MATCH BOX MUSIC BOX
As an Artist In Residence 2016 for ImagineCrafts /Tsukineko, I have created this tutorial featuring Creative Medium and other wonderful products to produce a unique and textured design for this MusicBox. My inspiration comes from my childhood when I collected matchboxes from every restaurant I visited. Without matches it was just an empty box but perfect for small rocks, beads, etc. One day while creating unique boxes for jewelry Presto! the idea of a greeting card was born. About 18 years ago I revisited some cards I’d made and thought, what would happen if I dismantled a large matchbox and used it for something other than storage? The answer is a Match Box Music Box. This box is Christmas-themed but these keepsake gifts can be made for any occasion.
**This tutorial may seem rather involved, but I guarantee you it’s worth the all the time, the effort and attention to detail.
Difficulty: Intermediate – Advanced
Time: One Hour + drying time
DIRECTIONS:
1. Take a large matchbox and carefully dismantle the top piece.
2. Paint both top and bottom surface with
Gesso [Black or white work best.] It may take more than one coat to
cover design to your satisfaction. Cover dried box top with fabric – I
used White Sticky Back Canvas. Make sure to paint Gesso along the edges
to prevent
fraying.
3. Now take the box and apply white Gesso. *Optional step: Apply a water-base clear varnish. This creates wonderful reflections of the inside of the box.
4. Take Music Box movement and place it in the left hand corner of the box. Mark the point where the ‘key turn’ touches the box. Take box top and wrap around box bottom and mark the same point. Make a hole in these two places – an eyelet setting tool is ideal for this task. Take a piece of patterned paper and line bottom of box. Apply a thin coating of the Creative Medium to paper using a sponge brush. Apply decorative trim of choice to both ends of the music box top.
5. Take Snowflake Stencils and Creative Medium colors to create a design on the box top both inside and outside, as desired.
6. Take Creative Medium color[s] and
spread onto heavy card stock, watercolor paper or heavy Kraft paper.
Allow medium to dry. Take different Snowflake die and cut numerous
snowflakes from this piece of coated paper. These Snowflakes will become
the decoration for the inside of the music box.
NOTE: Each snowflake should consist of at least two layers to give them strength and substance.
7. Take two Q-Tips and cut off cotton
tops. Rub each paper stick in Memento Danube Blue ink mixed with a small
amount of water. Let dry. Take some Creative Medium with your fingers
and rub onto paper sticks. Cut sticks to different lengths and attach
Snowflakes to
the ends with glue.
8. Take Music Box movement and align the key turn to the hole you made. Glue movement to the bottom of box. Apply Creative Medium to the movement itself being careful not to paint the roller. This will help make it blend better into the whole design. Then glue bottom end of Snowflake sticks into the box, as desired
9. Take top piece and wrap around the box and glue both pieces together with strong glue.
10. To finish, decide which type of closure you’re going to use. I used two Snowflake shaped buttons painted with Creative Medium Iridescent Turquoise. I attached one button to the front of the box and one to the back. A piece of metallic cord is strung from the front button closure to the back to keep the box closed tightly so the music doesn’t play until the box is opened. The key to the musical movement is attached to the back closure with another piece of elastic cord so it doesn’t get lost.
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