DIY Boxes for Pillows

Use bright ribbon to make your gift stand out.

Homemade pillows are easy to make for birthdays and holidays. But even if you manage to keep the paper smooth while wrapping, your gift is sure to get creased, bumped and torn on the way to its recipient. Instead of handing your loved one a bruised bolster, package pillows and sewn items in a sturdy box. You can use any stiff card stock to make your boxes, however, corrugated cardboard provides the most support for large or heavy pillows.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard
• Ruler
• Box cutters
• Glue
• Wrapping paper
• Brush
• Fiberglass resin
• Wrapping paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Measure the length, width and height of the pillow. Calculate the perimeter of the box base by adding the width and height and then multiplying the figure by 2.

2. Cut a flat rectangle to form the base. Make two parallel sides of the box base equal to the length, and the other two equal to the width.

3. Cut two rectangles of cardboard the height of the pillow and the length of the base. Cut two rectangles the height of the pillow and width of the base.

4. Glue each rectangle to the corresponding side of the box with hot glue. Apply glue to the corners of the box where each rectangle meets.

5. Repeat to make a top for the box. Draw and cut out a base 1/2 inch longer and wider than the existing base. Cut two strips 1 inch longer than the length of the base and two strips the width of the base. Glue the pieces together.

6. Apply a thin coat of resin to the box and lid. Wait two to three hours. Apply a second coat and dry the pieces overnight.

7. Wrap the lid and base individually. Place the box base on the wrapping paper and fold the paper up so that it covers the exterior sides. Fold the paper in to the box to cover the interior walls. Glue the paper to the base of the box. Cut a piece of paper the size of the box base and glue it to the interior of the box to cover cut edges.

References

• "Popular Science"; It's Easy to Make Cardboard Boxes...; Kenneth Murray; 1933
• "Creative Gift Packaging"; Yoko Kondo; 1986
• "The Cardboard Box Book: 25 Things to Make and Do With Empty Boxes"; Danny Walsh; 2009