PROJECT : Sweet Memory Box

It’s a no-brainer to give your mom candies and family pictures for Mother’s Day. But you can go a step further by combining the two and turn a pound box of candy into a special keepsake.

Do this by customizing the candy box and the matte (the border around the photo). I chose two rice papers in contrasting colors. You can buy specialty papers from an art store, but any decorative wrapping papers will do.

Use illustration board (also available at art stores) to make the matte for a 3x5-inch photograph. Then cover the matte with one kind of rice paper and the box lid with the other. Place the matted photo on top of the box. The picture can be removed and placed in any standard 5x7-inch frame. It’s something Mom can keep long after the candy is gone.

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You will need:

1 (8 1/2x14-inch) piece paper for candy box

X-Acto-type knife

Ruler or straightedge

Rubber cement

1 (5x10 1/2-inch) pound box of candy

1 (5x7-inch) illustration board

1 (7x9-inch) piece paper for matte

1 (4 3/4x6 3/4-inch) piece paper for back of matte

1 (3x5-inch) photograph

White tape

Pencil

Ribbon or raffia

Dried or fresh-cut flower, optional

* Note: Paper measurements are based on 1-pound (5x10 1/2-inch) candy box; paper size will need to be adjusted for different-sized boxes.

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To Cover Box

If decorative paper is not already cut to proper size, trim it to an 8 1/2x14-inch piece using X-Acto-type knife and straightedge.

Brush rubber cement on top and outer sides of candy box lid. Brush rubber cement all over one side of paper. Allow lid and paper to dry.

Center lid upside down on glued side of paper. Starting with one of the long sides of paper, press the paper onto the side of the lid. The paper should extend 1/4 inch beyond lid; fold this excess over the top of lid and onto the inside. Using the knife, cut the paper vertically against each of the two covered corners on the inside of the lid (this is to free paper at short ends for easier handling). Repeat process with opposite long side of the paper.

As if wrapping a gift box, fold the remaining paper sideways (not upward) onto the short sides of the box, creating diagonal angles on the short ends of the paper. Neatly crease the paper along the diagonal angles. Again as if wrapping a gift box, fold the creased paper onto the short sides of the box and fold the remaining 1/4-inch edges into lid. Press to seal.

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To Cover Matte

If the illustration board is not already cut to proper size, use knife and straightedge to cut board to a 5x7-inch rectangle. With ruler and pencil, lightly draw lines on this rectangle 1 1/8 inches from the edge parallel to each long side and 1 1/2 inches from the edge parallel to each short side. Using the knife, follow these lines to cut a 2 3/4x4-inch rectangular hole out of the center of the board.

If the decorative paper is not already cut to proper size, use knife and straightedge to cut paper to 7x9-inch piece.

Place board on top of decorative paper and center. On the portion of the paper showing through the frame, draw two straight lines from corner to corner of the frame with a pencil, making an X. Use knife to cut the paper along these lines from each corner for 1/2 inch.

With pencil and straightedge, draw a smaller rectangle on the paper by connecting the ends of these 1/2-inch cuts. Cut out this small rectangle with knife and remove.

On the portion of paper beyond the borders of the frame, draw a straight line from each corner of the frame to a corner of the paper. Cut along those lines.

Brush rubber cement onto one side of board and one side of paper. Allow each to dry.

Place paper on work surface, glue side up. Center board, glue side down, on center of paper.

Brush more rubber cement onto unglued back side of the board.

Start working at the inside of the frame. Fold each half-inch corner of paper up over board and press firmly.

Then fold the outer paper end over one edge of the board and press firmly. Cut paper with knife from corner of board toward opposite corner so that triangular excess piece of paper can be removed; this allows paper to lie flat. Repeat on remaining sides of the frame.

Place 3x5-inch photograph in center of matte, face side down. Tape photo down along all four edges.

Cut a 4 3/4x6 3/4-inch piece of the same illustration board used for the matte. Brush one side of the paper and the back of the matte and the photo with rubber cement. Allow to dry.

Center and place it on the back of the taped photograph. Press together firmly.

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To Assemble

Place matted photograph in the center of candy box. The widths should be the same. Diagonally tie with ribbon or raffia to hold down matte. Add a dried or fresh-cut flower if available.