Create a Pet Memorial Shadowbox

This pet memorial shadowbox was for Babycat who we lost 10 years ago. Believe it when I say- I had her pawprint in a box for 10 years waiting for the day I would finally do something with it. (Procrastination at its best) You know the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” well that was what happened. I know… there are wooden shadowboxes BUT they were so deep that I felt like the pawprint and picture were dwarfed by the size of the shadowbox. So 10 years ago the pawprint and picture went in a box for the day I would get to it…the day finally came…

I have created 2 pet memorial shadowboxes from a stretched burlap canvas. This is an easy craft project to do with a hot glue gun, some ribbon, and some creativity. I did create and write about creating a burlap shadowbox in a previous post but I realized I should have said ‘pet’.

For anyone who has lost a beloved pet at the vet’s office, then you have received a clay paw imprint to take home. What do you do with this? The suggestion is an ornament but if this falls off the tree and breaks, then you have lost it forever. This is why I created these shadowboxes- to keep the pawprint safe.

You could use other stretched canvas frames that are about 1/2″ deep; however, the burlap ones I found at Hobby Lobby looked the best on the backside because the burlap shows through (to the back of frame). I found this really cool tin metal ribbon and thicker twine ribbon to create this 2nd shadowbox on yet another trip to get one more stretched burlap frame for Babycat’s shadowbox.

I added more ribbon to cover the wood frame (which I should have done this with the first shadowbox) and it really finishes the look of this project. I used the tin decorative ribbon to hold the photo (you could easily use a small frame and hot glue in place as I did the clay pawprint). I bent the ribbon to make a small lip to hot glue to the inside of the frame. I had an old frame I took the glass out and used it to seal up the shadowbox (do not use dollar store frames or the glass because it snaps and cracks way to easily and I say this from experience). I carefully glued the glass on top of the metal ribbon in the 45 degree seams to camouflage the hot glue. After the glass is in place there will be a gap around the glass which I then used the twine ribbon to ‘seal’ up the glass. I carefully hot glued the twine around the glass and it created a nice decorative edge.

This is an easy project to do and one that you could easily do with the kids or grandkids to create a memorial for any pet. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out other fun craft and projects!

Keeping it real, creating, and inspiring!