How to Make Matchbox Art
With the advent of gas lighters, matchboxes are almost obsolete. However, there are still many uses for the humble matchbox. Matchbox art is an interesting and unique way to do art. They may be small, but match boxes pack a creative punch as a craft material, offering a wide array of possibilities.
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Things You'll Need
- Matchbox
- Colored or patterned craft paper
- Pencil
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Sequins, beads or glitter
- Ribbons
- Surprise gift
Instructions
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Decorate the Outside
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1
Choose a theme for your project. For the purposes of this article, we will use "Love" as our theme.
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2
Measure the width of the matchbox. Cut a long strip of craft paper of the same width. Position the matchbox width-wise across at the edge of the paper.
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3
Roll the matchbox across the paper, and mark the position where the last side ends. Trim the paper at the marking you made.
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4
Brush some glue onto the surface of your matchbox. Carefully fit the cut-out strip of paper over the matchbox.
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5
Pull out the inside box, and outline it on a different-colored or patterned paper. Be sure to cut just inside the line. This is for the interior bottom of the box. Glue the cutout into this box.
Make an Attractive Lid
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6
Decorate the outside lid. Cut a small rectangle of craft paper and glue it onto the top of the matchbox. Cut out a heart in a contrasting color or pattern, and glue it on top of the rectangle. Alternatively, glue glitter or sequins in a heart shape.
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7
Measure two lengths of ribbon, double what you would need to go around the lid. Super-glue the middle of each ribbon to the bottom of the box, close to the edges. Bring the ribbon ends around, tying them into bows at the top.
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8
Slip a surprise of your choice into the inner box. This can be anything from little heart-shaped pieces of candy to a sentimental message, or an IOU (IOU a back rub) written on a little piece of paper.
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9
Slide the inner box into place.
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