Make a Jeweled Trinket Box

What kid doesn't love a treasure box? With a little time and effort, you can transform a plain box into a jeweled trinket box that makes a great hiding place for small treasures, jewelry, or coins, as well as a perfect prop for pretend play. Use these DIY jeweled boxes as a craft activity or party favor for princess parties -- or pirate parties!

Except for Amazon and Zazzle products, all photos are my own.

To make your own jeweled trinket box, you will need the following craft materials:

• Papier-mache trinket box
• Metallic craft paint
• Paint brush
• Flat-backed rhinestones or acrylic jewels
• Craft glue (unless using self-stick jewels)

If you plan to get fancy, you may also want:

• Felt or velvet material
• Scissors
• Small mirror

You can usually find these papier-mache trinket boxes in your local craft store for under a dollar apiece. They come in many sizes and shapes from squares to stars. Here are some of the different boxes available online.

The first step is to paint your box. I usually use a realistic metallic color such as gold or silver for a classic look, but there are also metallic and glitter paints in a variety of bright colors such as pink, blue, and purple.

Squeeze out some metallic paint onto a plastic lid or other smooth surface to use as a palette. Open the papier-mache trinket box and begin painting the outside of the box and lid with an even coat of paint. When the entire outside is coated, let dry.

Once the outside is dry, you can also paint the inside of the box and lid, either with the same metallic paint or a contrasting color. Let this dry too.

For best results, use a metallic acrylic paint with good coverage -- your kid probably doesn't want to wait for three coats of paint to dry! I recommend Deco Art Dazzling Metallics or Folk Art Extreme Glitter.

While the paint is drying, sort through the craft jewels and decide on a design for the lid of your jeweled trinket box. Vary the sizes and colors of the rhinestones for the best effect. Once the paint is dry, you can begin sticking the jewels in place.

If using regular flat-backed craft gems, use a SMALL dot of white glue on each gem -- because the backs are so smooth, the glue will spread out a lot. To avoid huge globs of dried glue on your box, use small amounts, and spread the glue over the entire back of the jewel with your finger before placing it on the box lid.

The acrylic craft jewels or rhinestones are the most expensive part of this project -- and that's not saying much! A 1oz package of rhinestone jewels is enough to decorate two or three small trinket boxes. Younger kids may have an easier time with self-adhesive jewels, available in children's craft or scrapbooking departments. Look for a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

When the paint and glue are completely dry, you'll have a gorgeous, glittery trinket box fit for a princess! But you don't have to stop there. Here are some finishing touches for your jeweled trinket boxes.

• Add some jewels to the sides of the box. This is a little trickier, as the box may have curves or corners that make it difficult to attach the gems. Be sure to leave enough room at the top for the lid to go on!
• Add a lining. Trace around the bottom of the box onto a scrap of felt or velvet material. Cut out the shape carefully, staying about 1/8" inside the traced line. Glue the fabric shape to the inside bottom of your box.
• Add a mirror. Glue a small mirror to the inside of the lid. (If you can't find a suitable mirror, or don't want your child handling glass, use foil or self-stick mylar.)
• Personalize. Use a metallic paint marker or puffy paint to write your name on the side of the box.
• Change it up. Intersperse the acrylic gems with small mirror pieces, beads, sequins, or dimensional paint -- anything that sparkles!

Have you tried this craft for yourself or with your kids? Let me know how it goes!