d.i.y. paper doll shadow boxes.

I love paper dolls. I just need to throw that out there. I was obsessed with them as a child and would play with them endlessly. My favourite was this giant book of "Lettie Lane and her Family." They were replicas of Victorian dolls and they focused on a wedding. There was a bride, groom, Lettie, her mom, her multiple siblings, her bridesmaids..and her scary old grandma that I refused to cut out of the book. I had completely forgotten about them, but then they popped into my head the other day and I decided I needed to do something with them, because they are adorable and I think they would look sweet on my wall, so I made them into shadow boxes. I especially love all their hats. Lettie Lane is the one in the yellow floral dress in case you were curious.

Supplies:
_paper dolls.
_memory boxes, shadow boxes, or any type of box or frame you can open that has some interior depth to it. These were photo keepsake boxes that originally had glass on the top, but I removed it and flipped them on their side.
_paint.

1_sand and paint the exterior of your box, I chose white. Let dry. You can also paint interior as well to make a nice backdrop, or you can add some pretty patterned paper like I did.

2_Arrange your dolls/whatever other objects you would like to use in your box, deciding on placement, outfits, etc. It's nice to layer them a bit to give your shadow box display depth!

3_If your dolls don't already have a stand make one by cutting out thin strips of cardstock or thin cardboard, folding in half and then gluing to the back of the doll. This lets the doll stand up and gives you a surface on which to glue it to the box.

4_glue in dolls using a glue stick, white glue or even tape if you have to, and voila! Your have super cute, whimsical doll art for your walls!

I love how whimsical and charming they are, and that I get to do something with my lovely, vintage paper dolls again! It's like a little minature stage in a box, a little fragment of a story and my childhood. You do this with any object you loved really, photos, ribbon, the bright yellow jelly shoes you wore when you were 2 (I just found mine in my closet the other day), any kind of trinket you happen to adore! I hung mine on my wall, the box had quite a thick lip around the bottom which made it super easy the hang on a nail, but it your box is flat you could either lean it on a shelf or attach a picture frame hanger to the back before painting.

Happy Monday! xo. T.