So Polar Express is one of those Christmas movies I wasn’t really interested in seeing when it first came out. In fact, I didn’t even see the movie until four years after its release when my second son insisted on seeing it. I instantly fell in love with the movie and thought it did such a wonderful job of explaining the belief in Santa Claus. I honestly think this movie is what convinced my youngest son to believe in Santa as long as he did because he thought to hear the sleigh bell ring was proof. My husband and I would pretend we couldn’t hear it and he’d get such a satisfied expression on his little face. So my Polar Express Sleigh Bells Shadow Box project for the 25 Days of Christmas Movies Blog Hop is based on that magical scene from the end of the movie where Santa gives him that special sleigh bell.
This scene always makes me tear up:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – time for the annual 25 Days Of Christmas Movies Blog Hop! #ChristmasMoviesHop
We have 25 talented bloggers gathered together to share with you all the wonderful crafts and recipes you can make this Christmas season, based off of some of the most beloved holiday classic films. So be sure to check out the other 24 projects and recipes from my fellow hosts right after the tutorial!
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Polar Express Sleigh Bells Shadow Box
Materials
- 10″ x 10″ Shadow Box
- Large Sleigh Bells
- Leather Cording
- White Pearl Vinyl
- Snowflakes
- Transfer Tape
- Faux Snow
- White Cardstock & Printer
- Scissors
- Double-sided Tape
- Cricut Explore Air 2
- Light Grip Mat
- Weeder Tool
Polar Express Sleigh Bells Shadow Box Steps:
1: Open I new project in Cricut Design Space and add a text box for “I” and another text box for “Believe.” Change the font to one you like and then arrange the words. I chose a font called Aneisha, I think from Hungry JPEG. Select Both and click Attach. Resize the grouping to fit within your shadow box glass, but not fill the whole space.
2: Cut the image out on the vinyl, weed it, then apply it to the glass with the transfer tape.
3:Â Cut 12-inch pieces of leather cord for each sleigh bell. Slide the cord through the bell slot and tie it in a knot. Repeat for all of the sleigh bells.
4: Find a movie image on Google that you like and print it out. I saved mine into Photoshop to resize, but you could use MS Word or PowerPoint to do it. I made the image size slightly smaller than the shadow box backing. Use the double-sided tape to stick it to the backing.
5:Â Sprinkle some of the snow into the bottom of the frame. Set the sleigh bells inside. You may want to temporarily place the back on to see if you like the bell placement and adjust. Add some snowflakes. Now replace the backing and clamp it.
That’s it! This Polar Express Sleigh Bells Shadow Box was pretty easy to make but I love the way it turned out, plus my son loves it. I could have added other items to it like a golden train ticket or trees, etc., but I wanted to keep the focus on that specific part of the movie. Kids seem to grow up so fast these days so I love the whole sentiment behind “I believe” because to me it’s like saying “I enjoy being a child.” I know deep down my youngest, the 11-year-old, doesn’t really believe in Santa anymore, but I’m willing to play along for as long as he is, lol. Except for the Elf on the Shelf. That little dude needs to go.
There are 25 films to be inspired by for your holiday season, and 25 talented bloggers to aid your inspiration! If you love Christmas movies, you have come to the right place!!
Let’s Meet The Hosts!
Megan:  C’mon Get Crafty • Marie:  The Inspiration Vault
Carmen:  Gross to Grandiose • Christine:  My Kitchen My Craft
Crissy: First Day of Home • Emily:  Domestic Deadline
Stephanie:  The Tip Toe Fairy • Rebecca:  The Moments at Home
Marianne:  Songbird • Ashley:  Attempts at Domestication
Sue:  A Purdy Little House • Roseann:  This Autoimmune Life
Kim:  Kimspired DIY • Jaime:  Love Jaime
Terri:  Christmas Tree Lane • Lyne:  The Paper Addict
Nicole:  For the the Love of Food • Marie:  DIY Adulation • Paula:  Paula Tisch
Lara: Love on a Plate • Becky: The Moments at Home • Jaclyn: The Dotted Nest
Hi, I’m Marie! I just built my first home (yay!) and I’m decorating it from the ground up. I decided to refocus my blogging efforts to include this exciting journey. Elle Marie Home (formerly The Inspiration Vault) will continue to provide great DIY and craft project ideas and tutorials, I’m just expanding my scope to include home decor, home improvement, and more advanced DIY projects.
This is such a stunning project, I love it! And can you believe I still haven’t seen Polar Express yet?? 😮 I think I’ll have to remedy that over the next few weeks – time for some Christmas movie watching!!
Oh I love this! It’s beautiful!
This is a beautiful tribute to a fun movie! Pinned it. 🙂
This is beautiful! Pinning!
This is such a fun and creative idea, Marie! I love how your Polar Express shadow box turned out. I don’t own a Cricut but have a Cameo and think I could do something similar. I pinned this for inspiration later, since I’ve been wanting to do a shadow box project. Excited to be on this blog hop with you!
Crissy recently posted…How to Make a String Puppet with Polymer Clay (Tutorial)
The Polar Express Sleigh Bells Shadow Box is so pretty! It looks easy to make too!
That is really beautiful! Pinned.