Hello everyone! Last time I blogged, I shared my adventures about earning my ears and training at my work location. You can read more about that here. Today, I wanted to share an idea I’ve had for quite some time and finally put into execution. With autumn just around the corner, it’s quite easy for me to miss the Happiest Place on Earth where I could bask in the Florida sunshine, watch fireworks, and eat delicious Dole Whip. Not to mention being in a place where the hardest decisions were, “Do I want to eat a big breakfast at Olivia’s Café, or should I eat a light breakfast and snack around World Showcase later for lunch?” (Disclaimer: The Disney College Program is not a vacation, but sometimes it can feel that way. Especially in your memories when you forget you actually lived on PB&Js).
I loved my time during the DCP, and I am always happy to bring a little bit of Disney magic into my home in Pennsylvania. I love buying Disney things for my home, such as my Cinderella dish towels, Snow White spatula, and Mickey pasta. However, I have found ways to bring Disney into my home that might seem a little unusual.
So, maybe you want something in your home that reflects your unique love of Disney and brings that magic home for you. I thought it would be a fun project to get out some of the things I collected during my DCP time and put them into a shadow box. This is a great idea for people who are planning a vacation to WDW or for those who have just returned home. The Disney Parks offer some great things totally free that you could put in your box, such as park maps, celebration buttons, spell cards from The Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom, or even Magic Bands. My family happens to love the refillable resort mugs, which could fit nicely into a larger shadow box. Some people might not get putting a mug into a box, but that’s what makes it special and unique to you. If you plan accordingly (and don’t mind lugging a wooden box into the park) you could even have characters sign the outside of it.
Here are the steps for how I put together my shadow box:
*Comment below if you see the hidden Mickey in the above picture!
Supplies Needed:
Disney Park souvenirs (Pictured right: graduation ears, Ducktorate Degree, name tag, earning my ears ribbon, main gate passes, and Animal Kingdom 15 year celebration lanyard)
A Shadow Box (You can get shadow boxes at most craft stores. I chose to get the unpainted one since that day it was half the price of the finished ones, but the store I went to had a nice selection of sizes, finishes, and colors.)
Paint and Paintbrush (Optional)
Tape
Glue
Disney music playing in the background
Process:
Step 1: If you chose an unfinished box, paint the box in any way you like. (I used a sponge brush and some white paint I had on hand.)
Step 2: Let the paint dry for a couple of hours. *Note: If you are going to paint your box make sure you leave the top open or it will dry shut.
Step 3: Arrange your Disney souvenirs however you wish.
Step 4: Once you arrange everything to your liking, simply tape or glue down the pieces, so they stay in place. I choose to tape mine to the back of the box so I could update and change it later.
Step 5: Hang your box of Disney on your wall!
I think it would be a lot of fun to hang this on a wall with your favorite vacation photos from Disney, or even make a Disney wall with posters and photos.
(All photos are from the author’s personal collection.)
Have you ever brought home some WDW magic and displayed it in a creative way? Have you ever made a WDW shadow box? Share it in the comments below, on Twitter (#bringhomethewdwmagic), or on the WDW Radio Facebook page!
Elysabethe is a 23-year old Disney addict and Disney College Program Alum. Her first visit to the parks was when she was just three months old, and her most recent visit was on her honeymoon last June. When she is not in the parks she can usually be found carrying her resort mug full of diet coke and singing to Disney music on her drive to work, trying to bring some of the “magic” back home.
The post Bring Home the WDW Magic: How to Frame Your Memories appeared first on WDW Radio.