How To Make A Shadow Box Display For Mother’s Day

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Last Updated on May 3, 2018 by Chris Butler

Are you looking for a fun and easy gift to make for Mother’s Day?  I can show you how to make a shadow box display that’s not only easy but budget friendly too.

I tend to always get my mom flowers for lack of any other ideas.  It seems like she already has everything.  However, I think cute handmade gifts will always be a winner with our moms.  Even if we are adults now lol.

And this is a way to give flowers that will last and last!  So let’s get to it.

Mother’s Day Shadow Box Craft Supplies Needed

I purchased my shadow box at Hobby Lobby.  It was in the woodworking section and only cost like $3.99 for the 5×7.  That’s super cheap and I love to paint so it was an easy choice for me.

How To Make Paper Daisies For The Shadow Box Display

To start you will need to head to JenniferMaker.com to get her Gerbera Daisy Cut File.   She is a flower designing genius.  So if you want something other than daisies take a look at her site.  She also has roses, carnations, cherry blossoms and many more.

After I got my cut file I used my Cricut Explore to cut the daisies out on cardstock.  I chose to use pastel colors for my flowers.

You will want to cut at least two colors of the daisy file to get different colored centers.   After you have both colored daisies cut out, cut it again where the smaller petals meet the larger petals.  Next swap the two smaller pieces that make the center and glue it to the different colored larger piece.

Now we are going to insert the small end of the daisy into our quilling tool and begin rolling it up.

After your daisy is all rolled up add glue to the bottom and press down on the end tab to keep it all together.  Then flip the flower over and push out all of the petals.

Repeat this process for all of your flowers.  I was able to fit six daisies in my 5×7 shadow box.  Plus I made a few more to add to the outside if I wanted.

Applying the Mom Monogram

After your flowers are all rolled we will need to add the MOM Monogram to the shadow box glass.  You can totally use my design.  It’s in my free resource library and I’ll tell you how to get the password at the bottom of the post.

I used Oracle 651 permanent adhesive vinyl in white for my monogram.

Upload the SVG file to your cutting machines software. If you are a Cricut user you may get a message that text is not supported, it’s supported just click ok.

For my 5″x7″ shadow box, I sized the monogram approximately 4″x4″.

After the design is finished cutting you will need to remove the excess vinyl with your weeding tools.

Next place your transfer paper over the vinyl design.  I like to use clear contact paper (it’s cheaper).  Use your scraping tool to remove bubbles and make sure your vinyl is good and stuck.

Be sure to clean the glass really well and dry it before you stick on the monogram.

Next you can remove the backing from the vinyl and center it onto the glass frame.

Be sure not to let it touch that glass before you have it centered.  I had to recut mine, so this is take two.    It ended up in a big ball of sticky vinyl mess when I accidentally let one side touch before it was centered.

Now grab your scraper again and rub all over the vinyl to really burnish it on.  Finally pull back the transfer paper slowly.  I didn’t have any problems with the thin lines wanting to come up.  It was stuck pretty good.

Painting the Shadow Box

If you get the shadow box from Hobby Lobby, it will need to be cleaned up a bit and painted.   Lightly sand around the edges of the shadow box and frame to remove the little wood splinters.   After you are done with that wipe it all down to remove the dust.

I painted the whole shadow box with SeaPaint.  The base color is Seagull and my accent colors are Mermaid Mist and Coastal Coral.

This is the miracle paint that has excellent coverage, amazing colors and dries in no time flat.  Literally, it just takes minutes.  And it has unbelievable blending and distressing capabilities.

If you are tired of staining wood see my post here that shows how you can stain and distress wood in minutes. 

Don’t worry if you get some on the glass, it wipes right off with a baby wipe.

Once I had everything painted in Seagull, I decided to add some teal and coral to brighten it up.

To do that I used a dry brush method.  Use very little paint on the end of your brush and drag it back and forth with the grain of the wood.  Keep doing that until you get your desired look.

Now it’s time to put it all together.

Putting Together the Shadow Box Display

We are ready for assembly!  I used hot glue to adhere each flower in the shadow box.

I glued the outer rows (teal and purple) first and then glued the yellow flowers in the center.

It’s ok if your flower petals stick over the edge a little bit.

Next, place the glass frame on top and line up the tabs to secure it to your shadow box.

All done!  A nice and easy gift that’s sure to impress every mom.

Swipe The Mom Monogram File

Would you like to use my ‘Mom’ Monogram cut file?  You totally can!  I keep all of my plans, printables, and files in my FREE Resource Library that is available to subscribers.

Simply fill out the form below to exclusive access.  The password will appear and will be emailed to you at the same time.

Video How To Make A Mother’s Day Shadow Box

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Chris Butler

Chris Butler has helped thousands of crafters learn how to use their Cricut machine without feeling overwhelmed.  She is a best selling author and an up and coming designer.    For fun Chris enjoys designing SVG Files, hanging out with her family (preferably at the lake), traveling,  and volunteering at her church.  She is a wife and mom of two crazy fun kids.