Rose Shadow Box

One of my resolutions for the New Year was to get my projects done. Like the ones that have been sitting around FOREVER and they are always in the back of my mind saying, "When are you gonna get around to this Brooke?" I have been thinking about doing this project for years. Back when my husband and I were dating (which scary though it is, was years ago) I started collecting and drying the roses because I knew I wanted to do this one day. And the dried roses have been sitting in a plastic container waiting in limbo ever since. So this project was at the top of my to-do list.
Since the roses have special meaning, I wanted to keep them all somehow, but in a way that didn't leave me with huge bouquets hanging around. I hate clutter, but I think there are ways to consolidate and keep things in a special way. So every time he gave me some roses, I would dry them and put a tag on them stating the date and occasion. All I had to do was get the shadow box. I looked for YEARS for this stupid shadow box. No one sells shadow boxes, in white, in the size I wanted. If anyone finds one let me know! So anyway, since I couldn't find the right thing and I was bound and determined to get this project done, I bought a black shadow box and outfitted it to make it the way I wanted. Here is how I did this project.

You will need:
A black shadow box 26 1/4 X 8 1/4 inches (or if you can find white it will save you a lot of trouble!)
Sandpaper or a sander (I had my husband go out and buy a sander after getting super frustrated and let me tell you, it was the best buy ever!)
White paint (I just used a sample white paint from Home Depot)
Paintbrush
Khaki colored linen
Spray adhesive
Small (I'm talking TEENY TINY) bridal pins. Mine were 1/2 inch.
Tags (Mine were a Martha Stewart brand)
Dried roses or other memorabilia from your honey

1. Start by lining the glass of the shadow box with paper and painters tape. If you can remove the glass that would be easier, but mine couldn't be removed. Then sand and paint the box on all sides, being careful to get the inner edges of the box (nearest to the glass) as well. Since the box is black, you will need to do quite a few coats of the white paint to cover it. Make sure to let it dry thoroughly between each coat. Otherwise you will end up with a sticky mess. TIP: If you get paint on the glass, remove with some nail polish remover.

2. Cut your linen in 5 separate pieces to fit the inside of your box. Spray with the spray adhesive, then apply to the inside of the box.

3. Trim your roses (or flowers) to size, so that they are able to fit inside the box.

4. Then pin to the back of the box with the bridal pins. I found a few different sizes of pins to use, but found that the smaller ones looked the best.  After labeling your tags with the date and occasion, pin next to the rose it goes with. I was originally going to tie the tags on the roses with a ribbon or thread. And after I tied like 8 teeny tiny bows, I decided it would look better if the tags were just pinned next to the roses. That way you could read the tags better too.

5. Carefully close the box back together. The pins hold everything in place, but its not like they are super glue or anything, so a little bump could knock them off.

Done! Hang in a place where you can enjoy it. I decided to hang mine right outside our bedroom door. So every time we pass it, we can see how far we have come and remember those sweet first years.

Hope this post has inspired you to create your own special shadow box. Its a great gift idea too. Valentine's Day is coming up!