Wooden Keepsake Holder

Everyone has some item they cherish and want to keep out to enjoy. In my niece's case, she was given a really neat ornament in the shape of a piece of cake. She loves cake, so this was a perfect gift! All she needed was a place to display it, hence this project. This lightweight frame is fairly easy to assemble, uses tools most of us have around the house, and the wood can be bought in handy-dandy prefab sticks.

SKILLS NEEDED: Can you use a utility type knife and still have ten little piggies at the end of the day? Can you wield a bit of sandpaper? Can you dab a few drops of super glue without permanently affixing yourself to the table? Yes? You're in!

MORE ADVANCED SKILL SET? Use this project as a springboard. You will see several places that might benefit from a lap joint, or a more decorative wood choice. Maybe you want to use rosewood (gorgeous!), or make the uprights look like gnome trees. I actually thought about making it look more like a working doorway. Style it to match your tastes and whatever will be displayed.)

KIDS: Working with kids? This is too delicate for the little ones, but older kids can do it. Alternately, an adult could do the cutting and let the older kids have fun with the gluing and final decorating.

Utility / craft knife (SHARP)

super glue (quick dry)

pencil

square

ruler

fine sandpaper (I used 320 grit)

wood (pine or balsa, but pine is stronger)

scrap paper (apx. 5 inched wide) OPTIONAL- instead of a ruler

WOOD-- I used a prefab pine stick 3/8" square X 31" long apx. You may use a thicker piece, or a rectangular piece, but be careful not to go too thick unless you want to bump up to using a saw. A craft knife can only cut through so much.

GLUE-- Pick the glue that you can handle. You woodworkers out there already have your favorite :) If you're not sure what to buy, get a quick-dry super glue. How quick? Depends-- how quickly can you work? There are glues that dry in seconds, half a minute, a whole minute-- even hours. I'm pretty handy with the sticky stuff, so I go with ten second dry-time. That way I can get on to the next step. If you want speed with less stress, try a 30 second product. So long as it says 'for wood' on the label, you should be set.

KNIFE-- Many people are afraid of a sharp knife, and opt for a dull one to feel safer. As sensible as that may seem, a sharp knife is actually MUCH safer. You don't have to fight with a sharp knife to make it work. It will do the job it is meant to do, which will save you time, frustration, and possibly a few band-aids. Just watch what you are doing and know where you fingers are at all times :)

GENERAL: All supplies can be found at most hardware stores, especially the little neighborhood ones. Any shop that has 'hobby' supplies, 'craft' supplies, or model making materials should do as well.

Do not make this project on great-granddaddy's heirloom writing desk. You need a surface where you can cut, glue, and sand without starting a family squabble that will make the Hatfield's & McCoy's look like a sandbox tiff.

We are going to start by making the square base. I put a picture of it in the images so you can see where we are headed.

My sample ornament is a nice, big globe. That's an adult hand in the image. We need to measure a stick slightly wider than the item you wish to hang. This will establish the overall width of your base.

Not comfy with a ruler? Set your item next to your wooden stick and give it a good 'eyeball'. Set your fingers on a spot that gives your item a little elbow room. (See image)

Ruler-lover? You know what to do! How long of a stick do you need to give your item free movement when it hangs? (My width was 3.75 inches.)

Using the craft knife, CAREFULLY cut the wood right at that spot you just picked.

**ALWAYS look where you are cutting and keep those digits out from under the blade**

1. hold the long part of the stick still
2. place your knife straight across the wood
3. press down and rock the blade with a medium firmness to make a 'dent' in the wood
4. turn the wood and cut a new 'dent'
5. turn and cut
6. turn and cut
7. theoretically your cuts just met in the middle and your wood is cut

(If your wood is soft enough to cut in one go, go for it!)

"Wait," you say. "Where exactly do I cut?"

Answer 1: I use my thumbnail to mark my spot.

Answer 2: You can make a tiny tick mark with a pencil. (You ruler-lovers already reached for that pencil, didn't you? :)

Answer 3: Use a square to draw a line all the way around the wood, giving you a solid 'band' as a guide.

(Don't know how to use a square? Not even sure what a 'square' is? Fear not, oh brave crafter! My next instructable will be a basic 'howdy' with this very handy hand-tool.)

Chances are, the cut you just made is not quite straight. Gently sand the end flat.

Your wood is SOFT. You won't need much sanding, possibly only a pass or two. You don't want to take off any length, you just want it to be flat. A good way to do this is to leave the sandpaper on the table and lift the stick up on its toes. You will have more control this way.

(You will see I am holding two sticks at once. Ignore this :) Just do one.)

Cut 3 more sticks the exact same size as that first one you just made.

METHOD 1

No ruler: Take that snazzy flat-ended stick you just made and set it next to your long piece of wood stock. Snuggle one end up right next to the other. (See image) Line up your knife right at the tip and cut the 2nd stick. Using the 1st stick again, cut the 3rd & 4th as well. For good accuracy, always use the first stick as your cutting guide.

METHOD 2

Ruler-lovers: I suggest NOT marking and cutting all four pieces at once. It's tempting, I know, to zoom along. But I find that, especially in these smaller sizes, you will lose accuracy. Measure one. Cut that one. Measure the next one.

Again, sand those ends. Make sure they are all reasonably flat. This will help your project end up tidy and straight.

I sand each stick separately first, just a tiny touch as needed. Then I take all 4 and bunch them up together so I can see if they are actually equal in length. If not, let the odd one do another tippy-toe pass over the sandpaper dance floor.

You need to end up with 4 identical sticks. (In my case, that's 4 sticks all 3.75" long.)

See that image with the glue bottle? That is where you are headed next, but we are going to get there in several steps.

For now Glue the ends of 2 sticks together to make a right angle (an L shape). See image.

Making sure this first joint is really square, hold it in place until the glue sets. For me, that's about 20 seconds. You may need to very gently shift your pieces about halfway through just to make sure you don't accidentally affix them to the table :)

TIP 1:

Go easy with the glue. A little dab on the end of one sticks is sufficient.

"But I want that joint to stay put for life!" you eagerly reply.

Yep. I know. So did I the first time I ever popped open that quick-set glue bottle. I was ready to run-- and run it did. Onto my wood, my fingers, my bench, and anywhere else I dared to touch until the 'set' time had finally expired. If, by some unfortunate twist of fate that was certainly no fault of your own, this should happen to you-- open your hand and fingers wide and just wait. It will dry. Sure, you can wipe the majority of the sticky stuff off on something you don't cherish overmuch (so long as it's not your big brother's favorite shirt), but you're likely to get the chosen sacrificial item stuck to your fingers anyway. Just wait. Patience is a virtue, and it's better than having your fingers stuck together. (Depending on your brother, it might be a lot better than trying to explain about the shirt :)

TIP 2:

To get a truly square corner, glue one stick end. Hold it in place just long enough for it to get the idea, but not actually set. Then line your two pieces up against anything that is truly a square. I used my square tool, but even a small cardboard box would work. (See image)

Alright, take a moment and peek at the image. Glue your 3rd stick in place so that your 'frame' looks like mine, with 2 sticks tucked up under that top one.

Use your square again to make sure this second joint is also 'square' (meaning a 90 degree 'box-like' corner). Take your time and make it tidy.

Hold it in place with a little pressure for a few seconds until it starts to set.

To help the next step go more smoothly-- meaning if you would like to avoid seeing your project buckle and shift like an earthquake on a mud flat-- go get a cuppa. Just about any beverage will be fine, although I can personally vouch for the benefits of a nice, dark black tea (provided you hold the moo). Coffee, in my mind, has nothing whatsoever to recommend it, but suit yourself. There's just no helping some people :)

After a few minutes, your glue should be more confident in its ability to do its job and you can go back to doing yours.

Welcome back! Dust those crumbs off your fingers, now. They won't look good glommed into your project. Ready?

You should have 1 stick left to glue. Its time has finally come! Glue that baby on to complete the square frame. Make sure it matches the stick across from it. IE: if the opposite stick is that 'top' outside piece we talked about, make this one a 'top' outside one too. (See the full frame picture in step 6 for reference)

Hold this last side in place until it sets. BE CAREFUL not to apply soooo much pressure that the legs go all slanty. Again, you may want to slide the frame just a wee touch to keep it from sticking to the table.

NOTE: In the image, I am holding everything together with only one hand. This is not recommend. Like your mamma used to say-- use two hands, dear. One hand will encourage the whole frame to rack (slip sideways). I am only using one hand because the other is holding the camera :)

Congratulations! You have completed the base of your keepsake display frame. Enjoy the thrill of a job well done! Line your square up as I did in the image and revel in the amazing evenness, tidiness, and general good looks of your base. Go ahead, don't be shy. I will wait for you.

"Even?" you say to me. "Ummmmmm..."

Don't worry :) If things aren't quite the epitome of perfect, take a moment here and do your best to set them right. As you can see in the other 3 photos, I had a few niggly bits too. A bit of sandpaper is your very best friend.

NOTE: See those two sticks with the unattractive-- ahem, 'ugly'-- pencil marks? That is one reason why I tend not to work with a pencil. Inevitably you end up with these pesky marks that have to be sanded away. I just don't love sanding enough to create any more of these atrocities than need be.

Here come the uprights. You need to consider how tall to make them. This depends on your needs. First, there is how tall your item actually is, and then there are the gaps above and below where it hangs. All three of those together will determine the total height of your project.

No ruler: Place your item beside the length of wooden stick you have not yet used. Grab a ruler. Don't worry, it has been feeling left out and will appreciate being put to good use. Set the ruler on the top of your item so that one end touches your upright stick. This is like when you measure someone's height against a doorjamb. Note the spot with your thumbnail, then go up about 3 fingers more (apx 2 inches). That is the height of your upright stick. You may, of course, make it taller if you want more 'gap' space. If you make it smaller, just make sure your item has room to hang freely.

Whatever your customized size, either keep your fingernail there as a mark or tick it with the pencil.

Ruler-lovers: First, stop cringing. Nobody made you read that airy-fairy approach to measuring. Just hug your ruler for a moment and you'll feel much better . . . Ready? Marvelous! Here we go! Measure the height of your item. I added two inches to that for the top gap. This allows room for a hook or ribbon, and the visual space for the item to actually hang. I have to be less precise on the bottom; that's up to you. I would leave at least an inch, myself. You could go more if there is some ascetic reason for a 'tall' look. Add those three numbers up (item, top, bottom) and that is the measurement of your upright side piece. (Mine came to about 5.75")

Holding that spot you picked on the upright (or line up with your pencil mark), cut the first upright. Sand the ends flat, just as you did with the base pieces. Remember to be gentle, no need to be a lumberjack.

Ruler-lovers: measure a second stick to match the first.

No ruler: line the first upright up with the stock stick and cut a second. Again, in the same method that you made the 4 base sticks.

Both of you: sand the tips of the 2nd stick flat and then line it up with the 1st one. Make sure they are the same height. Sand as needed to adjust.

Okay, we need to find a center point on the base in order to attach the uprights. There are several ways to go about this, pick the route that gets you to the center without making your head whirl like a spinning top.

1. Use a ruler. Measure the entire width of the 'top/outside' stick on your base. Divide this in half and mark center.
2. Can't divide whatever odd measurement you have? No worries! Use your ruler and just walk your pointer fingers in from each side, left and right, in equal steps (say 1/4 inch on the left, 1/4 on the right, etc) until your fingers meet up. That's center. Make a tiny pencil tick.
3. Grab a compass or calipers (I know, not on the equipment list, right? Go ahead, use them if you know how. I won't snitch.)
4. Remember that bit of paper on the supply list? That is no ordinary scrap of paper you saved from the bin. That is a handy-dandy, instamatic, amazing center finding device! Step right up folks and give it a try! Line your paper up with one side of your base (preferably a 'top/outside' piece). Cut your scrap the exact same width as your base. Go look at the image with the tip of my scissors in it as a reference. Take that narrow rectangle and fold it precisely in half, crease well. Open it up and line it up with the side of your base, just as if it is a ruler and you are taking a measurement, and make a tiny pencil tick mark right where the fold sits. That is center! (See the image with the big, black arrow.)

No matter which route you chose, go ahead and mark the center spot on the opposite side of your base as well.

Glue one upright leg to the outside of the base right where you made a pencil mark. Pinch it against the base and hold it there, just long enough so that putting on the next upright won't accidentally knock it off. You can see in the image that I am holding mine in place with my square. This just gives a firm surface so my fingers don't inadvertently make the stick tip over. Glue the second upright, making sure to set it exactly straight up.

NOTE: If you glue the uprights to the inside of the base, you will lose some of the elbow room for your item to hang freely.

TIP: Make sure the uprights are truly upright and not tipping off in some odd direction like an old fence post about to acquiesce to termites. The square is right at home with this task. With your project sitting on the table (see image), dab the glue onto the upright and set in place on the center mark. Set the square against each face of the upright and gently nudge the stick into alignment. (You can use that small cardboard box again too). Our eye doesn't always see straight up an down, but the square knows. Work quickly, as the glue is trying to set-- ready or not.

All that's left is the top bar. Now, instinctively all y'all are going to want to measure the distance in between the topmost tips of the uprights you just glued in place. Don't. You want the weight of your item, however little or much that maybe, to press down on the uprights-- not yank on the top bar. To put the stress where it belongs, the bar must go up on the tippy top points of the uprights. If that doesn't make sense-- trust me. The bar goes on top and your glue joint will thank me for it. :)

Measure the distance from the far outside edge of one upright all the way over to the outside edge of the second upright. Do this down near the base NOT at the top.

Cut the top bar exactly where you measured, or very slightly larger. Before you sand anything, test this piece out. Just stick it up there and see what you think. Too long or short by a millimeter or so will not change anything. If it's too long, gently sand shorter.

You can see in the image (where I am pointing to one corner) that my bar seems a little short. It's not. It is exactly the same width as the base of the uprights, and just the right size to make the frame into a perfect square shape. All I have to do is gently pull the uprights into place.

Glue both upright tips at the same time. Lay the frame down with the base hanging off the table. This will make your uprights sit flat on the table. Snug the top bar into place.

Now, hold that joint while the glue dries. Sing about that dang squirrel getting loose. Or the bitterness of a lemon tree. Or the beat the beat, be all about that beat. Whatever floats your generational boat for a minute or two.

Remember to make sure that your project does not cement itself to your dining table :)

NOTE: Remember mama's advice-- hold it with two hands.

NOTE: Working flat on the table like this will help your frame not end up with a twist in it.

Yippeee!!! Basically, you are done.

You can touch up any slight misalignment at the joints or clean up any pencil marks with the sand paper.

NOTE: I know the image looks crooked, but that is purely a result of an abyss-boy soda pop before I picked up the camera for this final shot. Keeping still is a mite tricky in that state.

People prefer perfectly personalized projects, possibly to proffer as prized presents. It's true! So, now that you have your very own handmade keepsake holder, decorate it!

"How?" you say.

Well, I redecorated the same frame in several ways to give you some inspiration. I would do more to each one if I was going to keep that particular theme.

For example:

CAKE: My niece is a pink & glitter maniac. I would paint the frame first, sprinkle on some iridescent glitter, then glue those candles on for keeps. I might even find a toy plate (or craft one out of oven-bake clay) to place in the base. A tiny fork would be a humorous touch. Hilarious would be a tiny figure standing on that plate with its tiny fork in hand, looking up wide-eyed to size up his dangling meal. If that doesn't make you laugh, your giggler's broken.

SHIP: I might stain the wood dark for a better contrast with the metal model. I might, instead, use a coarse twine to look like a hawser and glue it all around the frame. Then maybe add some tiny, interesting seashells, or little glass bottles with notes in them, or doubloon coins, or bits of torn up treasure map-- you get the idea.

BADGE: The red and white ribbon holds a Scottish clan badge. Here I would personalize it to wherever it's going. What does the recipient enjoy or value in their family history? If it honors, say, a grandfather-- what accomplishments did he achieve? One of my early Scottish relatives fought against Cromwell. I might add a little toy claymore or a replica of his coat of arms. He also sailed to America, so I could stick a ship on there. Or maybe I would keep it simple and just wind a bit of matching clan ribbon down the uprights.

GLOBE: The peace globe is a Christmas ornament. Just about anything could be done here, but my first inclination is to paint the wooden frame with metallic paints. Alternately, a nice fabric Christmas ribbon could be draped over the frame. Dollhouse scale garland would be a nice touch. I wonder if you could cut down that tinsel-like garland to a more petite length?

POLICE SHIELD: We have several policemen in my family. We are currently discussing how we might like to display one of their badges. Personally, I would keep this one simple. Perhaps a nice silk ribbon, or paint the wood to match their county/state colors. Of course, adding items to reflect who they were, what they liked, honors on the job, small patches or pins, are all a nice touches too.

FLOWER: Jewelry is a great thing to display. I have some pieces from my great-great-grandmother and some from both of my grandmothers. The frame could be glittered to match the shiny jewelry, or painted black to be less obvious. Mother loves earrings so, for her, I would add little nubs onto the uprights where she could hang a couple matching pairs of earnings.

SWING: It's a paper people puppet! (See my other instructable-- yep, blatant plug there :)

I love this design. Were I to improve upon it, I would crumple some lightweight paper bag paper into tall 'tree trunks' and attach them to the uprights. I might even use some crumpled paper to make a tree top. Now that I say it, air-dry clay might be interesting. Make the whole thing look like it's in the park-- sort of like making a gnome home. I would definitely make the seat out of real wood instead of paper.

CLOCK: This might be to honor the owner of the watch. It might just be a cool way to display your own watch where you can use it all the time. I used to have a bag of random gears-- big, small, copper, steal, etc-- that would go perfectly with this. Might look good with train stuff. Steampunked? Somewhere in Time? Salvidor Dali? Phantom Toll Booth?

Thank you for enjoying this instructable! Go forth and create fun things that make people happy! If you make this project, please feel free to upload an image. Your creativity may inspire someone else!

To learn more about what I do, please visit:

smashwords.com (search: Jane MacGregor)