XOXO :: Altered Heart Tin

Only one month until Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd share this altered heart tin with you! Originally looks like this (available for purchase at Papertrey Ink). I covered it paper, ribbon, flowers, and rhinestones. Somehow, during my alteration, I came up with the idea to make it a jewerly heart tin. I thought this is the perfect Valentine's treat for anyone! Not only can you alter it to hold a ring, but also any other jewelry, such as earrings, necklace, or bracelet! This tin can also be altered to fit anyone's taste and can be given any time of the year. I think this is the perfect way to present an engagement ring because it is not in the typical jeweler's box. This can be a way to 'hide' it in an inconspicuous way. My sister had a good idea to create a few of them, one with candy, another with a note, but the last with the engagement ring. Isn't that a cute idea? Sorry for a lot of photos, I really liked the project and how it turned out and my DH had a good time photographing it (thanks, Mac)! Everything to complete this project is from Papertrey Ink, except the rhinestones and flowers (Mac gave those to me for Christmas!). The ring is only placed in the tin as an example!

Want to create your own heart tin? It's easy using these quick steps:

1. Clean tin by wiping off any 'dirt' - it is probably clean!
2. Measure paper to wrap around tin. (TIP: Papertrey Ink's 6x6 pattern paper fits perfectly around the tin. You only have to measure the width, which will be the height of the tin of about 2" or so).
3. Adhere pattern paper to tin using tacky glue (my personal preference at the time).
4. Measure pattern paper for the tin lid by tracing the heart and cutting it out. (TIP: Before adhering, match paper to the lid making sure it fits. Trim any excess with scissors.)
5. Adhere pattern paper to lid.
6. Measure ribbon for the lid and base of the tin and adhere to tin. (TIP: To keep everything uniform, select a side you will make your 'seam' side and start and finish at the same point for your pattern paper and ribbon. I used the top part of the heart because people tend to hold the heart face up/down with that part not exposed).
7. Adhere ribbon to tin (I used tacky glue, which can be a little messy, but tacky tape may work well too).
8. Adhere rhinestones to ribbon on tin base. (TIP: For self-adhesive rhinestones, I still use tacky glue to adhere them to prevent them from falling off easily.)
9. Add flowers w/ rhinestones to the lid.
10. Stamp "XOXO" on white cardstock. Trim cardstock to a strip and using scissors create a flag point on the end.
11. Using tacky glue (obviously my favorite now) adhere the sentiment strip to tin lid in a wave design. (TIP: When using tacky glue, hold whatever you are adhering into place for a couple of minutes. You have time to adjust and this will make it stay in place pretty much forever!)
12. For the inside of the tin, trace the heart design on paper, then cut out. Try to place inside of the tin and make any necessary trimmings. (TIP: Make sure you do not cut too much since the tin has a 'lip' on it, the paper will fit comfortably inside of the lid by pushing it down at an angle and it will automatically pop up for a perfect fit.)
13. Once your heart fits, take it back out and make any 'cuts' using a craft knife or paper piercer for the jewelry. I used a craft knife to make room for a ring. A paper piercer would work great for earrings.
14. Fill tin with leftover 'stuffing' from your old jewelry boxes I'm sure you have. If you do not have stuffing, cotton balls should work perfectly. This will keep the jewelry safe from falling into the tin making a noise.
15. Place heart paper into tin, add jewelry and then say OOOOOH AAAAAAAAH OOOH!

I just loved this project and it only took me about 30 minutes to make and I did not know what I was doing! It was my first altered tin project and was surprisingly easy - especially for the shape in my opinion. So, I encourage you all to try something new, you will be surprised what you can do sometimes! If you do not want to make a jewelry tin, you can always fill it with treats, such as candies or dessert!

Join me tonight in the Papertrey Ink forum for the release party! Nichole has some great new stamp sets, cardstock, and pattern paper to be revealed!

:: My Goodies {XOXO}::
Stamps: Papertrey Ink-Heart Prints
Ink: Papertrey Ink-Raspberry Fizz
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink-white, raspberry fizz
Pattern Paper: Papertrey Ink-raspberry fizz mix
Accessories: papertrey ink-raspberry fizz topnotch twill ribbon, heart tin; Kaiser Craft-rhinestones; Prima-flowers
Finished Size: 2"H x 2.5" W x 2.25"