Tutorial: Disney Map Keepsake Box

Disneyland has held a special place in my heart ever since my daughter and I made it our annual tradition to go there, just the two of us. We spend two and a half days, taking in as many attractions as we can. Our personal record is 38 attractions in one wonderfully exhausting day.

We love them all! Big Thunder Mountain, The Matterhorn Bobsleds, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Storybook Land Canal Boats. When I sit down to look at the park map it brings back every happy memory, like the first time we did the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through and my daughter tried to open one of the magical doors and it rattled and growled at her. Hilarious!

To preserve some of our magical memories (park tickets, pins, etc.) I made a special Disneyland map box. If you have your own happy place, this project could easily be modified to use maps, brochures or magazine pictures featuring your favorite locale.

Materials

• paper mache box
• maps, brochures, magazine pictures
• ruler
• Fiskars paper trimmer or scissors
• Mod Podge - gloss finish
• flat paint brush
• Reynolds parchment paper (optional)

Directions

	I used a 4-inch square box and 3 park maps. I could have used fewer maps, but I wanted to feature specific images on my box.
	Fortunately, the folds in the maps were spaced four inches apart. That made it easier to arrange the pieces on my box. Paper mache boxes tend to vary slightly in size, so I'm not going to give specific measurements. You'll need to measure each section of the box that you'll be covering with paper.
	Using a paper trimmer, cut out six pieces for the lid. Four rectangles to wrap around the sides and two squares for the top and inside.
	For the base of the box cut two squares for the inside and bottom, four large rectangles to wrap around the outer sides and four smaller rectangles to line the inner sides.
	Now it's time to get out the Mod Podge. Pro Tip: I like to cover my work area with parchment paper for easy clean up. It catches any drips, and can be easily removed from your sticky work in progress. Paint an even layer of Mod Podge on one side of the box.
	Position one of the outer side papers and smooth out any bubbles.
	Apply an even coat of Mod Podge along the bottom and inside edge and fold over the side paper. Press out any bubbles. Repeat for the remaining three sides.
	Next, adhere the outer bottom panel of the box.
	Now it's time to adhere the inner side panels.
	And finally, the bottom inside square.
	Now for the lid. Again, start with the sides. Fold them over, just like before. Since the sides of the lid are so narrow, it was easier to wrap one piece of paper around both the inside and outside instead of using two separate pieces.
	Next, adhere a square to the inside of the lid.
	Then adhere a square to the top of the lid.
	Once your box is completely covered with paper, you'll want to seal it with a couple coats of Mod Podge. This gives it a beautiful, shiny finish. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface of the box and lid. Let it dry 15-20 minutes between coats.
	Let the box dry for at least 24 hours before you put the lid on. If you can still smell the Mod Podge, it's too soon to close the box.

Once it's completely dry, your keepsake box is ready to be filled with your treasures and mementos.