Continuing on with the Christmas card recycling program, I would like to share a few ways I have used Christmas cards to create boxes for small gifts.
The easiest thing, of course, is to just glue a Christmas card onto a box. This works great if you have a really special card, perhaps one that is hand made or really unique and a box that is the right shape.
The easiest thing, of course, is to just glue a Christmas card onto a box. This works great if you have a really special card, perhaps one that is hand made or really unique and a box that is the right shape.
This nice handmade card fit perfectly on a box I had. This is a great way to reuse a box that has a store logo you want to disguise. Not only that, there is not need for additional wrapping.
You can get a little fancier by putting pictures on the top and the bottom. This works well for small jewelry boxes.
You can get a little fancier by putting pictures on the top and the bottom. This works well for small jewelry boxes.
You can also use a Christmas card to make a box. Here's how I do it.
First find a card that you think would make a nice box. I look for ones that have a nice image mostly in the center or ones that have an overall design. Then cut the card in half. It is a good idea to trim the bottom piece just a little bit smaller, like an eight of an inch on one long and one short side. This way the bottom ends up being a little smaller so the top and bottom fit together more easily.
First find a card that you think would make a nice box. I look for ones that have a nice image mostly in the center or ones that have an overall design. Then cut the card in half. It is a good idea to trim the bottom piece just a little bit smaller, like an eight of an inch on one long and one short side. This way the bottom ends up being a little smaller so the top and bottom fit together more easily.
Next draw lines on the inside of both the top and bottom of the card marking how deep you want your box to be. One inch is a good depth as the cards are not usually that big but you could probably go a little deeper. My ruler is 1 inch wide so I just line it up with the outside edges and draw my lines.
Next, where the lines intersect on the short sides cut a slit up to the line. This makes the tabs needed to glue the side together.
Next, where the lines intersect on the short sides cut a slit up to the line. This makes the tabs needed to glue the side together.
Now you want to fold up the sides along the drawn lines. I have found it best to score the card along the drawn lines to get a crisp fold. I just use the point of a scissor but you could use an embossing tool or an empty ball point pen to score the lines. Then fold up the sides and fold the tabs in towards the center.
Next, put glue on the outside of the tabs and glue them to the short sides on the inside of the box. I used a glue stick but any paper glue would work. It's helpful to clip the sides while the glue dries. Paper clips work fine.
Once the glue dries on the top and bottom, fill you box with a gift, close it up and give it away. No additional wrapping required!
Have a fun day!
Cynthia
Cynthia
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