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Spooky Box

9/20/2021

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This whole project started with Halloween first of course, then I wanted to use up supplies I already had (also "of course). A library patron who I have mentioned here before donated these boxes for us to use and I thought this would be a great way to use them up! There are many ways to make this type of box! You can do whatever you’d like using so many different supplies and random pieces and parts you have at home. The below steps are how I made the box above but feel free to use it as a general example for your creative ideas. I really don't know if there's a "point" to this box... but... I don't care... it's pretty! So enjoy, and in the perfect amount of just 13 steps :) 
Supplies:
  • BOX
  • PAPER
  • BOOK PAPER
  • EMBELLISHMENTS
  • WITCH PRINT
  • PAINT
  • TISSUE PAPER
  • FABRIC
  • SCISSORS
  • HOT GLUE GUN
  • LIQUID GLUE & BRUSH
  • PAINT BRUSH
1. To start with, I found a cool old postcard online that of course had a Halloween theme! I printed it off and glued it onto the box with Mod Podge (Just use a thin layer of glue and secure corners).
2. Next, I crumbled up tissue paper, then unraveled it (carefully). Pull off medium size pieces to fit around the postcard and glue them down with the liquid glue (paint some glue on and lightly tap the tissue paper into the glue so that it holds the crinkle look).
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3. Once you cover the entire green space around the postcard and sides of the lid, paint all of the tissue paper/previous green space with black paint. (I like to lightly overlap onto the postcard so that it looks more realistic/gets rid of any straight lines)
4. Next, I glued on pieces of torn cardboard and added marbles almost for a crystal ball effect! Add a good pile of hot glue to press each marble into. Then add rings of glue around the marble to make sure it is held in place. Be sure to paint the glue with the black paint too to cover it up!
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5. I added pieces of scrap fabric to a couple of places (I used sparkly velvet!). And added some ribbon in a few places along the sides. 
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6. I added a piece of jewelry here.  
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7. Now for the bottom, I ripped up book pages and crumpled them up. Then I unraveled them so they would still have the crinkly look and glued them to the outside of the bottom half of the box, even the bottom. 
8. While the book pages are drying, paint the inside walls of the box black.
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9. Go back to your book pages and “distress” them with paint by very very lightly brushing the corners and raised areas with paint. 
10. Glue down your interior paper on the bottom and add ribbon and other embellishments.  
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11. Now for the lid! Paint the walls of the inside of the lid black and glue your other scrapbook paper down on the inside as well. I distressed it a little by adding a little paint! 
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12. Add other embellishments to wherever you would like!  
13. Lastly, add your gold paint for the perfect finishing touch by again very very lightly brushing over raised areas! Finish up by adding whatever else you’d like!
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Harry Potter Wand

6/7/2021

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I have a confession to make... I didn't read Harry Potter when I was a kid (enter shocked faces)! I know, I know, how could I not have?! To be honest, I remember my parents buying the first book for me and coming home with it. I remember one of them saying "Here, everyone's talking about this, kids supposedly are obsessed with it". Well, maybe that comment was what threw me off because I, for as long as I can remember, hate doing what everyone else does. I do remember trying to read it, however, but never made it past the first chapter. So, once I became a librarian, I decided that this shame was unacceptable, I MUST read HP and ASAP! Well, I don't know what changed, but I read them all within a a couple of weeks and was in love with them. So yes, I am an HP fan, but it just took me 20 years!

With my job at the library I am constantly receiving strange and unusual things from customers and fellow staff members in the hopes that I will save the item from the dumpster. To be honest, I kind of love it! It's like... a "thing" now and I love the challenge. One of our patrons who I have grown to know quite well over the last couple of years, is a gentleman named Ralph. I first met him when he came into the library saying he worked at a warehouse that was closing and asked if we librarians would want anything for crafts or programs. Well on to his warehouse I went and ever since then he stops by and gives me more fun things to use, I love it. 

One item he gave me was 2 hugeeee boxes of long skinny green boxes. I had no idea what I'd use them for but as always I said, "Yep, I'll take 'em". So there I was staring at 200 of these narrow boxes and the only thing I could think of... wand box. These boxes were perfect, I mean perrrrrfect for a wand so that's what they became! Below are the steps I took to make a simple wand with easily found materials, hopefully you can find a similar box to use too or just make the wand itself!
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SUPPLIES:
  • 2 SHEETS OF COPY PAPER
  • BEADS (LARGE BEED FOR END OF WAND)
  • OLLIVANDER'S BOX LABELS
  • WOOD OVAL PIECE
  • INTERIOR LINING PIECES OF CHOICE (VELVET/MIRROR/PAPER)
  • BOX TO KEEP THE WAND IN 
  • SCISSORS
  • HOT GLUE
  • WAND PAINT
  • METALLIC PAINT
  • LIQUID GLUE


1. Layer 2 sheets of copy paper and begin rolling from one corner into a cone shape (it might take a few tries to get the right look/size). ​
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2. When you get to the end, adhere the overlap with double sided tape or with hot glue, careful with your fingers! 
3. You can either trim the ends of your wand with scissors, or fold down the end into the bottom of the wand.  
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4. This will leave a hole at the end, fill this in with crumpled up paper so the wand becomes sturdier, and fill the end with hot glue to secure.  
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5. Paint your wand whatever color you would like. It may take a couple of coats to cover completely.   
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6. I searched online for the Ollivanders store box labels and found some jpgs to copy. I printed them in a gold color (just because I liked it). Adhere your 3 box labels with a liquid glue. Use a light layer of glue and smooth out the labels so there are no air bubbles.
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7. Use hot glue to create the character of your wand. While holding the wand, slowly rotate it as you create your lines and shapes with the glue and be careful with your fingers!
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8. Place some of your beads into the hot glue for a “jeweled” effect. One at the end looks very authentic!
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9. Paint over the hot glue with your base color and then again with the metallic paint.
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10. If you have one, you can glue a wood piece onto the wand and paint it to match the rest of the wand. I just thought this added some more texture and depth and made the wand look more realistic.
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11. Lastly, I wanted to make the box look more "legit". I found both velvet and adhesive mirror pieces to use. I measured and cut the pieces to fit the interior of each side and glued them in each spot. And ta-da! Just look at that beautiful wand! I think it'd be really cool to make a velvet pillow for the inside of the box for the wand to rest on as well!
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    Rebecca Myers 

    Hey there, I'm Becca, or Rebecca, but not Becky, never Becky, unless you're my family from down south! I'm a simply modern librarian by day and an artist by night. My pursuit is for a simple, happy, healthy, and more fulfilling life! I hope I inspire you to get crafty!

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