Two drawers were left over from my modular bookcase project. I didn’t think they’d be useful for anything but firewood. But upon closer inspection, I began to appreciate the aged beauty of the wood—even the smattering of white paint. Combining the drawers into one shadowbox—and not painting it—was a great way to showcase the wood’s character and history. Thanks again to my favorite neighborhood woodworker for cutting the pieces.

2 salvaged drawers = 1 rustic shadowbox

Supplies and tools

• hammer
• nails
• pliers
• saw (or a friend who will cut the wood for you)
• pencil

1. Disassemble one of the drawers. Start by hammering the sides loose, then hammer the nails through from the back side. Removing all the nails is challenging, but not impossible.

2. Measure the assembled drawer and sketch how many cubbies you want your shadowbox to have. Make a list of the pieces you will need with their dimensions.

3. Gather and measure all the side pieces from the disassembled drawer. Make sure you have enough wood for your plan. (I didn’t have enough, so I found a piece of wood at a salvage yard that matched. It cost me $1.) Measure and cut them to size.

4. Round up all the knick-knacks you plan to display and lay out your arrangement using the cut pieces. Confirm that everything fits as planned. Adjust as needed.

5. Mark with a pencil where each shelf should be placed. Remove and set aside all the tchotchkes.

5. Attach the smaller pieces to the larger pieces with a hammer and nails. I used three nails to attach each board. Assemble the entire grid of cubbies.

6. Nail the grid into place from the outside of the drawer. (I used old nails from a salvage yard that matched the original ones for a more authentic look.)

7. Now all you have to do is fill it with your tchotchkes. Optional: To hang it on the wall, attach sawtooth hangers or keyhole fasteners to the back.

With a wall-mounted sink and no storage to speak of, my small bathroom needed a little help. Paint isn’t an option, and the neutral tile colors limited my color choices, so I decided to go with natural wood and the colors of seashells. I found the spacesaver on Craigslist, the jars at Ikea, the waffle-weave shower curtain at Kmart (Martha Stewart’s line), and the basket at Michael’s. The seashells are strung with twine through holes drilled in each shell. I sewed a canvas cover for the wicker tissue box and attached it with wooden buttons. I also made the seashell shadow box.

Seashell shadow box

Supplies

• unfinished pine shadow box (I found mine on eBay)
• polyurethane varnish
• two picture hangers
• seashells
• hot glue
• wood glue
• fine sandpaper
• 2 nails

Tools

• hammer
• foam paint brush
• hot glue gun
• drop cloth
• level
• ruler or tape measure

1. Lightly sand the box, then cover your work surface with the drop cloth. Apply a couple coats of polyurethane varnish with the paint brush, sanding in between coats. The varnish will protect the wood from moisture.

2. Nail two picture hangers to the back of it.

3. Arrange the shells and hot-glue them into place. Then assemble the box, place the glass, and glue it shut with wood glue.

4. Measure, mark, hang it on the wall with nails. Use a level to make sure it’s straight.

Click here to see another seashell shadow box I made—plus learn how to make seashell candles.