Handmade Shrine Boxes

A mini class by Kathryn Sturges

What is a shrine?

In Latin, shrine means a “case or chest for books or papers”.  Traditionally, shrines are sacred and holy places which are dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint or similar figure that you respect and look up to.

 I love making shrine boxes, but I take the liberty to create each one individually for their own purpose.  A shrine box can be similar to a memory box, in that you place objects, photos or other elements that help you remember a person, period of time or place.  Or it can represent a spiritual ideal or your values in some way. 

You can also use a shrine to help manifest a goal in your life!  Shrine boxes become a visual representation of a way of life you are saying goodbye to or can represent something you want to call in to have a better future.

 A Shrine Box Holds Power and Meaning

Truly, when you make a Shrine Box it is a piece of assemblage art.  You might not consider yourself as an artist, however an assemblage is when you combine objects or elements in a meaningful way.

When you look around your home, different objects remind you of different things.  Combining those objects into a vessel or container of some kind puts power behind your visualization or intention.  Like a magic spell, when you bring those elements together that have meaning to you, there is power there. 

A Shrine Box can help you fine tune your visualization for a better way of life.  You can use it to fine tune your intention, carefully choosing items from around the home.  Go through your jewelry, collection of stones, photos, and more carefully.  Choose the items that speak most strongly to you! 

Using your intuition to craft a Shrine Box imbues that totem with even more meaning.  Trusting yourself to choose just the right pieces and symbols enchants that object with meaning. 

Choose a Theme

Choosing a theme for your shrine is a great place to begin.  Take some deep breaths and get really present with yourself.  Once you focus on the present, is there a person, pet, memory or spiritual icon that has been on your mind a lot recently?  Or are there events happening in your life now that you would like to somehow change for the better?  Is there a theme in your life that keeps reoccurring, where change is possible?  Have you been struggling to find a way forward in a certain area of your life?

One way I have used shrine boxes is as a ritual to release the past.  You can gather items that represent a time in your life that you are ready to move on from.  Arrange them in a box with imagery and intention to honor that aspect of the past.  Let it sit for a few days, to build the intention that you are ready to move on.  Then discard the box or bury it, or alternatively burn it in a campfire.  This is a great ceremony to release memories from the past that are no longer serving you.

You can also create shrine boxes to remember events in your life!  A wedding box or other themed box to represent a successful event or adventure would be a truly meaningful gift, or to place in an area where you will see it often.

Another way to approach the shrine is to make holy of that which is every day and common.  Like a time capsule, you could create a shrine to the lifestyle that you are living today.  Memory boxes are wonderful as tokens to celebrate those moments in your life that you want to treasure.  They become a conversation piece in your home to share stories with others.

Or make a shrine to who you are becoming.  People are always changing, and it can be great to make a shrine as a sort of snapshot of who you are today, or to inspire you to take steps to become the person you want to be.

Sometimes the box you are working with will give you clues to the purpose of the shrine.  If the box is small, that will limit what you can put in it, so think about that while you are planning.  As you gather items to include, notice what you are drawn to.  Even if you do not have an intention chosen at the start, certain items will speak to you as you collect them up.  You could even include a few different intentions if you are working toward more than one goal.

Make it meaningful to you!  The box will be something you see often!  Make it something you want to connect with.  My favorite boxes are the ones I love revisiting, carefully looking through the objects included to focus on my intention.

Make a Shrine the Eco-Friendly Way!

I love using objects I already have around the house to create shrine boxes.  A great place to start is to begin looking around your house for small cardboard boxes, chocolates boxes, shoeboxes, small tins, etc.  I know that you can go to a store and buy a wooden box to start with but making it the eco-friendly way is better for the environment and encourages you to get way more creative!  Alternatively, use a shadow box.  Or a trinket box or jewelry box.  One time I purchased a used box online for a shrine.  You could also use a different kind of vessel like a jam jar, pickle jar, bowl or vase.  Think "outside the box"...pun intended! 

As you figure out the intention for the box, look around your home for meaningful items to include.  The process of gathering materials from your own home makes the box that much more meaningful, because the things in your space already have a level of importance to you or you would not have kept them.

Be on the lookout for yarn, ribbon or string.  Also found papers like old magazines, photographs, old mail and envelopes.  And little items like old jewelry, stones, that have meaning for you.  Items from nature can also be a great addition to your shrine box.  Press and dry some flowers or grass or gather some acorns or pinecones or other items from your yard to include.  Bits of fabric from old clothing are great to add, or you can make items to include.

Some other materials to have on hand

A basic white glue- Elmer's Glue, PVA, collage glue like mod podge, or matte gel

Craft paints or acrylics

Decorative papers or magazines

Paint brushes or foam brushes

A basic sewing kit like needle and thread is optional

A box or vessel for the shrine

Tape, stapler, safety pins, or other ways to put items together in a meaningful way  

Some Basic Steps for Creating a Shrine

1.  Set your intention for the Shrine Box- What do you want the box to mean to you?  Will it be an altar?  Are you trying to improve a relationship?  Are there values you are trying to emulate in your life?  Is there something you are trying to manifest?  Write out your intention on a piece of paper.  The box can be about whatever you want it to be!

2.  Gather- Look around your home for items that represent your intention.  Semi-precious stones or jewelry can symbolize different things depending on what those items mean to you.  Also, print out photos, flip through magazines, or otherwise find imagery that represents the intention.  Adding a perfume or essential oil is wonderful, because each time you open the box, it will smell amazing and help involve your senses.  This helps to manifest the intention.  You can even spray perfume on a bit of fabric to include in the box.

3.  Decorate the box with decoupage or paints.  Paint the box first.  You might need to gesso the surface you are painting so that the paint sticks.  Paint simple designs.  Or glue magazine cut outs or photos on the box.  Also, decorate the inside of the box if you wish.  Line it with fabric by gluing the fabric in, or paint.  Or you can leave the inside plain.

4.  Add the items.  Then find a spot where you will see the box often.  If you are using a tin or portable box, put it in your purse for on the go. 

5.  Visit the shrine often!  Look at the items and visualize your intention. 

I can usually tell when to pack the shrine away.  When the intention has manifested, or I no longer feel the desire for the intention, I keep past shrines in a box in my closet.  You could also give the shrine away or disassemble it and continue to use the box for a future shrine.  Alternatively, throw the shrine away.  Trust your intuition!

I hope you enjoyed learning about making a Handmade Shrine Box!  Having a visual representation of your intention can make the manifestation process more fun!  Assembling a Shrine Box is relaxing, rewarding and empowering.  Enjoy the journey!