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I always feel a little sad on Labor Day. I try to grasp how June, July and August were able to zip by at lightning speed. I think about our many adventures, from the camping trips to the quiet nights around our own fire pit at home. And just as I feel that melancholy start to settle over me, my thoughts turn to all of the apple-y, pumpkin-y, crisp mornings and beautiful foliage that aren’t too far off in the distance. These thoughts settle my sadness about the end of another summer. Last night I put together a craft that will no doubt take my family back to the sweetness of summer vacation – and of course I took pictures of the process so you could re-create your own!
This project is super frugal and the icing on the cake was using the free photo print that Walgreens has up for grab this weekend. I ordered my print on Friday and picked it up the next day. It was one of my favorites from the beach this year. We hit the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ one night as the sun went down and I was able to get a few great pictures of the kiddos. The sand and shells have special meaning to us too. The sand was from the spot the kids played on the beach in Avalon, NJ this year and the shells were from Lily’s collection from the Outer Banks, NC last year.
To make this craft you will need:
- 8×10 shadowbox
- 8×10 photo print
- scissors
- sand
- shells
- piece of packing tape
- quote of your choosing (I cut mine in vinyl on my Silhouette. You could also use scrapbooking stickers/letters if you don’t have a vinyl cutter.)
How to make:
1. The first thing that I did was to fit my photo print to the back of the shadowbox. I had to trim the corners and a tiny bit off the bottom for it to fit. I used a small rolled piece of Scotch tape on the back of the print to make it stick to the backing of the shadowbox.
2. I placed the print into the shadowbox and measured the area on the glass that I wanted my quote to cover. Then I pulled out my trusty Silhouette Cameo and cut the quote on white vinyl.
3. I used a small measuring cup to add small amounts of sand to the bottom of the shadow box. I stuck a few shells in as well.
4. I placed the picture backing on the back of the shadowbox, fastened the clips and gently turned it over to eyeball the sand and shell placement. After a couple of adjustments I liked the result. Before I affixed the vinyl on the glass I opened the box again and used a tissue to gently push the random specs of sand back down the glass to the bottom.
5. I wiped the glass off with some rubbing alcohol and used contact paper as my transfer tape to affix the vinyl onto the glass.
6. When I was 110% satisfied with the final product, I put a short piece of packing tape over the back bottom corner of the box to prevent sand from spilling out of the crack.
I haven’t done many shadowbox projects in the past, but I feel the tide may be turning (no pun intended). You could easily recreate this project using the same beach theme I did, or why not customize it for the vacation your family took? Maybe Disney Magic Bands in the box with a picture of your Disney vacation as the background. Or how about dirt from a campground with a picture of your family camping? The possibilities are endless!
More Summer fun you might enjoy…
This would make a fantastic gift!!