Hi! I’m Rhonna Farrer, one third of the House of 3 with Heidi Swapp and Janet Hopkins. Today, I want to show you a new product we have that is so versatile and fun—we just love it!
It’s a paper-covered heart shadow box that has a clear acetate front so you can see inside. The kit comes with a chandelier dangle, one yard of black sateen ribbon, one heart top, one heart bottom, two rub-ons and a sheet of die-cut chipboard tags. Imagine all the possibilities—adding a large photo to the back of the heart to peek out and adding embellishments to make it pop, or creating fabulous, handmade gifts. I think grandparents would love a box dedicated to photos of their cute grandkids.
The best news of all? We are giving away 3 of these kits! (We love the number 3!) Just leave a comment here and tell us what you would do with this box, and we’ll pick 3 lucky CK winners. Now, let’s get creating . . .
Today, I’d like to share an idea I had for a family project called Love Notes using the box kit and photos. I wanted to creatively display an interactive reminder of our love for each other, and what better way than a “drop box” for us to to hang in our entryway where everyone passes by each day. In the jar on the table below the drop box, I have blank tickets and a pen for them to write little love notes to each other. There is a slit in the acetate so they can drop their love notes in. Each week we plan to gather together and read them to strengthen our family. So far, everyone loves it!
Ready to put one together for your family?
Supplies needed:
- House of 3 Heart Box kit
- House of 3 French Oo La La Vintage Tickets
- House of 3 Printables digital backgrounds (optional—replace with patterned paper if desired)
- 2 sheets of Sticky Back Canvas by Claudine Hellmuth for Ranger Industries
- Scissors/craft knife/ hole punch
- Inkjet matte photo paper or white cardstock
- 2″ x 3″ photo
- Tulle
- Embellishments (your choice)
- Photo editing program (optional)
- Computer
- Printer
Step 1: Gather supplies. If you don’t want to use the digital/hybrid version I’ve got here, you can always use patterned paper for the background and actual fabric for the top and sides. But if you are game, try the hybrid thing . . . you’ll love it!
Step 2: Print. In Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, open up two of your favorite House of 3 digital backgrounds. Print the JPG files on the Sticky Back Canvas. On a coordinating background, type “Love Notes” 3″ down and 1″ from the right so it will be positioned properly. (Note: If you are using patterned paper, print directly on your paper and attach it to the Sticky Back Canvas.) Add any brush swirls or anything you wish. This is the time you can customize with names, quotes or whatever you want to peek through.
Step 3: Trace. Choose the Sticky Back Canvas pattern you want on the top of your box, turn it on the back, lay the heart box down and trace as shown in #3. Trace the acetate insert onto the background on the cardstock for the inside of the box.
Step 4: Cut out. Cut the inside of the shadow box heart and the larger outline you’ll use for the top of the box. Adhere the heart back into the box interior.
Step 5: Peel. Separate the backing of the canvas and peel off the outline heart. (You’ll have the other piece of heart left over.)
Step 6: Attach top. Gently press on the heart canvas to the top of the box. Once it’s set, use a bone folder, file or burnisher to smooth the edges and make sure it’s secure.
Step 7: Cut strips. With the leftover paper canvas pieces, cut 1 1/2″ wide strips of various lengths. You’ll fit them randomly on the side of the box, so no need to measure too much now.
Step 8: Adhere strips to sides. Peel the backing off the strips and alternate patterns, gently pressing on until you have gone around the whole box. Trim as necessary.
Step 9: Cut holes. With a hole punch or craft knife, cut openings where the heart box has the holes on top and bottom of box. (Hint: Work from the inside so you can see the holes.)
Step 10: Thread ribbon and cut slit. Measure and cut the ribbon for hanging. On the top of the box put ribbon through holes and knot. With a craft knife or scissors, cut a slit for the drop box.
Step 11: Add ribbon and embellishments. Thread ribbon through the bottom holes of the box and add the rub-ons to the acetate. Adhere the acetate to the inside of the box. Attach the chandelier jewel to the bottom of the box.
Step 12: Finish as desired. Accent your small photo with some chipboard elements. Punch a hole in it and tie onto the hanging ribbon. Add tulle or any other embellishments you’d like. For mine, I added a foil flower I made from elements in the Girls’ Loft July kit and a cute little bird I got at a craft store. Just be creative and add anything you’d like!
Hang your project somewhere your whole family can see so it can remind you to focus on the love you have for each other. Don’t forget to set a time to read your notes to one another.
Don’t you love that creative rush you get when you make something? I love creating things I can use in my everyday life that beautify my surroundings! While I’m here, I must tell you about an upcoming event in Salt Lake City on November 6 & 7 that has just this type of attitude in mind—Spark the Event.
It’s a creative event that encompasses that innate desire to create. We’ll be creating with jewelry, mixed media journals and fabric while we focus on capturing photographic memories in new and creative ways! Come and join Margie Romney-Aslett, Elizabeth Kartchner, Jefra Linn and me for an amazing creative journey. Registration is open now. For more information, check this out!
Thanks for letting me share this creative journey with you . . . come on over to my blog and be sure to enjoy your process!
Rhonna
i would make some display for ME! i am constantly making stuff for other people but i would love to make this heart box filled with my fave things (birdies, owlies) and display it in my future spruced up craft room!
Oh this is perfect! This is my daughter’s (15 yrs old) favorite color combo. I would love to put this on her door and leave her notes each day. She’s getting to that age where sometimes it’s tough to communicate with spoken words. (Sigh) This is such a fabulous idea…thanks for the awesome project and the great detailed tutorial.
Love your idea. The possibilities are endless…maybe I’d decorate it for my daughter’s 14th birthday or maybe I’d put a favorite quote in it and decorate it to put in my bathroom.
cute kit! It would make a great gift for my sister. It’s totally up her ally. Thanks for the giveaway!
What a beautiful project! I love your idea. I would probably use it as deco in my little girls room. Thanks for the giveaway!
So beautiful! I wod live to make a project for my Mother.
It’s such a cute kit! I would use it to make a gift for my husband, maybe using some honeymoon photos.
I love this project! So much that I don’t know if I’d use it for my sweet little girl’s room or MINE!! Thanks for the chance to win it!!
I LOVE this project! Wow! I would love to do this project and hang it over our bed in our bedroom.
Thanks for the chance to win:)
I love this kit and would love to use it as a wall hanging in my new scrapbook room that I am moving into in a few weeks!
What a super cute project! It would be perfect for valentine’s day!
The heart box will be a perfect gift (with a mini album inside)for my mom’s 70th birthday. Thank you for the project.
best regards,
Wanda Contreras
I would love to give it to my girlsfriend.
The patterns and colors are perfect…this project can be used for just about anything!!! I may use it for a baby keepsake box…LOVE it all!
Sarah
I would use it just like you have it. Family Love! Sometimes, you need some reminding to love. Wonderful project, and would love to get my hands on it. Beautiful!
What a fabulous project! I would totally love to make this and hang it in my baby girl’s room! Thank you so much for all of your great ideas!!!
i am loving this idea!! this would make a great housewarming gift!!
Love all your projects.
I just had a baby girl and since we re still decorating her bedroom, I would put a picture of our family with her to show how loved she is by her 3 brothers and proud momma and papa…just the perfect touch.
I would definitely give this kit to my friend Julie…it’s so HER! Then we could also craft it together and spend some time catching up. It’s been weeks since we’ve had time with just us two.
I would so use this to leave my husband little sweet notes. I use to just write on the bathroom mirror, but this would be so much cuter. So cute, can’t wait for it to go on sale.
OMG – what a cute kit!!! I would use it to leave love notes for my awesome hubby. We always write each other notes on post-its and I have saved then for years so that I can make an album. This would be great so we don’t lose our notes!!! LOVE it!
I can totally see this as a “love lives here” wall hanging or “Welcome to our home” sign in the entryway. Very fun idea, thanks for sharing.
Oh I would really love to make that for my beautiful daughter, she is getting married in May and it would be perfect for her and her handsome young man. I can just see everyones eyes when she opens it at her shower, they all want one.
Would love, love, love this kit for a special place in my “memories” area of our home office . . . I have the sign “It’a wonderful life” hanging over all our family photos and this heart box would be perfect to create a piece of “love” interest in the midst of the pics!
I would use it for pics of my girls on the first day of school to help remember what a special day it was.
I absolutely love House of 3 and can’t wait for this kit. I will buy 2 of them one to give to the next person I know to get married (which I hope will be my sister) and one to proclaim the love my husband and I share.
Loving this new kit from HO3. Totally cute and would make this thankful family notes as we approach the holidays and to remember it’s all about the little things in life to appreciate. Thanks for sharing creativity and I can’t wait for the Spark event.
i m loving this project. Thanks for sharing.
I dont know where to begin! For Hubby,daughter and boyfriend, valentines day!!! LOve it.
Everything you do is inspiring, love it!
I would love to fancy up my newest baby’s hand or footprint to add to her room! Love it !
I would fill it with love notes for my kids and hubby. Then they could pull one out each morning before they are off to school and work and know that they are loved throughout the day!
Great idea!
I am so loving this adorable little project and the idea behind it, writing love notes to each other, is a wonderful idea. I feel like this is definitely something that would help to boost everyone in our home. It’s wonderful!
I would love to make these for my girlfriends! Thanks Rhonna! Love all your designs!
This is adorable! I’d most likely do something with pics of my new baby due on Oct. 1st:)
Would love to do this for my 3 kids. Their father and I are getting a divorce and this would give them some security right now. Thanks for the Great Idea.
Super CUTE! I’d decorate it up to my liking and hang it as a decor item in my room to look at all the time! Perhaps personalize it with my intials…
Another super cute project Rhonna! I would love to make it with a picture of our family from our summer vacation – adorable reminder of a terrific time together!
The kit is absolutely adorable! Rhonna, I love your work:) TFS
This is so pretty! Would LOVE one of these!!
I would so LOVE this kit – pun definately intended!
such a sweet idea… and a really GREAT kit!
This is fabulous…love the concept and the end product. My head is racing with ideas for it…thanks for the chance to win.
Rhonna.you rock as always. I would use this kit to help my nieces remember they are loved…in a house with lots of changes (divorce, a new boyfriend for my sis in law, new homes and new schools) I want them to know they are always loved…
I would put a photo of my children in it and hang it by my computer to inspire me as I work all those hours on photos of them!
i would make it for my girlfriend..she just moved to her new house ….
Love it! I have every house of three home decor, might as well get this one too, right? ;D
Beautiful! I love all the projects HO3 is creating. Thank you! I would create the project myself, hang it in my bedroom and simply drool over it. Great project. Great idea. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
This is so pretty! My husband and I are in the process of trying to buy a new home (our very first home), and I think this would look lovely hanging in our new home with pictures of us with are sweet little boys, maybe a bible verse as well in there something like “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. Or the thought of giving this beauty as a gift to either my sister or my mom. I would put childhood pics of my sister and I and notes of memories we share. And for my mom I would put something about how much she has touched and inspired my life and the Godly example she has set before all of us 9 children! I guess I would need 3 of these huh?? So many ideas.. Thanks so much for this wonderful opportunity Rhonna!! God bless you!