That's Amore Tin and Tags

For homemade gift ideas that you'll fall in love with, consider making these That's Amore Tin and Tags from Melony Bradley to store tiny goodies in for your sweetheart. You'll love using an old Altoids tin for recycled crafts like this one. This do-it-yourself adventure engages your painting skills big time, so make sure you have a brush handy. There's no point in spending a lot of cash on a gift box when you can make a one-of-a-kind container yourself.

Materials:

• Altoids tin
• Ruler
• Wood heart tags
• Embellishments
• Brush
• Ribbon
• Cardstock
• Pencil
• Americana Acrylics in white and black
• Candle
• Doll pin stand
• Sanding block
• Alphabet Stamps

Instructions:

1. Take a pencil and make templates by tracing the tin twice (to cover the top and bottom).
   
   
    
2. Cut out the templates and glue the pieces to the tin.
   
   
    
3. Measure the sides of the tin and used a paper trimmer to cut strips about 1/4" thinner than the actual measurements.This ensures that the cardstock does not hang off the edges of the tin.
   
   
    
4. Adhere with strips around the tin with the paper glue and use rubber bands to hold in place while drying, although the glue will set up very fast.
   
   
    
5. Paint tin. Cut a 1" x 3" cardstock strip, score it 1/2" from each edge and painted it as well. Additionally, paint a doll pin stand and about eight wood heart tags. These tags can be purchased from several online sources. Just search for "unfinished wood heart tags."  
   
   
    
6. After applying a front coat on the wood hearts, use a candle to rub wax heavily across the surface.
   
   
    
7. Paint the hearts, front and back, with two coats with Americana Acrylics in Antique White by DecoArt. Dry brush the box using this paint as well as the doll pin holder.
   
   
    
8. Note that the doll pin stand, or holder (purchased at any craft supply store in the unfinished wood supplies) has been glued to a stamped cardstock strip and a sprarkly bead placed in the hole of the bead.
   
   
    
9. For the hearts, use a sanding block to sand the waxed surface lighly to reveal a distressed finish. Areas where the wax was applied will "peel" away easily. Use a scriot stamp and chalk ink to stamp the surface of the hearts for a very subtle stamped background. Use alphabet stamps or stickers to spell out "Amore."