Pressed Penny Souvenir Display
Posted by DecoArt on Jul 29th 2014
Items Needed:
- 2" Chip Brush
- Foam Brush
- Water Basin
- Maps
- Wooden Frame
- Small Foam Adhesive Mounting Squares
- Sand Paper
- Petroleum Jelly Or Paraffin
- Paper Towel
- Cardboard To Fit Frame
Instructions:
I wanted the shadowbox frame to have a really rustic, chippy, vintage Americana look. So, I painted it using a special resist technique with petroleum jelly, then did some heavy distressing with a medium-grit sanding block.
I started out with a base coat of Americana Chalky Finish paint in Rouge on my frame.
When that had dried, I rubbed petroleum jelly randomly on the frame in places where I wanted the paint to resist. Then, I followed with a topcoat of Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Legacy.
When it had dried, I first used a paper towel to wipe away the patches of blue paint over the petroleum jelly.
A little more distressing with the sanding block revealed more of the red paint and wood underneath.
To make the background to display our penny collection, I printed out several copies of the same U.S. highway map, in different sizes. (I used this map from YellowMaps.com) (http://www.yellowmaps.com/map/united-states-political-map-417.htm) You could also pages from an atlas.
I cut the maps in varying sizes and arranged them on a piece of cardboard cut to fit the frame. (I used a priority mail box!)
Once I had a pleasing arrangement, I used a foam brush to coat the back of each sheet of paper with Americana Decou-Page in Gloss and adhered each map to the cardboard, being careful to smooth out any wrinkles and bubbles. Once the cardboard was completely covered, I added an outline map of the United States to the center of the cardboard.
Decou-Page is a glue, sealer and finish all in one, so I brushed on two coats of it on the top of the map collage to seal, allowing it to dry between coats.
I used small adhesive foam mounting squares to attach the pennies to the collage.
Using the mounting squares helps the pennies pop off the map.
This shadowbox will be a fun way to document our family's travel adventures for years to come. It might even become a keepsake!
And at 51 cents each, pressed pennies are one of cheapest souvenirs money can buy. We won't mind adding to our son’s collection.