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How to Create a Memory Display Case

A memory display case showcases your favorite treasures. Items like a great-grandmother's brooch, an ancient arrowhead or a wedding corsage that won't fit within the pages of a scrapbook find a home in a display case
or keepsake box. You can purchase boxes in sizes from large to tiny, in shapes from oval to rectangular, with some made of wood and others with a glass top or mirrored bottom. Look for them in craft shops or dollar stores, or purchase larger boxes in appropriate sizes in department or specialty stores.

Things You'll Need

Keepsake boxes Fabric to decorate the inside Paint or varnish for the outside Your keepsakes

Instructions

Creating Your Memory Display Case
- 1
  Choose a box large enough to hold its intended contents. If your box is for rings, pick a small one. If it is for a vintage Christening dress, you'll need a larger one.
- 2
  If the box is made of unpainted wood, decide on a finish. You might stain or polyurethane the unfinished wood, woodburn a design into the lid or paint flowers or another design on the top or sides.
- 3
  Select an interior for your box. The lining can be velvet, silk or another material. Turn the edges under and glue them in place. For a smooth bottom, you might trace a piece of cardboard to fit the inside and cover it with fabric stretched tightly across. For folds, keep the material loose. The inside can also be painted or left as is.
- 4
  If you want to display the contents at an angle, as you might for a long dangling necklace, consider propping up the lining with a piece of strong cardboard. Angle it with the top end held up by cardboard and cover it with an attractive fabric.
- 5
  Consider your plans for the contents. If you want to remove the item on occasion, you will want to lay it down. If you want to place it permanently, affix the item so it won't move. Pieces of jewelry can be attached easily to a cloth background with matching thread.
- 6
  Put a label on the bottom of the box indicating the origins of the contents with the date and circumstances under which you placed them in the memory case.

Collecting Memorabilia