Last week I told you I was inspired by the book Life Changing Magic of Tidying up. I meant it. There are a number of ideas that are worth pursuing in the book even if it isn't completely for you. Here is an idea I tried out.
Covering up boxes and fabric is not new to blog world by any means. Blog land has shown us that we can cover boxes with anything from fabric to vinyl to leather to gift wrap. But who takes the trouble unless it is for giving gifts or for valentines day celebration at school?
One idea suggested by Marie Kondo regarding storage solutions is that to have minimum of them. Instead of buying more and more baskets and bins and boxes to store things, re-purpose the random boxes which would end up in trash otherwise. That is where these shoe boxes come in to picture. Have you noticed that they are of moderate size, sturdy and well built and 99 % of times same size. That kind of uniformity is what I love most about them.
But to use them as such isn't really pretty idea - now is it? I wanted to make them look alike, presentable and yet durable. That is when I thought of contact paper. The glossy sealed surface make it durable , and used on a day to day basis.
What you need
Shoe boxes, any sturdy boxes
Self adhesive paper - Mine is from here
Sissors
There are a ton of tutorials that explain how to do them. But here is the way I found most comfortable.
Step 1 : I have used a brown paper and a box lid to show the process. First step is to cut down the paper/fabric. Easiest way to asses the size needed is to lay the box on the sheet of paper, measure the height of the box and mark and cut the double of the height over all sides.
Step 2 : Now lay the box in the middle and draw lines as in the first picture. I have missed out the horizontal lines - my bad - this is why you should think multiple times before photographing. Anyways, please do this.
Step 3 : Do you see on the vertical lines I have marked a dot in the midway and darkened the lines till that point? that is exactly the height of the box. You will realize why if you look at the next picture in the collage.
Step 4 : Once you finish drawing it is time to cut along the lines. Once done, the paper should look like how it is in the below picture.
Step 5 : Now it is time to fold over like I have shown in the collage. If you are using contact paper, it will have adhesive backing. But if you are using a regular paper or fabric use glue or tape as you see fit. I suggest spray adhesive which makes the finish cleaner and durable.
Additional Tip : This same technique works with box of any shape. First measure the height of the box and keep the paper size double the height for all sides. Cut angular way for every alternating side. That way you will get every other sie to overlap covering the whole box.
That's it - your box is ready for the show.
This is a fun activity for a weekend or during a craft time with kids. It is great to have pretty storage on display at the fraction high end cost?
Hope you enjoyed and will try it. If you find easier methods to cover - new tutorials - do share - I am on the look out for easier and easier solutions.
Would like to know must must have storage solutions fit for a frugal, minimal and tidy home? Do check back on friday and you will have the list with sources.
See you.
One idea suggested by Marie Kondo regarding storage solutions is that to have minimum of them. Instead of buying more and more baskets and bins and boxes to store things, re-purpose the random boxes which would end up in trash otherwise. That is where these shoe boxes come in to picture. Have you noticed that they are of moderate size, sturdy and well built and 99 % of times same size. That kind of uniformity is what I love most about them.
But to use them as such isn't really pretty idea - now is it? I wanted to make them look alike, presentable and yet durable. That is when I thought of contact paper. The glossy sealed surface make it durable , and used on a day to day basis.
What you need
Shoe boxes, any sturdy boxes
Self adhesive paper - Mine is from here
Sissors
There are a ton of tutorials that explain how to do them. But here is the way I found most comfortable.
Step 1 : I have used a brown paper and a box lid to show the process. First step is to cut down the paper/fabric. Easiest way to asses the size needed is to lay the box on the sheet of paper, measure the height of the box and mark and cut the double of the height over all sides.
Step 2 : Now lay the box in the middle and draw lines as in the first picture. I have missed out the horizontal lines - my bad - this is why you should think multiple times before photographing. Anyways, please do this.
Step 3 : Do you see on the vertical lines I have marked a dot in the midway and darkened the lines till that point? that is exactly the height of the box. You will realize why if you look at the next picture in the collage.
Step 4 : Once you finish drawing it is time to cut along the lines. Once done, the paper should look like how it is in the below picture.
Step 5 : Now it is time to fold over like I have shown in the collage. If you are using contact paper, it will have adhesive backing. But if you are using a regular paper or fabric use glue or tape as you see fit. I suggest spray adhesive which makes the finish cleaner and durable.
Additional Tip : This same technique works with box of any shape. First measure the height of the box and keep the paper size double the height for all sides. Cut angular way for every alternating side. That way you will get every other sie to overlap covering the whole box.
That's it - your box is ready for the show.
This is a fun activity for a weekend or during a craft time with kids. It is great to have pretty storage on display at the fraction high end cost?
Hope you enjoyed and will try it. If you find easier methods to cover - new tutorials - do share - I am on the look out for easier and easier solutions.
Would like to know must must have storage solutions fit for a frugal, minimal and tidy home? Do check back on friday and you will have the list with sources.
See you.
Thanks for the pictorial .. It's easy to understand
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pictorial .. It's easy to understand
ReplyDeleteThank you Somi. I hope it helped you
ReplyDeleteI loved Marie Kondo's book and this project is an excellent idea to stick with the principles of her book. The marble look is so in right now... I would have never guessed that these boxes were repurposed shoe boxes!
ReplyDelete