How to make a baby keepsake shadowbox

This baby keepsake shadowbox would make a great gift for a parent or grandparent, but also for an older sibling with a new baby brother or sister.  Spending time with the older child, sorting through the items you saved from when they were tiny and making a special keepsake box just for them (and talking about what to save in order to make a box sometime in the future for their younger sibling) might help them to adjust to the new arrival and minimise any potential sibling rivalry…

Baby shadow keepsake box 1

To make a baby keepsake shadow box, you will need:

– a large shadow box
– a newborn babygro (don’t tell me you haven’t saved at least one!)
– a cute baby photo or ultrasound picture
– a new baby card (you’ve saved those too, right?!)
– one or two other personal keepsake items

COST: a tenner or more
AGE: 
older kids/adults
TIME: 
20-30 minutes

Baby shadow keepsake box 2

How-to make a baby keepsake shadow box:

  1. Gather all your bits together.  Iron the babygro and fold it neatly (unless your shadow box is HUGE, or your newborn was tiny!)
  2. Open your shadow box and place the photo(s)/scan picture and card(s) in first, face down on the glass, so that they will be completely visible.
  3. Add the folded babygro and any other items that you wish to include (I put a champagne cork with a coin in that we had saved from celebrating Pickle’s birth and a commemorative coin from the Queen’s diamond jubilee, which was the year that Chops was born)
  4. Add your shadow box backing card or paper (I kept this very plain, so as not to distract from the items in the box)
  5. Close your shadow box and admire your work!

Baby shadow keepsake box 3

I thought this project would take me ages, but I managed to complete both boxes in less than an hour (seriously, the thing that took me longest was getting the ironing board out and setting it up – I don’t do ironing).  I would really recommend it – a super simple, fast craft with great results!

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17 thoughts on “How to make a baby keepsake shadowbox

  • January 20, 2014 at 7:55 pm
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    Lovely! I have so many little projects like this i need to do! Do you put money in champagne corks? We do this too as my parents always did and have a big stash of ones from special occasions with 50p’s and £’s in them. I have never understood the meaning behind it though?! x

    Reply
    • January 20, 2014 at 9:37 pm
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      Yes we do (but only on special occasions)!
      As I understand it – it’s a way to mark the importance or ‘value’ (hence the money) of an occasion like a wedding or new baby.

      Not sure how else they could be displayed (though I am sure Pinterest would be full of suggestions)! 😉

      Reply
  • January 20, 2014 at 8:08 pm
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    That’s lovely! I should do this actually – I need to sort through the baby clothes, and i think using one each for something like this for the kids may make it easier to pass on the rest. I have so many newborn clothes cos i get all emotional and attached to it!

    Reply
    • January 20, 2014 at 9:46 pm
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      They do hold a strong sentimental value don’t they? I think because you look at them and remember all those lovely newborn squishy cuddles…
      Good to focus that sentiment on one special item though and free yourself to give the rest away I think.

      I was thinking a dummy might be a good thing to include too (I couldn’t get either of mine to take one, despite multiple attempts, but I know that lots of kids get very attached to them and this could be a good way to encourage an older child to give theirs up?)…

      Reply
  • January 20, 2014 at 9:30 pm
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    What a gorgeous idea! I wish I’d done something like this with Austin before Gwen came along. Of course, we have tons of our own shoeboxes full of stuff from when they were tiny, but a special one made with the child could make all the difference. Austin now is fascinated by stories from when he was tiny….

    Reply
    • January 20, 2014 at 9:52 pm
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      I do like that we now have some of their baby things on display rather than hidden away in the loft.
      Isn’t it sweet that older children are so interested in hearing about when they were babies? Pickle talks about when he was in my tummy (as if he remembers it!) and they both loved looking at the teeny babygros and giggling at the thought that they could once fit in them!

      Reply
  • January 21, 2014 at 8:13 am
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    What a beautiful idea – will have to go digging in the loft for babygros and cards!

    Reply
  • January 21, 2014 at 10:22 am
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    What a great idea. I have my boys things in memory boxes now, but this would have been a great way to display them when they were younger

    Reply
    • January 21, 2014 at 9:41 pm
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      Aaah, that’s lovely to have saved those special mementos and be able to look through them together with your kids once they’re older (or get them out along with the baby photos to embarrass them in front of their girlfriends)… 😉

      Reply
  • January 22, 2014 at 5:26 am
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    Aww, lovely idea! Although shh… I don’t think we saved any cards! We are super disorganised though 😉

    Reply
    • January 24, 2014 at 3:05 pm
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      I don’t think that matters Kate – you could include anything you think is relevant!

      Hospital tag? Newspaper page from their birth day (actually I think you can order those online, so you wouldn’t have had to have kept it!)..?

      Reply
    • January 24, 2014 at 5:25 pm
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      Thank you! I didn’t know you could buy baby shadow boxes pre-made. How can they be personalised (or are you supposed to add bits to them)?

      Reply
  • March 18, 2014 at 11:08 am
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    This is such a cute idea, better to display things like this than leave it all just packed.

    Reply
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