A Box of Delights - Workshop on the Web

A Box of Delights
Creating a curiosity box
Kate Crossley
I am a collector and a hoarder. I love the odd and unusual and over the years, have collected
boxes full of miscellaneous bits and pieces. I hated them being hidden away but felt they
needed something more than the obvious shelf. Then I read about the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’
and after much experimentation, my ‘Box of Delights’ was born.
The term ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ was originally used to describe a room rather than a piece of
furniture, and gained popularity during the 15th century. It soon developed into a cabinet
containing all sorts of objects from the natural world, religious and historical relics, works of art,
often painted onto the box itself and sometimes, fake pieces such as unicorn horns and
mermaid scales. The Cabinet of Curiosities is often cited as the forerunner to the modern day
museum.
So many of us have a box or drawer full of small objects and collected ephemera, too odd or
scruffy to be displayed but much too precious to us to be discarded. Here is a wonderful way to
bring those much loved bits and pieces together, inspired by the Cabinet of Curiosities.
Materials
Cutting mat
Craft knife
Pencil
Metal ruler
Pins
Glue brush
Cellulose adhesive (such as wallpaper paste)
General purpose clear drying glue
Double sided sticky tape
Brown gum strip
A4 Sheet of foam board
A4 Grey medium-weight card
Sheet of plastic to protect the work surface.
A selection of small card boxes; several sizes, the sort used for bracelets and rings.
Tissue paper; I like to use black to start but feel free to use any colour you wish.
Paper ephemera; torn newspaper, wrapping paper, tissue, old book pages, sheet music,
collage sheets, handmade papers, decorative tape, stamps, theatre tickets, bus tickets,
photocopies of old letters and photographs - the list is endless.
Fabric scraps; muslin torn into scraps goes on top of the papier-mâché well, as does silk
and short threads. Think texture rather than colour, as the surface can be tinted with paint,
inks or fabric dye later.
Preparation
Start by gathering your boxes and objects together, four to six small boxes make a nice size
box to start off with. Have a look to see which ones fit together well.
Ask yourself if you want to tell a story or convey a message, or if there is going to be strong
theme such as a holiday, birthday, wedding etc.
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Maybe there is something missing,
something more you need to find or
purchase.
If you are stuck for objects then a walk
outside can produce enough material for
a least three boxes.
Don't be put off if something looks a little
dull, try tying red string or ribbon round it,
tie or glue objects together or make a
jewellery tassle. Vandalise old jewellery.
Fill a tiny bottle with herbs. Use old clock
parts, a pebble from the garden, broken
china or even a rusty nail.
If you have specific objects that you want
to use, see which boxes 'fit' your object.
Don’t forget the lids are good too and
work well if you have shallower objects.
Also bear in mind that the object doesn’t
have to fill the box, sometimes a little
space around it is good, or maybe you
could incorporate some special text or a
picture on the background.
A little planning now makes things so
much easier later - I know, I'm speaking
from the experience of things not fitting
or of being left with an empty box!
Beads and charms; it seems there is a
bead for everything now. I keep my eye
out for oddities online and in bead shops
and at shows. Charity shops are a great
source for old jewellery that can be broken
up. I also like to thread lots together to
make my own 'jewellery'.
Mini bottles; found and saved from
various places. Mini bottles can also be
found online and are wonderful for holding
favourite herbs, coloured ink, messages
and even, on one occasion, finger nail
clippings.
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Found objects; here the list really is endless. This is where you get to go through long shut
drawers and boxes looking at all those things that you couldn’t throw away! Perhaps trawl the
internet looking for that elusive tiny object that will represent an emotion perfectly. Again,
charity shops are an endless source for oddities. This part is totally you.
Method
Decide upon the layout of your box and whether you want a square or rectangular shape. Make
sure special objects fit inside their box. Decide how much space you want between boxes;
sometimes it's nice to have a place for an image or text. These can be made by spacing the
individual boxes out with foam board or card.
Apply double-sided tape around the top edge of each
box.
Turn your boxes over so they are face down. This allows
the front face of your cabinet to be flat regardless of the
varying depths of your boxes. Remember, you are
working from the back for a moment. The boxes will be
reversed when they are turned back to the front.
Remove the protective covering from the double sided
tape and stick your boxes together. If they don’t quite
make an even oblong, pad the gaps with strips of
foam board.
Cut strips of foam board to the width of your deepest
box and apply around all four sides of your boxes.
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To make the plinths, cut more foam board
slightly larger than the boxes and attach to the
top and bottom of the cabinet. If any smoothing
of the box edges is required, apply gum strip.
Mixing cellulose paste; as a general rule, 10
grams makes 1 litre. Mix in a jam jar with a tight
fitting lid, add the powder to water and shake the
jar to mix. It will go lumpy to start with so allow to
stand for at least half an hour and it will clear.
Made-up paste can be stored in the fridge for up
to six months.
Start by applying torn tissue paper in small strips all over the box using the cellulose paste. I
find that applying the paste to the box works best. Then apply another layer on top. This will
give a good background for your collage and treasures and also help to make the finished
cabinet stronger. Small strips work best and do make sure you get into all the corners using the
brush to smooth the wet tissue.
I have used black here but you could use any colour you wish.
Don't forget the back and sides. You may wish to glue a sheet of card or foam board over the
back before you papier-mâché although sometimes, an uneven back can be decorated as a
hidden surprise.
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Embellishment
This is where it starts to get personal and your
imagination can take over. I have used gold and
cream tissue paper, torn book pages, a drawing of a
butterfly and an image torn from a magazine along
with torn muslin and some silk threads.
You could add photocopies of old letters or photographs, special text, foreign language newspapers or
special bits of fabric.
Allow to dry. Keep looking at your box - now is the
time to fill in any gaps with more collage. If there
is anything you dislike, simply cover it with tissue
paper and collage over it.
This is also a good time to add a colour wash. I have
used walnut ink but, again, colour choice is up to you.
Cords for embellishment. I love to make cords on the
sewing machine usually around gimp. I leave the foot
on and add torn strips of fabric as I feed the gimp
through using a zigzag stitch to hold it all together.
But there are so many ready-made braids and cords
out there if you don’t wish to make your own.
RicRac tape looks wonderful as does narrow lace or
even dolls house bunting.
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Apply the cords or braid using glue. Secure with pins until dry.
Add feet if you wish. I use beads on my small boxes or small painted paper balls.
Finishing Touches
The fun bit! Start filling up your Box of Delights.
You could hang beads and charms from the edges of the box by pushing pins into the sides or
stitching them onto the cords or braids
Some objects will look better lifted away from the back of the box. I find that a small piece of
foam board covered in tissue paper and glued to the back of the object will give support.
If my box is going to be moved around then I always glue my objects in, just for practicality, but
if you wish, you can leave things unfixed so that you can change and update your box at any
time. Part of the beauty of using foam board and papier-mâché is that you can push pins into it
to secure beads or objects that can then be removed.
Here are three I have made using the same box.
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‘Paper Box of Delights’ contains a handmade paper butterfly, tiny bottles with paper messages
inside, torn paper and handmade scrolls, tiny books made from old books, leather and a cherub
taken from a key fob.
‘Nature Box of Delights’. This includes a plastic egg, found feather, a tiny bottle of sand,
conkers, leaves and sticks - some altered with yarn and thread - and various charms of trees,
animals and insects.
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‘Charm Box of Delights’ contains bottles with sand and torn paper, bought charms and beads,
skull beads, a small brass candlestick, wooden cogs and small bells.
Once you have mastered this small box then the sky is the limit. You can go smaller or much
larger or change the overall shape of the box or add drawers and doors. Here are some of the
larger boxes I have constructed using exactly the same techniques.
Box of Delights 2012 and 2013.
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Box of Delights 2011 39 x 26 x 24 cm (15 x 10 x 9 in. approx).
Box of Delights 2011. 165 x 59 x 59 cm (65 x 23 x 23 in. approx). Private Collection.
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Right - Clock 2014. 180 x 65 x 45 cm (71 x 25 x 18 in. approx)
Winner of Quilt Creations, Festival of Quilts 2014.
Kate Crossley is an artist living and working in
Oxford. She gained a Masters Degree in Contemporary Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University in
2006, while continuing to exhibit regularly. She
teaches a wide range of workshops and at this
years Festival of Quilts, her 'Clock' won the Quilt
Creations category.
She has work in collections both in the UK and
abroad.
More information on talks and workshops can be
found on the web at www.katecrossley.com
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