How to Make Your Own Hidden/Portable Shrine

Creating a Wiccan shrine is a great way to connect with one's deities on a daily basis. Going to your shrine for small offerings, prayers and meditations help you build your relationship with Gods and/or Goddesses. I find that utilizing a shrine daily not only satisfies me in knowing that I am giving them the honor they're due, but also helps me attune to them better so that I can be more open to their messages, guidance and energy.

I recently decided to change my permanent, dresser-top shrine to a portable one. That way I can tote it with me on vacations, to the park, or to my mother’s when I go visit her for the weekends. I realized this would be a perfect option for someone who has very limited space, or who lives with people that would be less than respectful of their shrine.

So here is a guide for how I created my new portable shrine, but it's not a step-by-step tutorial because I only mean to inspire you with ideas. I encourage you to use my ideas as a springboard and get creative to make the project your own.

Start by preparing your box for your craft. This can make everything that follows much easier. Sand the box smooth, clean it well and wipe it down. Make sure it's good and dry.

Now is a good time to decide two things: what you want your box to look like, and how you want to decorate it.

When considering the design of your box, consider what would appeal to you. Perhaps you might want to cover it in symbols or designs. Perhaps you want it to be fairly neutral and less conspicuous on the outside so others won't mess with it.

There are many ways to decorate your box. Here are a few:

• paint it
• stencil it
• apply stickers/decals to it
• cut and paste things to it (decoupage)
• cover it with paper, fabric, foil, ribbons, lace, etc.
• use a wood burning tool to decorate it
• faux paint treatments (make it look like marble, leather, etc.)
• Gold or silver leave it
• Stain it

You can also do any combination of techniques you wish.

I've chosen to paint it on the inside, and give it an antique tin look on the outside with aluminum foil. I wanted to create a raised design, so I employed the use of 'puffy paint'.

Like I said, how you decorate is up to you. But I'll share my process with you.

I started by painting the box with several coats of red paint on the insides. I wanted to give it a great, bold color. I then printed out images of serpents and cut the design out with a craft knife to create stencils. I taped them on the inside of the box to stencil in the serpent symbols because they are related to my Goddess.

I printed some Greek designs, Hecate's wheel symbol, etc. from the internet, and used carbon paper to transfer the design to the outside of the box. I then traced over these with 'puffy paint' to give it texture. I let it dry for a day.

I then brushed Elmer's glue all over the top. I took a long sheet of heavy duty foil and covered the top (I crinkled it slightly to create some texture). I also covered the bottom with a sheet of foil. I used my trusty craft knife to cut around the latches.

I rubbed the foil well so the puffy paint would create impressions of my designs. To bring the designs out even more, I brushed black acrylic paint all over the foiled surface. After it dried, I wiped away most of the dry paint with a paper towel. This allowed all the raised areas to shine, while the creases and crevices stayed dark. This not only gives it a wonderful 'antique' look, but it creates contrast and really made the designs pop.

I added ribbon stoppers to the box to prevent the hinge from letting it swing all the way open. That way my box would retain a nice L-shape when open. I simply cut red ribbon to the appropriate length while propping up the box, glued and stapled it into place on each side.

I finished off the whole thing with a nice couple of coatings of clear, uv-protective acrylic sealer.

Now that you've got the container all made, it's time to make it your shrine. If you like, you can perform a ritual to consecrate it, and consecrate all the items you put inside.

I like to put in an offering bowl, because I always make small offerings when I go to my shrine. Try a dollar store or second hand shop to find something you like!

I also put some symbols of my Goddess: black ribbon, keys, and two gold votive 'torches'.

Stick an incense burner in there-- I like to use cone or stick incense at the shrine for simplicity.

For me, I added a small statue of Hecate. If you don't have a statue of your deity, you can purchase a figure that represents them-- an animal, perhaps (such as an owl for Athena, a stag for Herne, etc). Or you can just glue an image on the inside cover. Whatever you feel makes a good representation of your deity will suffice.

Now, I can set up and break down my shrine within a minute. I just open it up and put the statue and two candles in place on the ledge created by the inside of the cover. I can light the candles, burn the incense, make the offering, and leave it open as long as I wish.

When I'm done, I can extinguish the candles, discard the incense ashes and return the offering to the Earth, then lay the statue and candles inside before closing it up. The height of practicality.

I can grab it and put it in a bag, then take it with me to anyplace I may go. I can do my daily devotionals in hotel rooms, the hospital, when I go camping or to Pagan festivals, in my garden or at the beach. If I don't want people to see what's in it when they visit my home, I only have to shut it and put it on a shelf, slip it under the bed or stash it in a closet.

Like a miniature sacred temple, the inside is eternally consecrated to the Goddess and protected from the outside world.

Think about all the creative possibilities-- your artistic talent level is irrelevant, as long as you decorate it in a way that is pleasing to you and honoring your deities.