Create your own little journal and travel memory box to remember a special vacation. Get used to hearing “oohs” & “aahs” from your friends as they discover the little journal that tells a big story.

Finished size:    2" x 3" x 3" Memory Box

Skill:    1    Time:    1    Cost:    1

You will need:   
BOX
• One 3" x 3" paper mache box with lid
• One 1 3/4" x 1/2" wooden oval* 
• Four wooden buttons 
• Acrylic paints*: Country Twill, Burnt Umber 
• Sea sponge                
• Two black brads                                          
• Black ink pad*
• Fortune Teller background stamp*
•  Black permanent marker*
•  Small “Travel” word stamp   
• Black Baroque trim
• 1/8" hole punch*                                                            
•  One 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" clear transparency
•  One photo to fill a 1 3/4" square space
•  Permanent adhesive*
•  Paper glue*

JOURNAL
•  Paper cutter                                                              
•  Two 2 1/2" chipboard squares   
•  Two 2 1/2" x 10" cardstock   
•  19 mm round lion head embellishment
•  12" of 1/4" black metal decorative trim
•  Rub-on phrases
•  Small photos or travel memorabilia

FOR BOTH
•   Paper trimmer
•   Awl
Newspaper, paper plate, scissors

*The following products were used for this project: Artistic Outpost Fortune Teller stamp plate • Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip glue, Zip Dry glue • DecoArt acrylic paints • Forster Woodsies wooden oval • Sharpie marker • Tsukineko StazOn ink • We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile tool.

Note: For product information, see end of article.

• Protect your workspace with newspaper.
• Allow paint and glue to dry between steps.
• See photo for details and placement.

Box
STEP 1:  Paint box.  Pour one quarter-sized puddle of each paint color on paper plate with sides touching. Dip sponge into both colors and randomly dab paint on outside of box and wood button feet. Paint wooden oval with Country Twill only. Use black marker to darken small ledge on wooden button feet and outside edge of wooden oval.

STEP 2:  Stamp. Stamp images randomly over box, including lid. Stamp small travel saying on wooden oval. Adhere trim to bottom and top edges of box.   

STEP 3: Mount oval. Punch hole at each end of oval. Put box top on box bottom. Position oval, piercing awl through holes into box bottom. Fasten brads in each hole. Glue oval to box.

STEP 4:  Finish box. Mount photo on chipboard square on box lid. Center and glue outer edges of transparency over image. Outline transparency with glue. Place image facing through hole in lid.      

Journal
STEP 1:  Make journal. Cut two 2 1/2" x 10" pieces from cardstock. Score each cardstock piece every 1 3/4" to create eight panels. Fold to form an accordion. Glue two ends of cardstock together.

STEP 2:  Make cover. Glue square chipboard on inside of cardstock panel. Outside panel is the journal cover. Apply rub-on phrase to cover. Glue metal trim around outside edge. Glue lion head embellishment to center of cover to use to pull journal out of box.

STEP 3: Finish. Embellish panels with mini travel memories, photos, and phrases you like. 


Sources:

Beacon Adhesives, Inc.
(800) 865-7238
www.beaconadhesives.com

DecoArt
(800) 367-3047
www.decoart.com

Forster
www.loew-cornell.com

Sharpie
www.sharpie.com

Tsukineko
(425) 883-7733
www.tsukineko.com

We R Memory Keepers
(801) 539-5000
www.weronthenet.com