DIY Memory Shadow Box

Having Zander join our family has made me think a lot about how fast the time has gone with Zoey. It is so bittersweet. I love seeing her grow and learn and mature. At the same time when I hold tiny little Zander in my arms I can’t help but think that it seems like just yesterday that Zoey was that small. All of a sudden she doesn’t seem like a baby anymore when she is sitting next to my newborn. I wish I could turn back the clock!

Anyways it got me thinking about ways I could preserve these memories and this time to look back on. It goes by so quickly and it is easy to forget the little things. I already scrapbook a lot of what we do online and then order the books. But I wanted a way to preserve some of the physical memories, like a pair of slippers that show how tiny her feet were and an actual picture of something she drew for me, or a flower she picked.

Since Zoey just turned 3 I decided to make a memory shadow box that represents Zoey’s 2nd year. It was super easy so I thought I would share a quick DIY Memory Shadow Box post for other mamas and dads out there who are looking for a way to preserve some of the little treasures that remind them of their babies.

How To Make A DIY Memory Shadow Box

What You Will Need:

• A shadow box, I got one at Walmart for $15
• Sticky Velcro (also grabbed that from walmart for a couple bucks)
• 3-5 things that represent the memory you are trying to preserve. I think it is best to chose one bigger item as the ‘centerpiece’ and the rest smaller items, I got:
  • The first picture Zoey drew that looked like something – this is such a treasure to me. The picture is mommy, daddy and Zoey
  • A pair of RuffleButts (this was my centerpiece) – it reminds me of how small she was and how much she loves dancing! Use the code OCTBUY1GET2 to take advantage of their BUY 1 GET 2 FREE sale on select bloomers through Thursday 10/20!!
  • A slipper to represent how tiny she was this year…
  • Her favorite story book, Zoey LOVES reading books together.

What To Do:

1. Gather all the supplies together.
2. Put your centerpiece in first and arrange the other items around it till you are satisfied with how it all looks. If you are making a memory shadow box for your child I think your child’s first pair of RuffleButts is the perfect centerpiece. They are a sweet way to remember how small your tiny one was – and they look very artistic in the box. Not to mention it is a lot easier to fit a pair of RuffleButts in a box than it would be a dress or another larger piece of clothing.
3. Once you have arranged everything use the velcro to stick it all in place.
4. Put it up on the wall somewhere you will see it all the time!

That is basically it. A memory shadow box is super simple to make and really meaningful. There are so many things that happened in Zoey’s 2nd year of life, but my favorite things to look back on are her love of dancing and her picture she drew for me.

You can buy a pair of RuffleButts to represent your baby in a memory shadow box by visiting their website here. I got this denim pair and a pair of buffalo plaid because I didn’t know which would look best in my box. I ended up using the buffalo plaid pair because the colors stood out and made the whole thing pop.

What things would you put in a shadow box representing your child when they were two? What pair of RuffleButts would you put in your memory shadow box? Has anyone else made one of these before? I haven’t, but now that I know how easy it is I am really excited to make more in the future representing Zander’s first year and Zoey’s fourth!

Keep scrolling for more pictures or…

My Sweater | Buffalo Plaid RuffleButts | Denim RuffleButts