About time I shared this project, which was a gift for a Wizard of Oz fan in the family. (Remember, you can always click on the photos to view them larger.) I have to tell you, I hated the movie as a kid. It once gave me a nightmare of my bed whirling around in space, with me trapped in it. (Although now I might think that was kind of cool, but the dislike for the movie is firmly entrenched in my psyche.) Any time it would come on TV I’d be off to another room so as not to have to watch. I’ve probably seen most of it now – hard to avoid since the advent of videos – but I doubt I’d ever choose to sit down and watch the whole thing from start to finish.
But this classic is a favourite of G’s, and as such has supplied any number of gift ideas over the years. The first time I saw the Graphic 45 paper collection “Magic of Oz” I bought some with this in mind, although I didn’t decide how I’d use it until recently.
First up was to line the inside of a cigar box; a bit of scrapping’ serendipity in that one 12×12 sheet was exactly the right width to do this in one piece in the box I had. Because the interior would be otherwise plain (I wanted a practical box), the newspaper-style print was a good choice to preserve the fun imagery. The Wicked Witch of the West adorns the inside of the lid; a prominent position but out of sight when the box is closed.
Dorothy and her new friends take centre stage on top of the box; all sides and the bottom are covered in coordinating papers from the line. I added a metal spinner to the paper compass on the front panel giving it a bit of dimension. If you enlarge the photo you can see that Dorothy’s shoes have been Stickled to make them sparkle, and I’ve embedded G’s initial in Glossy Accents inside a TH ornate plate. I like to think that “G” could also stand for Glinda, G’s favourite character in the movie!
All of the box edges/where the papers meet are covered with TH Tissue Tape that I stained lightly to coordinate with the papers. Attaching the knob was a challenge because I wanted it facing forward and not screwed down into the top of the box, but I found just the right piece of metal to attach it with. From the knob I hung some metal charms; a TH Word stick “Know” for knowledge, a Heart, a Muse token “Courage” and as I didn’t have a house charm, a house key signifying Home. Unfortunately the papers I had didn’t feature Glinda, but I did make sure to position her right in front beside the knob when adhering the side strips to the box. The addition of a set of TH ornate box feet not only keep the charms from touching the table but add an elegant, finished look to the box.
Around the same time as I was making the box I came across a pop-out card that I thought would be a perfect project for the leftover papers. While it’s possible to buy templates for this style of card, given the fact that I hardly ever make cards I decided to study the card and figure out how to make it myself; at my normal hourly rate it would have been far cheaper to order the template, LOL. Never mind, I had the satisfaction of figuring it out – and I did save the cost of a store-bought card.
So here’s my finished box and card, which I think G was pleased to receive. While not a Wizard of Oz fan I nevertheless liked the box when it was done, and have plans to make myself one using some papers I can really get enthusiastic about. And bonus was the fact that I submitted this to the March manufacturer challenge over at Paper Secrets (using Graphic 45) and ended up being the monthly winner!
Box Magic
April 25, 2012 by mothtalk
so cute! i really love it .. you did an excellent job on it .. 🙂 !
beautiful job with the box! Especially as you didn’t like the subject matter. Love the box. I’m sure the person you gave it to is thrilled.
This is beautiful!
Altering boxes is my favorite craft. I loved seeing your project. Would love to know where you find the metal feet
Found the metal feel in my local Michaels store, they’re part of the Tim Holtz Idea-ology line.
This is so stunning!!!!! I know that G will love it!!!
Very cool box!! I love all of the embellishments on the outside. Such a fun project!