Recycled CD Mosaic gift box

Why give a gift in a plain box when you can present it in a keepsake box that is a gift in itself. The best part is that it is a recycling project you make it with old CD’s you may have lying around gathering dust.  It's quick--it's easy-- and it's just in time for Mother’s Day-- or any day.

You will need:

One small paper mache box (available in craft stores)

Two “Woodsies,” wooden hearts, one larger than the other (optional)

One CD cut up into small pieces

Old pair of scissors or tin snips

Tacky Glue (I used Aleene’s turbo tacky glue)

Black and Red slick dimensional fabric paint

Tweezers

Gold metallic acrylic paint

Small paintbrush

Paper or waxed paper to cover your work surface

Paper plate as a palette for the paint

1.     Using the small paintbrush, apply a coat of gold metallic paint to the outside of the box bottom and box top.  Let dry and then apply a coat of paint to the inside of top and bottom.  If necessary apply a second coat. Let dry. 

2.     Center the larger unpainted wooden heart on the box top and attach with a bit of tacky glue.  Glue the smaller heart on top of the larger heart. (This step is optional and if you don't add the heart you only need black dimensional fabric paint)

3.     Use the scissors or tin snips to cut the CD into small pieces of various sizes.  Work on small sections at a time. Add a bit of tacky glue to the box top and start applying the broken CD pieces. The tweezers make it easy to get in tight areas. Make sure you leave space between the pieces. If you have decided to use the wooden hearts, attach small CD pieces to them as well.  (They will give the box even more dimension)  Let the glue dry.

4.     Squirt the dimensional black fabric paint on a piece of scrap paper so that there are no bubbles and it comes out evenly.  Fill in the areas between the CD pieces with the fabric paint. Work in sections and be careful not to smear the areas you have already done.  Let dry.  When the black paint has dried fill in the open areas of the hearts with the red dimensional fabric paint and let dry.