A fun DIY project for those as OCD as I am about collecting containers for organizers & recycling what others might consider trash into treasure. As a poet, I once wrote on a napkin that "My license to write is written onto paper ten trees thin." So what better way to reduce, reuse & recycle cardboard containers. I find that small display boxes from the dollar store are great for storing office supplies, small books, tablets & other electronics, coupons, restaurant to-go menus, children's books that face forward (so your little one can see the pictures) & whatever else you can think of to fit in that display box. I've also used oatmeal containers (the round ones for wooden utensils with plastic lids to protect the base from water damage & the instant oatmeal box to hold envelopes). Plastic round containers are great to recycle too (because plastic will never biodegrade & only breaks down into smaller & smaller pieces and actually prevents plants from growing). Glass containers can be used for pretty things and is actually a natural material (think obsidian which is made by volcanoes). But now I'm losing focus.
Ok, so back to the focus of this post, which is customizing store display boxes using scrapbook designer paper, homemade paper or even duct tape. One can find a plethora of good display boxes after holidays when seasonal displays are being phased out. As an aside, even though I love/hate stores like Walmart because of the prices/politics, when I do go, I like to "harvest" small empty display boxes as I shop (which is funny because sometimes I have more boxes than I do products to purchase). These are examples of the fruit of my labor to organize in a beautiful manner while reducing/reusing/recycling. As the Dineh (Navajo) people say, "Walk in Beauty!"
Tips on how to create your custom organizer(s)
Method 1
- SUPPLIES NEEDED: display box, designer or handmade paper, scissors &/or paper cutter, glue stick &/or Elmer's glue, scotch tape. Also a ruler if you'd like.
- MEASURE & CUT PAPER TO FIT THE FRONT OF DISPLAY BOX: Measure the width & height of the front of the display box. You can use the ruler to do this. My shortcut without the ruler is to lay the display box face forward onto the paper while aligning one corner of the paper to one corner of the box. Then fold along the opposite box edge to mark the true width of the box. Place the box out of the way & then fold the paper using the marked side, making sure the bottom of the paper is aligned with itself (this is so that the new corner you are cutting will be square). Next, run your fingernail down the paper fold, pressing hard so that you can clearly define the fold. Then, using scissors or a paper cutter, cut on that fold. Congrats! You have a piece of paper that exactly fits the width of your display box.
Now, measure the height of the front of the box using a ruler, or by placing the paper flush against the bottom of the front side & then folding the paper over the top edge of the front side of the display box. When you mark and cut, leave a little extra bit of paper for the top because you will fold over and hide any design that might be visible at the top edge. (See how the paper folds over the edge in the picture below.) Cut the paper on the fold that you have just measured out & defined.
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ADHERE PAPER TO FRONT OF BOX: Glue paper to front of box, making sure to line up the bottom of the paper to the bottom of the box. Fold the extra paper at the top over the edge of the box & glue down. You can use scotch tape to ensure the extra paper on the top doesn't peel off the box.
- MEASURE, CUT & ADHERE PAPER TO INSIDE BACK PORTION OF BOX: You can use the left-over paper that you just cut to fit the width of the box for the interior backside of the box.(If you're short on scrapbook paper, this ensures that the front of the display box matches the back inner portion of the box that is visible when looking at the display box from the front.)You might have to shave a little bit off the side since the back portion of the box on the inside is not as wide as the outside front portion of the box.
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MEASURE & CUT PAPER TO FIT EXTERIOR SIDES OF THE BOX, THEN ADHERE: Don't forget to leave a little extra paper at the top in order to fold over the top edge of the box. When you're done DON'T TAPE THE TOP of the paper edges down if you plan to put paper on the right & left interior sides of the display box. However, if you don't plan to put paper on the inside of the box, then go ahead & tape the top of the paper over the box edge. YOU CAN TAPE the paper on the sides of the box to the paper on the front of the box ALONG THE BOX EDGES AT THE FRONT. Reinforcing these box edges will ensure longevity & keep the paper from tearing over the long-term because boxes are usually held by its corners.
- MEASURE, CUT & ADHERE PAPER TO THE INTERIOR OF THE BOX: do this for the right-hand & left-hand sides. (In this example, I only had one large 12x12 sheet to do the exterior front side as well as the interior RH & LH sides. As a result, I ended up using a different design with similar design elements (leaves) for the interior RH & LH sides as well as the exterior back side.(see next picture below.)
- MEASURE, CUT & ADHERE PAPER TO THE BACK OF THE BOX: Again, leave some paper to fold over top edge.
- FINALLY, TAPE ALL EDGES OF THE PAPER DOWN: over box edges and corners. This helps make your work last longer & keeps the paper from tearing along the edges. It also gives your redesigned box a cleaner finished look. If you really want a glossy look, you could tape the entire box with clear packing tape.
Almost forgot, you can mount these on the wall. I use this for invitations to weddings, birthday parties, appts. etc.
Method 2
Use customized duct tape. I've actually never tried this but people are quite artistic these days using duct tape. (My son bought a pretty awesome duct tape wallet from a classmate at his high school.) My niece also made a purse using duct tape, which I thought was preeety kewl!
