Author: Aisling

Let’s say you want to make an art shrine.

Perhaps you want a pocket shrine to display on your desk or dashboard, or carry with you in your backpack or computer bag.

You could give it to a friend as a gift or make several pocket shrines for an art swap.

First, you’ll probably start with an idea.

Well, maybe.

It’s where most people begin. You know, “Oh, I MUST make a shrine to chocolate!” Or Elvis, Barbie, the Banana Splits, Harry Potter, or even the Planet Melmac. (There are many more zany ideas at sites like Fandom.)

However, where you should start—but of course, many of us never do what we should (LOL)—is with the container.

Since this will be a “pocket shrine,” of course the container should be small.

Select the Container

A dashboard shrine may fit nicely in a Pringles lid, which is what I used for the Superman shrine in the photo above.

Something for your pocket might go better in a matchbox, a small jar lid, or some other kind of packaging you were about to discard.

The point is, the container determines everything. Unless you want to collect images and then scan them (or color photocopy them) down to size, start with the container. You’ll be glad you did.

The Three Cs

Containers should meet the “three Cs” requirements: Cheap, Clean, and Compact. Charming is optional, kitschy is a plus.

Select a container. I highly recommend glancing in your trash or plastic recycling bin, to see what you’ve discarded recently.

Cleaned, any one of those items might be perfect.

Next, choose a theme

Your theme can be absolutely anything. Select a person, place, idea, event or holiday. I’ve already listed a few, but don’t stop there! Movie idols, personal obsessions, fetishes, and weird/quirky stuff are what we’re looking for.

Serious topics? Why not? Draw on your spirituality, or history, or your dreams.

But find a theme anyway. Maybe it starts with a toy you bought at random from the 25-cent dispensers at the door of the grocery store. Or the fortune card you received at the penny arcade.

Maybe it’s about spike heels, condoms, bubble bath, the Trix rabbit, or Elmo… or a scary combination of some of these!

The thing is, you need a fairly clear vision/theme. You can adjust it as you find trinkets and images for your shrine, so don’t get totally locked into one idea.

Gather shrine elements

It’s time to collect bits and pieces for your shrine. You already know the size you’ll need—something that will fit inside your container.

There are several elements to consider when constructing a shrine. Color… either lots of colors, or a single theme, such as Elvis and the color blue, referencing My Blue Heaven, Blue Suede Shoes, and “…a blue Christmas without you.”

Also, think in terms of dimension. Flat shrines are fine. No problem.

But, you can raise some elements above others, with foam tape or little blocks or something. Or go full three-dimensional, if you like.

Think about texture, too. You can improve interest in the shrine by using fabric to cover it, or to line it. Satin is an obvious choice. If you want to add something zany like mini-fringe or pom-poms for trim…excellent! (Dollhouse supply shops offer some wonderful trims.)

Of course, images are best if they’re the right size to start with.

If they’re not, you can digitally reduce any image to the right size and then print it. (If you’re not sure how to do that, take the original images to a print shop or copy center. They’ll help you.)

Online, I like free photo resources such as Pexels.com.

Your local public library may have some fabulous books to scan for images, and for inspiration, too.

(Keep copyright issues in mind, especially if you plan to sell your shrines. Above all, do NOT use copies of Disney images; even if your Disney images are legitimate originals, some sites like Etsy may balk at listing your art.)

Next, once you have your bits & pieces, you’ve reached the assembling phase.

Complete your shrine

The first issue is glue: Even “permanent” glue sticks dry in high heat and/or low humidity. The pieces fall off. Yep, done that… please don’t make that mistake!

Another poor choice is rubber cement. It can yellow and/or turn paper translucent as the years progress. One brand claims to be archival, sort of. Read the label, and decide for yourself.

I favor hot glue for the assemblage (3D) pieces, plusa Yes! Paste, or whatever you like for collage/assemblage work.

(Once I tried Yes! Paste, I never went back to any other paper collage adhesive. Yes! Paste is pricey, but the jar will last nearly forever, and it does everything we want when we’re working on collage.)

Mostly, be prepared to change your mind about what goes where. (At least for several minutes, Yes! Paste is repositionable. That’s important.)

Even if it means cutting up the collage elements to rearrange them, it’s important to feel “in flow” with your art… not stuck, staring at a problem you inadvertently created.

Keep going, placing items on whim. Don’t get too logical about it. If you get one of those “this area needs something” nudges, find something to put there.

(One of my rules in art is: If your eye lingers too long on one area, either that area needs something more, or its counterpart in the image needs something more. In other words, if your eye keeps getting drawn to the lower right corner, either try putting something extra there, or put something in the upper left corner to balance it.)

Keep going until you lean back and smile as you think, “I like this!”

All done? Congratulations! It’s time to display your work. Dashboards are good, as are office desks, snack room tables, kitchen windowsills, and so on.

(If the shrine is small and/or flat-ish, you can also put a pinback on it and wear it, too.)

Sure, you can tuck your shrine in your pocket or purse, but please—take it out regularly and enjoy it!

Pocket shrines are made to display, show off, and flaunt.

Here’s how my Superman pocket shrine was displayed in our home. (It’s at the lower left corner of the photo.)

Pocket shrines are FUN! Enjoy!

You can never have too many Elvises!

I made this shrine from images I scanned from a deck of Elvis playing cards, plus some glittery wrapping paper, a plain matchbook, and a few phrases related to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. (The image above is from around 2001, so the quality isn’t as good as I’d like.)

The “matches” are three layers deep. I folded a couple of them over so you can see the layers. A thin bead of hot glue holds them in place at the bottom.

(The glue is inside where the matchbook folds over to hold them. That’s where the striking area is on some matchbooks. On my matchbook shrine, there is no staple.)

Instructions

Although you can make an Elvis shrine, there are many other themes suited to matchbook shrines. For example, you could create a shrine to orchids, or to sunglasses, or to Godzilla.

These how-to tips apply to any kind of matchbook shrine.

Collect graphics to use or as inspiration

If you don’t have images that are ready to use, you can ask any search engine for help. (AI may be useful, too.)  For an Elvis shrine, you might try results from a “photos of Elvis Presley” search.

However, if you plan to sell your matchbook shrine, keep copyright laws in mind. That’s especially true if you’re planning to sell them at sites like Etsy.

Adding original graphics

When you plan your “match” images, ¼ inch wide is good. Allow lots of white space beneath. Distorting the image can look a little weird. If your matchbook shrine is humorous, like my Elvis shrine, you can stretch the image to fit a pretend match.

Desaturating the image (in a graphics program) allows the graphics to match (so to speak) the widest possible range of background/collage colors.

Cutting

Cut the collage elements bigger than you need, then trim carefully when you’re working with teensy stuff.

Scallop the “match heads” first, then cut between the matches almost to the bottom of the set of matches. Leave about ¼ to ½ inch at the bottom, where the matches will be covered by the fold-up part of the matchbook. The matches will be hot glued in place, inside that fold.

Also, when you trim them, leave a bit of “breathing space” around the top of each match.

Assembling

If you’re covering a matchbook, put the adhesive on the matchbook, then stick a too-large piece of paper/fabric to it.

After the adhesive dries, trim the paper or fabric you’ve used as the cover.

A thin bead of hot glue along the bottom edge is best for holding the matches in place. It will blob up, so use just a little.

Embellishments

You can add almost anything that will fit the matchbook, from beads to glitter to ribbons or fabric, and so on.

Continue ’til it’s done!

Your matchbook shrine can be as simple or complex, and as plain or ornate as you like.

Pause if you’re not sure whether it’s done. You can always add more elements later.

Even if you went too far, you can probably remove the excess elements.

At some point, you’ll have that “Yes, it’s finished” feeling, and be ready to show your matchbook art shrine to others.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’m always eager to be helpful!

You can create wonderful, pocket-sized art shrines by combining tags with other art elements.

I’d already worked with many traditional matchbox shrines.  This time, I wanted to deconstruct a matchbox – and add it to a tag – to see what I could do with it.

I had in mind a theme that was magical and whimsical, perhaps referencing the fairy world.

The results were okay. In fact, when I first made this and displayed it at Artfest 2002, it was considered almost radical.

Today, in late 2024, it seems a bit simplistic, but I think the concepts are worth sharing with you. You’ll no doubt take this idea further.

Here’s what I did.

I started by cutting the matchbox – the actual inside box – into pieces.

After refolding the new top side of that little box, and gluing it together, I lined the reconstructed box with origami paper.

Then, I attached a miniature Tarot card and a small iridescent bead like a crystal ball.

On the outside of the matchbox, I glued a bit of gold ribbon and some more origami paper, and I added my “signature” antennae with gold-colored wire and beads.  (I’d been using wings and ornate antennae starting in the late 1990s.)

Next, I glued the matchbox to a pair of stamped wings, reinforced with wire so they bowed like real wings.

(I use this winged stamp often. It’s from Stampers Anonymous.)

Then I attached this whole thing to a small tag, stamped with the word “CREATE.”

Finally, I added beads to the tag string, and glued a miniature Artfest 2001 logo to the back of the tag.

Looking at it now, late in 2024, almost every aspect is a lot simpler than art shrines I’m making now.

However, the basic concepts remain the same, so I’m sharing this with you, hoping you’ll explore matchbox shrines, too!

This is page two of the instructions that started at Art Shrines – Add Texture with Plaster Gauze.

Plaster and gauze – the same materials used in medical settings for traditional plaster casts – can add excitement and dimension to your art shrines and assemblages.

5. Dip gauze all the way into the water, and remove it quickly.

The longer it sits in the water, the more plaster washes off the gauze, and the less rigid the final results.

Also, it’s not necessary to squeeze water out of the gauze. In fact, if you squeeze the water out, you may also lose some of the plaster.

6. Drape the wet gauze directly onto the surface that you’re embellishing.

Once it is in place, you can flatten it if you want less texture; otherwise, just leave it where it is.

In this photo, the cigar box had been gessoed before embellishing. You can gesso afterward if you prefer. It doesn’t make much difference in most cases.

This gauze will stick to untreated Altoid tins, without gesso and without removing the paint first.

If it starts to lift up after the gauze dries, the paint and sealer usually act as glue to reattach the gauze.

7. To vary the texture of the gauze…

You can smooth parts of it with your fingers, gently spreading the plaster so that it fills some of the holes in the gauze.

I like to smooth no more than 50% of the gauze in my art.

The holes will catch the paint later, making your finished piece look even more ancient and mysterious.

8. As soon as that piece looks good, leave it alone.

Repeat with another piece of gauze, adding more layers or areas of texture to your surface.

The gauze sticks to itself best when wet. Try to apply all of the gauze in one sitting.

9. Impatient? Speed the drying time by heating the gauze.

You can speed drying time with heat from a tool like an embossing gun. However, be sure not to scorch it.

In some cases, the painted surface of the object may bubble or melt under the extreme heat of the embossing gun. Use it cautiously, if you use it at all.

Heating is not necessary.

Even if with extensive use of the embossing gun, you should still wait at least an hour or two before painting the gauze.

In general, it’s good to let the gauze dry overnight rather than rush it with heat.

It’s not necessary to cover the entire surface with gauze. In fact, I recommend leaving part of it untreated.

Let each surface dry to the touch before moving the box to embellish another side.

Wet gauze can slide off the box if it is tilted too soon.

A mix of smooth and rough areas on the gauze will result in a more interesting and varied painted surface when the embellishment is complete.

10. Seal the gauze with gesso.

For best results, cover the gauze with at least one coat of gesso before painting it.

Be sure that the gauze is fully dry before applying the gesso, or the gesso can seal the moisture inside the fabric.

11. When the gesso is dry, apply paint and other embellishments.

Plan to paint your art shrine – or other mixed-media piece – in layers. Let each early layer dry fully. Those layers will form a further seal that prevents the gauze from absorbing moisture.

Here’s what one of my cigar boxes looked like, ready to paint.

Here’s what it looked like with two layers of paint. First, I applied gold paint and let it dry thoroughly. Then, I added a light coat of blue in some areas, and a heavier layer of blue on one side.

Then, when those layers had fully dried, I started getting wild with color. Generally, I’d paint some color on, and then wipe some (or most) of it off.

This shrine had about five or six layers of paint, each a different color.

Sometimes I’d wait for the color to dry. At other times, I’d work a new color into the still-wet pigment.  Then, I’d add another color, doing the same thing.

At the conclusion, I added some further embellishments. They included a deep bottle cap. I think it was from laundry detergent, and I covered it with plaster gauze, too. The final touch was a smooth glass gem, which I think had been a playing piece from a board game.

And here’s another cigar box art shrine, treated similarly. The round shape was a plastic lid* from a Pringles potato chip container.

I hope those give you some ideas for your own mixed media artwork using plaster gauze.

*Trivia: Those snap-on lids – like the ones on Pringles chips – were originally created to seal cans of house paint.

However, house painters didn’t warm to that idea, so the patent was sold… I think it went to a coffee company, next.

(The original idea was my grandfather’s. He was the founder of the California Paints, which later expanded to include California Products.)

Plaster gauze can add exciting dimensions to your art shrines, mixed media art, or even your art journaling book covers.

The effects are completely unlike a “plaster cast.”

Here’s what a finished product can look like. (It started as a cardboard cigar box. You can buy them at Amazon, and some cigar stores sell them at a good, low price. Compare prices!)

 

Art Shrine Supplies

To embellish your art shrines and other mixed media art, you’ll use plaster-embedded gauze.

Years ago, doctors used it for casts on broken limbs. Vets still use it sometimes. You can buy it as an art supply, from a medical supply house, or through your veterinarian. Some DIY home improvement stores sell it, too.

Amazon offers several brands, including CraftWrap.

 

You’ll also need the surface that you plan to embellish, a cup or bowl of water, and household scissors.

From the start, you may also want to include optional surface embellishments. (See “Embellishments for mystery and dazzle.”)

1. Open the package and unroll some of the gauze.

Usually, plaster gauze is packaged in a plastic bag. That’s because it can be really dusty, and difficult to clean up.

Work over discarded newsprint, such as a newspaper or sheets of ads – “junk mail” – you receive by post.

That’s important. Otherwise, your worktable will be covered with a fine plaster powder. And, if you’re like me, you’ll be sneezing. A lot.

2. Cut with inexpensive household scissors.

Use inexpensive scissors to cut the gauze. (Shears of any kind from the dollar store – or pound store – will work fine.) The plaster will dull your scissor blades, and might ruin a good pair of scissors.

After working with the gauze, I usually cut through fine sandpaper to resharpen the scissor blades. That’s worked well.

3. Trim the gauze into irregular shapes.

This isn’t mandatory, but – from my experience – it helps… a lot.

My largest pieces are usually about two inches on the widest edge, and my smallest pieces are about 3/4 inch on the narrowest edge. When you try this technique, start with at least six pieces.

It helps to cut all of your pieces before getting your hands wet.

4. Dunk one piece of the gauze into a cup or bowl of water.

When you start your work, be sure to have a bowl of water close to the support (such as a cigar box shrine) you’re embellishing.

The water temperature does not matter, and you only need enough water to cover the gauze completely.

For the rest of the instructions, click here for Part 2.