Question: Does anyone know how to make shaker boxes?

I have drawn my own pattern and used them. For example I drew a watering can and hollowed ot the middle of it.

After I was satisfied with my pattern I made it on heavy cs. Then I took a piece of clear saran wrap and placed on the bottom of the cs. Then I took that sticky foam in strips and put all along the outer edge on the bottom of the plastic wrap.

Does that make sense so far?

then I had another solid can for the bottom which was attached with the second side of the sticky foam.

HOWEVER before adhering the bottom put inside what you are going to fill it with, in my case I used a couple colors of micro beads that looked like water, then attached the bottom.

As I hate the unfinished look along the edge, i then took rafia yarn and adhered around it. Yarn could also be used.

I also made a skillet in th same manner for a recipe swap.

Also you can use or what is commonly used s slide frames. You put a piece of clear plastic on the bottom of the top piece then use the sticky foam tape a the depth, then on the bottom a solid piece of cs or the solid piece of the slide. You can then decorate the unfinished edge with paint, yarn, whatever.

Hope this helps kate and I love making them I in fact need to break down and make a bunch of seaside ones filled with sand from a few of my visits.

((HUGS!))

OKC Dave

Check out my pix and crafts!

I cut page protectors to cut out the glasses in my sizzlits drink set. Maybe you can do something like that on a larger scale and make it 3D?

Hi Kate,

I've made a few, but I don't make shaped ones. Mine are squares that I decorate to fit my theme. They are located on my webshots Public Shoebox account. If it's something you might want to try I can send you a paper template to work from.

If the above link doesn't take you there use the main one below and look in the "public Shoebox" album.

Lots of times I make shaker boxes out of sizzix dies and craft foam. I cut a die with two pieces of cardstock and cut one of the craft foam. Then I cut out the center shape I want in the middle of one of the dies and the foam. I have a piece of sheet protector I cut on till it's gone. I glue the foam with the cut-out to the full piece of die, fill, add the sheet protector and then glue on the last peice of cardstock die. Works great for me. I use mono glue as I have found it holds the shaker box the best. Sandy

Sandy, I have seen others menion this "Craft Foam". What is it or where do you get it? Is it like the stuff you get 'foamie' letters and things already premade with?

i have also used shhet cork as my "middle" too and used Aleen's glue as I found that works for me.

Thanks

OKC Dave

Check out my pix and crafts!

I buy it in 8.5x11 sheets at Wal-mart, Hobby Lobby and Michaels. It is the same stuff the foamie letters is made out of. I have also used it in the sizzix to make my own faom alpha stamps. Sandy

Hi Kate,

I've only done it once, many times over for a recipe swap (Azzy's Wakey Wakey Eggs n Bakey Recipe Swap) ... and I loved it and should do more shaker boxes because it adds so much! I made a fried egg. I used foam for the egg because I liked the texture.

First I created a pattern on cardboard from an old box and cut that out and laid it on my material (the foam). The I drew the outline of my template onto the foam. I did it twice for one egg, a bottom portion and a top portion. On my egg I had it worked out that the egg yolk would contain the beads so on the top section of "egg white" I had to cut out an additional circle which would form the yolk area. (the bottom egg white needed to be closed in order to create a bottom where the beads would roll across so it did not receive the extra cut-out.

Now, because egg yolks are a different color (obviously) than egg white I used the same circle template that I used to create the yolk in the top egg white to cut out a yellow piece of paper for the background of the shakerbox area.

I didn't have foam strips but rather foam squares that I used to life the top egg white and bottom egg white to create the lift needed to insert the beads. I think foam strips would work better because you want to create as much of a wall as possible to keep your beads in and the smaller your beads (fortunately mine were big) the less of a gap in the walls are needed because you don't want those little beads to escape or your shakerbox will eventually be empty!

So I had to use the foam around the edge of where my beads were going to be in order to contain the beads. Then I also needed to use the foam around the inside wall of my design so the entire shakerbox was of the same thickness. (This'll make sense once you get to that stage).

To create the viewing window for the shakerbox bead area I used the thick non-acidic plastic that is sometimes used with stickers and other scrapbooking essentials (ie envelopes from creative memories stickers). I always keep those because they are photo safe and can be cut for just this purpose. (a tip I'd read here on the ng a long time ago.)

Then I just attached it. No, it wasn't perfect but then again it was my first time.

Here's a link to see how it turned out:

Good luck!

Melissa in Seattle

Thanks everyone, as usual you guys were extremely helpful.

I posted the creation here and in webshots.

Not bad for someone who has never ever done this before.

Kate