Hey, crafty friends, it's Erica! When I was little, my dad took me fishing all the time. I was never much of a girly-girl, so I had no problem baiting my own hooks, taking the fish off my line, and prepping them to cook over a campfire. I have so many fond memories of stories, life lessons, and laughter shared with my dad. We continued to fish and camp into my adulthood, and when I had a daughter of my own, he started the tradition with her as well.
When I saw this fishing-themed shadow box frame cut file, I just knew it was the perfect thing to make for my dad! And with the amazing die cutting ability of the Lessebo Colours paper line, I knew this would come together super fast! Would you believe me if I told you I pulled this off in just under an hour? Let me show you how...
Supplies:
-
Cardstock Warehouse cardstock papers:
- Lessebo Colours 83 lb. Ivory, Navy Blue, Amazon, Lagoon, Seaweed, and Moss
- Cherry Wood Veneer Paper
- Paper Bag Kraft 100 lb.
- Adhesives
- double-sided tape
- Bearly Art® Precision Glue
- Electronic Die Cutting Machine
- Father's Day Shadow Box SVG Cut File
Step 1: Cutting Your Pieces
Start by uploading file linked above to your die cutting machine and sizing it to the size you want. I am making an 8" frame. You can put the completed piece in an 8" shadowbox frame from the craft store, or do what I did and make your own frame using Wood Veneer paper!
I selected all of the layers and sized them to 8 inches. To make my frame, I created an 8.1" square and a 7" square, centered them on top of each other, and used the "slice" feature to create my frame outline piece. (You can delete the other pieces left behind from slicing.) I cut this twice, once from Cherry Wood Veneer, and once from Kraft paper to add some sturdiness behind the wood.
Now it's time to cut! Make sure you cut your 100 lb. Kraft and the Wood Veneer papers on the 2x setting to ensure they cut all the way through.
Step 2: Assembling Your Layers
Once all your pieces are cut, it's time to glue all the layers together! I used double-sided tape around the edges of each layer, and used Bearly Art® glue for the smaller details in the center of the layers. I want to make sure everything is nice and secure!
If you're new to shadow boxes, then you may find lining up the layers perfectly to be a bit challenging. If you want to have more time to wiggle pieces exactly into place, you can use liquid glue for the entire assembly, and make sure everything is lined up before placing something flat, like a large book, on top. Let each layer dry before adding the next layer. This will ensure your piece stays flat and doesn't ripple.
When you reach the top, adhere your Kraft frame piece, and then your Wood Veneer frame piece on top, both with Scor-Tape.
Ta-da! Now you have a lovely shadow box gift that your dad is sure to treasure! I simply hot-glued a string to the back of mine so it could be hung on a command hook, but you could also create a picture frame stand for it using some chipboard, or frame it in a hanging or table frame.
I hope this project inspired you to Make Something Beautiful® for your dad this year! If you do, share it with us on Facebook or Instagram. Tag us (@cardstockwarehouse) to be featured in our stories.
Happy crafting!
Erica
Instagram: @wanderfuldesign
Website: Wanderful Design