Shadow Box Collage

Hello Graphics Fairy friends! I’m Diana from Dreams Factory and I’m happy to be here again to share another creative project with you. Today, I will show you how to make this gorgeous Vintage style Shadow Box Collage. We’ll create this layered beauty using printable ephemera with soft neutral tones, flowers, people and a subtle touch of color. This dimensional project is highly adaptable and will allow you to turn some of your favorite images into a timeless keepsake. A small decorative piece that would be perfect to include in vintage vignettes, display on shelves, walls, or anywhere in your home.

I wanted this collage in a box to be all about soft layers, gentle contrast and storytelling through paper. I’ve had this lovely neutral wood box around for quite some time and I’ve decided to use it here. Chances are, you already have something similar in your home, so now would be the perfect time to use it. If you don’t have a wooden one, please don’t despair! You can still improvise and use something a little bit different from your nothing-goes-to-waste-will-use-for-a-project-sometime stash.

Think supply boxes, candy boxes, beauty supply boxes, old packaging, smartphone or tablet boxes, the sky is the limit! So, your first assignment for this project will be to raid your home and find the box that speaks the most to you.

Printables:

I created two printables for this project. The first one is a collaged background with subtle pinkish hues that will be the base for our scene. The background has a lot of elements and is quite beautiful on its own, but it also has a neutral vibe that will allow all the other elements to shine, without competing for attention. Since this is a one-sheet background, you will be able to quickly adapt and use it as you want, no matter the size or shape of your box.

—-> Click HERE to Download the Full Size Printable PDF  – the background<—-

In the second printable, I included a few French ephemera pieces and postage stamps, one more beautiful than the other, that will allow us to create interest and add variation to our box. I wanted to keep the color palette quite neutral, so for the flowers, I chose an absolutely gorgeous Wisteria and an Iris image. They look like they come from the same set, so I thought they would perfectly complement this project. For our focal point image, I chose one of my favorite people images from The Graphics Fairy, a really beautiful and delicate woman in a pink-white dress. I placed it on a super chic chair, as if she were relaxing in the garden on a sunny summer day. I also included a woman with a more colorful dress, you can use this one if you want to make a bolder statement with your box. For our last element, I chose a butterfly and I’ve decided to intentionally place it somewhere around the woman to draw more attention to her and the area around her.

—-> Click HERE to Download the Full Size Printable PDF <—-

Shadow Box Collage Supply List:

• a box (Wooden or Cardboard)
• regular printing paper
• white cardstock paper
• home printer
• regular scissors
• mini distress inks
• blending tool with foams
• paper glue stick or any other craft glue
• Glossy Accents medium
• double-sided tape (optional)
• double-sided foam tape (optional)
• small embellishment to decorate the woman (optional)

STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL:

Start by printing your printable with the separate elements on cardstock paper and the one with the background on regular paper.

Use your scissors to cut all the elements, trying to create soft, rounded, organic cuts, while also removing all the excess white paper around the edges.

Decide which of the two women images you would like to include in your collage box. Then use distress ink to give all the pieces a beautiful, worn look. Put everything aside for now.

I went with regular paper for the background because my wooden box was quite shallow and I didn’t want the background to take too much of its depth.

Start by placing the box on your printable.

Flip them both, trying not to move the box too much from its position, then use your fingers to fold the paper all around the edges to make small impressions in the paper.
Use these folded edges as guidelines to tear the paper to create more of a frayed effect or use scissors if you prefer to get a straight line effect around the edges.

Place the background paper inside the box to check how it looks. As you can see, the paper will be slightly larger than the inside of the box if using this measuring and tearing technique. So if you prefer to create the exact size for your box, you’ll need to measure only the inside and cut the paper accordingly. I actually loved the slightly raised effect on the edges, so I’ve decided to keep it like this.

Use distress ink to imprint the paper that old world look we all love. While distressing, you can also choose to crumple or tear the paper here and there, fold and unfold it. I usually like to apply quite a lot of pressure around the edges, but not so much for adding more distress ink, but to create organic folds that will add even more character to the finished piece. Don’t forget to also use distress ink on the back of the paper, close to the edges, we don’t want any of the white to show through if the paper accidentally folds or warps in some areas.

Next, you can use glue or double-sided tape (as I did) to adhere the background to your box. Lining the inside of the box with this beautiful collaged paper will complete phase one of our project.

And since our box is now ready, we can go ahead and add our gorgeous elements inside.

I wanted to start with the woman, our focal point image and then sort of build everything around her. You can use double-sided foam tape to create a small raised effect while adding the image, but I want to show you a cool trick that you can try if you want to create more depth. Your best bet – cardstock paper strips! You can cut these in any size and improvise depending on your needs. Cut a long strip of cardstock and fold it in two equal parts, while also leaving a small area on one of the ends. When folded, the paper should be smaller than the image of the woman.

Fold the two equal sections and then fold and use glue to adhere the smaller section on top.

Let the glue dry completely before moving on, then make another two folds to create a rectangle. If you look from the side, the smaller sides of your rectangle will dictate the depth of the image you place on top.

Use glue to adhere the folded assembly to the back of the woman, as close as you can to the center of the image.

Then, use more glue to adhere the other side to the box lining. Try to position it slightly off-center for a natural, collected look.

Perfect, our focal point image is now placed inside and has a beautiful raised effect! This is where our scene begins to feel dimensional! And since we created the backing paper smaller than our image, it won’t be visible from the front.

Use glue to adhere the butterfly to one of the woman’s hands. Since I only added a small dot of glue to the butterfly’s body, I used a tape roll to give it some support while drying.

I then moved on to adding the Wisteria flowers, one of my favorite parts of this whole project! Since my box was not too big and quite shallow, as I mentioned before, I’ve decided to add the flowers on top of the box and not place them inside. This added even more interest and dimension to the top part of our box. Of course, if you prefer to add them inside, you can. Just use the same folded paper strips trick that I showed you before and you are good to go. Make the paper strips smaller and narrower this time, so they won’t be visible if looked at from the front.
Lift and partially fold some of the leaves or the flowers to add even more dimension.

I then decided to use the green frame to make a small improvised fence in front of the woman. I added one of the French ephemera cutouts on top and glued everything to the right side and the bottom of the box. This will also create a small pocket in front of the woman, so if you want, you can tuck some dried flowers in there.

I initially wanted to use the larger version of the Iris image on the side, close to the green improvised fence, but then I decided I liked the smaller flowers better. It’s always OK to improvise as you go, see where the inspiration for the moment takes you!

Now you can have as much fun as you want and add other French ephemera cutouts here and there. You can simply glue a piece to the background, or you can overlap a few of them to create even more depth.

And as a final touch, you can add small embellishments to the woman to make it stand out even more. I recently saw some nail art accesories and I knew they were delicate enough to use on my projects, so I bought them. I’m so glad that I did, one of those lovely gems looked amazing as a pendant on the woman’s neck.

You can add other small embellishments, like gold safety pins, vintage brooches or buttons, metallic or paper bird cages, there are so many other options to get creative according to your preferences and style. That’s the great thing about a project like this. No two boxes will ever look the same and that’s part of the magic!

If you can’t find a wooden, neutral box and yours comes from an old package, you can lightly paint or stain it in a neutral color. I think soft creams and warm whites work beautifully with vintage papers, especially for this project, but of course, you can dictate the direction you wish to take with your box and choose accordingly.
The details that you gradually discover as you look closer are absolutely stunning, don’t you think?

Arranging the Wisteria flowers along the top edge was one of the best decisions for this project, if you ask me. I think letting some elements extend beyond the frame gives the finished piece even more of an organic feel. You can also tuck some of the leaves and petals behind other pieces to create depth or even use small pieces of foam (or cardstock and glue) to lift some flowers here and there.

And also, let’s not forget the lower section of our box, which looks absolutely amazing with that small floral image, don’t you think? As you can see, I added a few dried Gypsophila flowers there to create more interest and visually balance the box.

By keeping the background quite neutral and adding color in small, intentional details, the finished piece feels cohesive and timeless. And the fact that the box can stand on its own, is definitely a nice addition. Once finished, it can be easily displayed in your home just like a small treasure that will be cherished throughout the years. And if you want to make it more personal, you can replace the focal point image that I used with one of your family’s heirloom photos. Just make sure you create a copy of the image first, so you don’t ruin the original.

I’m sure you will agree with me that a DIY collage box feels like a tiny moment frozen in time. For our visual story, we beautifully layered a lovely background, French ephemera treasures, soft florals and the delicate figure of a woman to build depth and create visual interest. The background sets a calm, neutral foundation, while all the other elements allow you to mix and match things as you wish. There is no right or wrong way while building your visual story, so you can adjust the composition as needed. Let your inspiration guide you and remember that no matter if you decide to keep things simple or richly detailed, your finished box will be uniquely yours!

I hope you enjoy making this pretty Shadow Box Collage! You might also like this Mixed Media Collage Tutorial HERE. 

Happy crafting,
Diana | Dreams Factory