Crafting an easy paper mache jewelry box is a great way to provide a safe and attractive way to store your jewelry. You can create it in any color scheme or style, and make it just the right size and shape for your jewelry collection.
