Saturday, December 17, 2016

The Best Things…

… Come in Small Packages!

Downsizing: 
Mini shadowboxes made from Altoids tins.

Hanging ornament assemblage art made from Altoids tins
Tiny Christmas themed assemblages make great gifts or ornaments.


There’s something special about tiny things; they feel so precious. 
Especially little boxes that open like a locket. 

The best things come in small packages… even more so when they are handmade. 

Assortment of holiday Altoid box assemblages

Who doesn’t have an empty Altoids box or two in their junk drawer? 
I can't just throw them away! 

I gathered all my empties, my supplies, 
and my smallest embellishments, and set to work.

Supplies for making a holiday assemblage

First I covered the inside and outside of the tins in decorative vintage papers 
with Mod Podge (the crafter’s staple!) 

You could use old holiday cards or gift wrap instead.

Altoids tins lined with paper and antique wax

I created an aged look by roughing areas up with sandpaper and applying antique wax.

Christmas Altoids box assemblage

The essential element is the chain to hang it from. 

I used a drill to make small holes for jump rings and added a short length of jewelry chain. 
Cord or ribbon would work too. 

Close-up of chain and "Made with Love" tag
My special touch is the tiny “Made With Love” heart that hangs down into the box. It’s all about those details!
Then the fun part: adding trinkets to enshrine your tiny Christmas story
It doesn’t take much to fill the small space: 
buttons, 
a key, 
tiny trees, 
flowers, 
or animals. 


Embellishments for holiday assemblage


And of course, a message of joy!

"Joy" holiday Altoids box assemblage



Check out this Pinterest collection to see what other assemblage artists have done with Altoids boxes.

Here are just a few examples.







Do you see anything that inspires you?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!



Happy holiday crafting!








4 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Jill...they are really fun to make too!

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  2. Denise, these are such wonderful accent pieces of art!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Judy, even more of a compliment coming from you! I just ordered a lot of 40 from Ebay...that ought to keep me busy for awhile :)

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