How to Make a Shadow Box With PVC - Homemade DIY Christmas Crafts

How to make a Shadow Box with PVC

The other day I was working on another PVC project and my wonderfully creative wife spotted my creation and asked to turn it into a Christmas Shadow Box. So here is a great way to make a simple shadow box for any season.

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To get this box started, you will need to make a frame. We used PVC because we had a bunch of it lying around from other projects and it is easy assemble. You could also use wood to make this a little cheaper. Some might try a shoe box, but the frame needs to be stronger and more durable, so that would not be my choice.

Our frame used:

(8) Corner connectors

(8) 9-inch pipes

(4) 1.25-inch pipes

The compactness of our box allows us to place it in many locations, but you can make it any size you want.

We then wrapped our frame in Freezer Paper. The paper is coated differently on each side; a glossy side and a flat side. We placed the flat side outward because it looks more like snow. Also having the glossy side inward should help reflect the light better.

Making sure to leave an opening at the bottom, we glued the paper in place using a hot glue gun.

My wife then used her Silhouette to cut out some stickers to go on the inside of the box. It might be easier to apply the stickers to the freezer paper before attaching it to the frame, but my wife is pro at this. If you do not have a cutting machine, you can cut out some designs on black construction paper and tape or glue them to the inside of the box. The designs are endless.

For the lights, we chose to use some white LED Christmas lights for several reasons. They are very easy to find this time of year. They create very little heat which will help prevent a fire. They use very little electricity and last a long time.

We also chose the battery operated lights, which allow us to relocate the box anywhere in the house without needing a plug.

Lastly my wife added a burlap bow to the top to hide any imperfections.

With a flick of the switch, the box goes from looking plain white to a glowing shadow design. It was hard to catch the true nature of the glow because of my camera, but this project looks great in any darkened and lighted rooms.

This project is a great addition to any household décor and can be decorated for any holiday or season. You can also make a unique design and give it to a friend.

Have fun crafting and we wish you a Merry Christmas.