Custom Made Makeup Palette

This is my first instructable so please bear with me  as it may not be quite up to the standard.

I became inspired to create a custom makeup palette from watching youtubers. So before I move on, I would like to thank those people for bringing such brilliant ideas to attention. A lot of people have made palettes using a CD case, but the idea of using a DVD box was great. A DVD box is stronger and large enough to hold more items such as larger pans, longer brushes and pencils.

I have modified the palette to my needs and according to the materials I had available. I decided to create a palette that would contain eyeshadows and lip colours to change my makeup look from a day to a night. The elastic at the bottom is able to hold onto lip and eyepencils, brushes with a thin barrel and a travel mascara. However, the lid will not be able to close if larger barrelled items are placed such as the MAC Dazzleglass.

A lot of people would prefer to use magnetic card/paper to hold the pans since this will allow the pans to be removed. However, since I didn’t have any magnetic paper/card at hand I decided to glue the pans to the box. In addition, I have added a mirror to the palette.

In this instructable, I will show you how to create the palette that I have made. I aim to provide you with clear instructions. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to ask or suggest.

What you will need:

1.      DVD box – use a DVD box designed to hold one DVD

2.      2 pieces of thin A4 card (colour depends on you)

3.      Black elastic (I used the elastic from a hair band)

4.      Double sided tape or hot glue gun

5.      Mirror ( a flat one is preferable)

6.      Black tape

7.      Scissors

8.      Ruler

9.      Pencil

10.    Eyeshadow Pans

11.    A4 sized decorative paper

12.    A knife or heavy duty scissors to cut the plastic of the DVD box

13.    Safety pin

Additional items I have used

1.      Black and white paint

2.      Ribbon

3.      Die cut flowers or any other embellishments of choice

Begin with an empty DVD box. Remove the printed paper sleeve from the transparent outer jacket. Use strong scissors or a knife (this is the most difficult step) to cut out a frame from the side holding the DVD. I would advise you to be really careful or ask someone to help you. I struggled with this step myself. Make sure that you don’t cut through the transparent outer jacket.

To neaten out the edges apply a border of black tape.

At this stage, you can add a piece of ribbon to the front like I have. I have decided to do this step first so the end result looks neat. I used the ribbon to disguise an area where my scissor had poked through the transparent jacket.

Cut out a piece of card to the size of the inside DVD cover. Refer to the image for the measurements used. When cutting the window for the mirror, draw around the mirror and then draw a smaller frame inside. This smaller frame is the one that you will cut. The purpose of this is so that the mirror looks kind of ‘embedded’ into the lid rather than stuck on. Keep this piece of card aside.

Stick the mirror using double sided tape or a hot glue gun to the inside DVD cover. A flat mirror is preferred or a mirror can be removed from a compact using a hair dryer to loosen the glue.

Stick the piece of card (in step 4) onto the inside DVD cover using double sided tape.

The lid of the palette is complete. At this stage you can cut out a border of ribbon and add a few die cut flowers or embellishments to give more of a personal touch.

Now for the palette part, cut out a similar piece of card slightly larger than the previous one, leaving 0.5cm around the edges as a frame. This will be folded to raise the palette. You may need to snip at the corners (shown in the photo). Use scissors and a ruler to score and create a mountain fold.

At this stage you can cut out the circles to the size of your pan. I have used a £2 coin and drawn around it. Use a safety pin to pierce a hole in the centre of each circle to make it easier to cut the circles. You can also cut a rectangular shape if you have a rectangular pan. If you need to, practice on paper beforehand.

Use a safety pin to pierce two holes. I have made these two holes at the bottom. Thread the elastic band through both holes and tie the ends at the back of the card. Use clear nail polish to seal the knot.

Get your pans ready. I have made the pans myself using multiple layers of aluminium foil. Stick the pans to the DVD box using double sided tape or hot glue gun. These should be aligned correctly with the card to be placed on top.

Place the piece of card (in step 8) on the top of the pans. You can glue this card to the sides of the DVD box. I didn’t glue it and it didn’t seem to slide off. If you prefer the idea of using magnets, there are two options; you can stick a magnet on the DVD box and on the back of the pan or you can use magnetic card/paper.

Your palette is complete. If you want to go a step further you can personalise your makeup palette by making your own paper sleeve. Here’s how:
Print a design on an A4 piece of paper. There are many ways to go about this. You can use a graphics program and create your own design or use an image from the internet. I used an image from the internet. The image was a large image, so when resized would not blur.

Use the original sleeve and place on top of the patterned paper. Trace around it and cut it out. You don’t need to do any folds since when you place it in the transparent outer jacket, it should fold ‘itself’ when you close the box.

Add any finishing touches. You can personalise it however you want. I hope I have made the instructable clear enough. My measurements are approximate so you may find some differences. Finally, thanks for reading and good luck.