How to make a Warrior Keepsake Box

           One of my Favorite things to do is research and read about ancient Civilizations

             and I came Across the other day about Ancient Celtic Warrior Boxes

           did a bit of research and they were very popular  in ancient times

            Germanic Norse  Greeks , Romans Egyptians  Babylonians all  had them a small wooden box 

           adorned with Symbols and  Protection symbols  and inside was  Keep sakes of the warriors journey

           like a photo album of its time of memories of places he or she had been

             memories of his family and homeland    with his  family Crest  

           Let us as the new age of Aquarius  Dawns upon us  Continue this tradition for all generations to enjoy

             The Warrior Boxes are Easy to make 

 What you need is a Wooden Box

you can get them at  Micheal's Craft store  around 5 -10 bucks

they come in many sizes and Shapes  Pick the size and shape that best Suits your needs

Now what you need is

Wood Stain or Paint   

Crystals/ Stones/ sea glass

Wood Burner kit

wood Carving kit

hot glue gun

Template for the Symbols you want

Parchment Paper for the Template

Template Suggestions

These are just Examples to give you an idea  there are many other Symbols you can use

there are thousands of symbols you can use mix up from different Pantheons 

Goddess and Gods   different Cultures , Hindu, Buddhist   Shintoism etc   Have Fun with this idea

Before you Begin do a Practice on a Wooden Block

Take all Safety measures of Caution when using a wood burner and Wood Carving knives 

okay now lets get started

first thing you want to do is decide if you want to  stain your box  

 Stain it and give it at least 3-4 coatings of stain of your choice

add more coats  to make it Darker  Less to make it Lighter  

Wear Gloves   when applying the stain  

TAKE your time  do not rush it

you want to stain the entire box inside and out and the bottom 

Allow to Dry 24 - 36 hours  

Do not Add Shellac   or  polyurethane coating at this time

Now is the time you want to Wood Burn or Carve into the wood

when you are done you can give the wood a protective coating

These are Examples of Keepsake Boxes I did not make these they are meant to inspire you to make your own  

this one I made is on my Altar    

my other keep sake box is the  log shaped one  next to Cerrunnos   yes that is a keepsake box i made

from a old log  from a cut oak tree  I was sad when the tree was cut down so  I turned it into a keep sake box

                                   Now if you cant draw then you can paint or  you can  find your favorite picture
                                             use  Mod Podge

                                                     

they make Great Gifts for any occasion  Weddings Birthdays holidays   welcoming someone into your coven
Birth of a child  

I hope this quick Tutorial  helped you be Crafty and make one for yourself