How to Create a Personal Shrine
A personal shrine is a creative expression of an important feeling, desire or thought. Since a personal shrine is assembled just for the person who creates it, there are no rules to follow. Instead, a shrine will allow you to tap into and honor your own creativity. Read on to learn how to create a personal shrine.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Determine the theme or meaning of your shrine. A shrine can be a place to remember, a reminder to focus on your goals, a meditation tool, a religious expression, an appreciation of something or someone you love, or just an expression of joy or creativity.
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2
Decide on the form of your shrine. You can create a shrine in any form including one small enough to fit in your pocket, a permanent shrine to display on a table, a large shrine to display outdoors or an impermanent shrine on a shelf or a corner of a garden. Allow your form to reflect your theme.
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3
Find or build the base for your shrine. You can use found objects as the base for a permanent shrine, such as matchboxes, shadowboxes or small chests, or you can build any base you want to. For a temporary shrine, choose the shelf or table on which you will assemble it. For an outdoor shrine, simply choose the location.
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4
Gather important objects for your personal shrine. The objects can be anything that you find personally meaningful and that help you focus on your theme. Consider natural objects like rocks and dried plants, as well as small possessions that mean something to you. Photographs are also a good addition to a shrine. The objects do not necessarily need to logically match the theme of your shrine, as long as you find them intuitively linked to the theme.
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5
Create additional objects, if necessary. Consider creating drawings, carving or sculpting figures, or sewing small objects. A shrine doesn't require a great deal of artistic skill, as long as what you create is meaningful to you.
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6
Assemble your shrine. Experiment with different arrangements of objects before you commit to a design. For a permanent shrine, hot glue your objects to the base. For an impermanent shrine, just arrange the objects and make sure they are stable.
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7
Place your shrine anywhere it seems to belong. Your shrine is a message to yourself, so only you know the best placement.
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Tips & Warnings
There are no set guidelines for creating a personal shrine. A shrine can be as simple as the placement of a stone and a spray of dried grass on a shelf.
