Make colourful storage boxes

Get friendly with your local supermarket and recycle corrugated cardboard boxes into practical storage boxes and containers for your home.

 

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Recycling cardboard boxes is a great way to add colourful storage to any room in a home. You can dress them up with patterned wrapping or scrapbooking paper or fabric and fill them up with household items to keep a home neat and clutter free. Use thicker corrugated cardboard for study containers that will last as long as you need them. 

 

 

 

Most supermarkets throw away cardboard boxes, so get friendly with your local store manager and ask if you can take excess boxes off their hands. That way you get to make these storage containers for almost no cost. All you will need to finish off your new storage containers is colourful fabric or paper and some PVA adhesive. For added protection, apply a couple of coats of acrylic sealer or ModPodge over the finished boxes.

YOU WILL NEED:

Thick corrugated cardboard (or double up layers)

Packaging tape, reinforced*

Olfa craft knife and self-healing mat

Fabric or paper to cover

PVA adhesive

Prominent Paints clear acrylic sealer

Choice of embellishments

*You preferably want a packaging tape that is applied using water to wet the glue. This type of tape is reinforced and can be pressed flat for a neat, sharp edge.

I recommend splurging on a quality Olfa cutting knife and self-healing mat if you plan to make lots of boxes. The mat not only protects your work surface, but also keeps cutting blades sharper for longer, and also has markings to make cutting exact shapes easier. You will find Olfa products at your local Builders, or get in touch with www.VermontSales.co.za to find your nearest retail outlet.

HERE'S HOW:

1. Cut out all 5 pieces needed to make whatever size box is required. It is better to cut and assemble rather than fold over, as the cut and taped edge is much sharper and neater.

2. You will also need to make a template for the handle opening, as you want this to be consistent on all your boxes.

 

3. After cutting out the opening, secure packaging tape around the cut edges to finish this off neatly. Work only on one side at a time, wetting and pressing down neatly before repeating this on the other side.

4. Also apply packaging tape to open edges that are not being joined together. This not only finishes off the boxes, but adds extra reinforcing to the completed box. 

BELOW: Finished storage boxes with wrapped edges and handle openings.

 

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