I had this round box just sitting around in my basement, taking up space. I wasn't crazy about the lighthouse scene on the top, but I wasn't sure what to recover it with. While looking through Martha Stewart one day, I saw a candy box she'd made with a photo top and it sparked an idea.
First I repainted the bottom and the sides of the top in a lovely pale green. It's one of my favorite colors, and reminds me of the green sea grasses blowing the salty air.
Since the box held sand dollars collected one sunny summer day, I decided to top the box with a black and white photo of the beloved beach they'd come from. We still fondly call that morning "The Day of the Sand Dollars" - we'd find one sticking out of the sand, pull it out, and then find many more in the same spot. I think we each found 12 - 15 each that day...and we've never found that many since, no matter how many times we've looked!
I printed the photo a bit larger than the top, let the ink dry, and then centered the top over the photo as a guide and traced around it with a pencil. I carefully cut it out and applied it to the top with Modge Podge. I then applied a few more coats of Modge Podge to the top as a sealant.
If the photo hangs over the edges a bit, you can fix it after the top coat has dried. Just flip the top over and cut off the extra with a sharp X-Acto knife or boxcutter.
Boxes like these make great keepsake gifts. You could use a portrait of you & your spouse, your family, or a photo that reminds you of a special day like I did! Color photos work as well, I just like the way the grey tones pop against the more colorful bottom.
For a holiday twist, add snowflake pictures to the top and make the bottom a bright blue or red!
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