DIY Day: Newborn Keepsakes Shadow Box

In the beginning it seems it'll never end!
With the constant crying on both ends (the mother and the baby), the strict scheduling of feeding every two hours, inability to adjust to what's happened to your body, enforced insomnia and of course counting to multiple centuries of diaper changes, time seems it's stood still.
However, once you're past the trauma, one day you sit down and wonder 'did I take a shower today?' :P 
Not really actually. You reminisce the initial months; and just for moments like these, you want to preserve your baby's tiny souvenirs from the early days. 
That is exactly what a newborn keepsakes box is for. Not only does it make for a timeless piece but a great decoration for your nursery.

Here's an easy guide on how you could make one:

Step 1: the shadow-box itself

Unless you already know a stationery shop that sells show boxes in Karachi, it'll be a little tough to find one here. Therefore, I sought out an online tutorial that uses regular frames to make a shadow box.

from this ...

... to this!

You can easily buy a variety of frames of your choice from either Gul Plaza in Saddar, or Nursery on Shahra-e-Faisal, or buy some from  here on OLX.  

You can also choose to make one from cardboard following the tutorial from this blog.

like a tiny doll house

Before you begin, however, decide upon the measurements you'd want for your shadow box display so that it can hold the items you may have assembled earlier.

Step 2: background theme

Select a theme for your display. You can line the box with fabric/wrapping paper/scrap book paper of your choice.

choose vibrant colours

you can use a variety of different papers to create a personalized theme

A wise choice would be to select a timeless paper so your shadow box display doesn't get outdated. Make sure the background doesn't clash with your items.

you can also create a background yourself using different shapes and/or pictures

You can also layer the box lining with styrofoam and felt over it, to allow items or accessories to be pinned onto the board.  

Step 3: the most exciting part!

Select the different items you want to display in the keepsakes exhibit. Usually parents cherish the hospital notifications/identity tags (read hospital souvenirs)  to feel nostalgic all over again once their child grows up to become a rebellious teenager.

You can choose to display the clothes from the day the baby came home for the first time; first hat; first pair of shoes; first diaper brand (unused of course); hospital tags; photos of the newborn or the pregnant mother, or better, both; baby announcement; or any other thing you may want to add!

Here are some pictures I discovered on pinterest of the final masterpieces!

do give this a try and let us know how it turned out!