Shaped Jewelry Boxes for Little Girls

It's nice to know that, if you have a piece of cardboard, you can make a nice gift for your daughter or other special girl in your life. Usually, when you think of making a jewelry box, you think of wood and tools and metal hardware. But, none of those things are necessary when you make the jewelry box from a simple piece of cardboard. No matter what types of things your little girl likes, such as dolphins, heart shapes or even puppies, you can make the jewelry box to suit her style.

You'll need a pattern to cut the cardboard pieces into the shapes needed for the jewelry box. Cut an image from a coloring book, a children's magazine, a calendar or other source. Use it as a pattern to cut the cardboard. The ideal pictures are very simplistic ones. Draw around the pattern to transfer it to the cardboard. Turn the pattern over, draw around it once again, to make the mirror-image piece that goes with the first piece.

In addition to the two shapes you'll need a long, narrow strip of cardboard. You'll decide on the length and width for this piece. It should be long enough to wrap around the image with a few inches to spare. The width is determined by how tall you want the jewelry box to be. Cut the strip very narrow and the jewelry box will be shallow. Cut it wider and the box will be much deeper.

Start by setting one shape on a flat surface. Begin gluing or taping the cardboard band around the shape. Attach the band so that it goes all the way around the perimeter of the shape. Cut off any excess when you get to the area where you started. Glue or tape the seam where the two ends meet.

The second shape will become the lid for the jewelry box. To keep it on the box you'll need to cut yet another long, thin strip of cardboard. This piece should be very narrow, only about a half-inch wide. To attach this piece, turn the shaped cardboard upside-down and begin gluing it in place. Stand the strip on one side, start a fraction of an inch from the very edge, then begin gluing the strip around the perimeter of the shape. When you're finished, glue on a bead to use as a knob for the lid.

The cardboard jewelry boxes can be embellished to look much nicer than it is. It can be time-consuming to cover the lid and sides of the box, but when you do, the jewelry holder is much more attractive. Glue on buttons, sequin, fake jewels or other craft supplies to achieve the look you want. Or, start the project by covering the cardboard with decorative paper or cloth. The jewelry box makes a nice gift for any little girl.