Decoupaged Keepsake Box for Travel Memories

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Finished keepsake box with and old world Paris Monuments map decoupaged to each panel. The map is off white parchment paper look with peach, pink, light blue and green accents. The monuments are line art drawn in black. The finished keepsake box is photographed on a wood table with a metal Eiffel Tower souvenir on top and greenery in the background.

This decoupaged keepsake box offers a simple way to store travel memories and collected mementos. Made from an unfinished wood box, it’s easy to customize and perfect for holding photos, postcards, and small keepsakes.

Supplies

  • A wooden box
  • A paper map (here’s a link to the map of Paris used in this tutorial)
  • Mod Podge
  • Large and small paintbrushes
  • Scissors
  • A ruler
  • A pencil
  • A precision knife (X-Acto knife)
  • A squeegee (an old credit card will work too)
  • Polyurethane (optional)

How to Make a Decoupaged Keepsake Box – 5 Easy Steps

STEP 1:

Cut paper map pieces slightly larger than the panel you’re working on, and coat your box thoroughly with Mod Podge from edge to edge before applying your paper map panel.

Tip: Use your box as a guide to trace the panels of your box with a pencil on the back of the map. Cut a little larger for easier placement.

Shown is a wood box with the top coated completely with Mod Podge and a piece of a Paris map cut to size ready to be applied.

STEP 2:

Use a squeegee to smooth any bubbles and adhere the paper map to your box. Work from the center out.

Using a squeegee to smooth out bubbles after using Mod Podge and a paper map panel to the top of a wood box.

STEP 3:

Trim away any excess paper overhanging the edges with an X-Acto or precision knife.

Tip: To make things easier, turn your box upside down and use it as a straight edge when trimming.

Photo of the box flipped over and used as a straight edge to cut away excess paper map that is overhanging the edge of the box.

STEP 4:

Finish all of the sides.

Photo of one of the edges being finished by decoupaging the map to the side of the lid. Below your can see the tools used in this projects, scissors, a ruler, a pencil and an X-Acto knife.

STEP 5:

Give your box a top coat of polyurethane or coat the entire box with a thin layer of Mod Podge to protect the art!

As a recommended last step, coat your finished decoupaged box with General Finished top coat. Here I'm using Flat, or use any polyurethane. You could also coat the art with a thin layer of Mod Podge.
Finished keepsake box with and old world Paris Monuments map decoupaged to each panel. The map is off white parchment paper look with peach, pink, light blue and green accents. The monuments are line art drawn in black. The finished box is on a wood table with books and greenery in the background and a small metal Eiffel Tower keepsake to the side. Pin this image to your Pinterest craft boards to come back to this easy DIY project later!
Star divider used has two hand drawn lines with a star in the center, used as a content break and signals new or different content below. This doodle style illustration is in a medium charcoal gray.

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