A couple of years ago I wanted to come up with a special gift for a high school graduate. I have known this young lady since she was 18 months old.
I thought about it for a long time and was trying to remember what I had loved the most when I graduated from high school. What I remember the most was a beautiful velvet jewelry box that came from the posh store in town. It was a brown floral velvet with a pale pink velvet interior. It was about six inches in diameter. After many years of faithful service it finally gave up the ghost. But I always felt that I carried a little elegance around with me wherever I went - college and then working life.
The box above is not quite the same thing but it was heartfelt in the same way. It has decoupage of a Paris street map, poetry, fabric, handmade paper.
These are easy to do. Find a box (cigar box used here). Collect paper scraps, fabric scaps, buttons, old cards, sheet music etc.
Paint box with a latex paint. Let it dry and sand lightly so that some of the materials underneath show through. You can also use a second color if you like. Use mod poge and attach all of your bits and pieces. Do a final mod poge finish all over.
Anyway, it was a hit. I even got a thank you card.
