How to Decorate a Photo Storage Box

Photo storage boxes are a great way to organize loose photos, and although they come in different colors, they aren't very aesthetically interesting. Brighten up your storage shelves by adding your own unique creative touch to your otherwise simply functional photo storage boxes.

Things You'll Need

• Your own black-and-white images
• Scrap photographs
• Decoupage medium such as Modge Podge
• Paint brushes
• Markers
• Rubber stamps
• Ink for stamping
• Vintage postcards
• Old letters
• Photo storage boxes

Instructions

1. 

   Stylize the fronts only. Using black and white prints of your own work, simply trace a rectangle the same size as the storage box front, and cut holes for the name plate area and handles and slide the image into place. Adhere to the box front with double sided tape or use a glue stick to stick the edges tightly to the surface of the photo box. A nice black and white print gives your storage a lot of visual interest when stacked on a shelf.

2. 

   Use photo scraps for a collage. Everyone has a pile of less-than-wonderful photographs, and most of us just can't throw them away. Use them now for a decoupage technique on your storage box. Cut or rip photos into various shapes and sizes, then using a decoupage medium like Modge Podge, simply glue and layer images to cover the box. Be sure to coat the finished box with one more layer of the decoupage glue to seal.

3. 

   Stamp it. Rubber stamps come in thousands of sizes with a huge selection of images to please anyone. Pick out a few favorites at your local hobby shop, grab some colorful inks and start stamping your photo storage box. Choose stamps that relate to photography such as camera images or something that relates to the photos within, such as stick figures to represent family, a baby pacifier for pictures of the kids or cars for your family road-trip shots.

4. 

   Re-purpose old postcards. Ask friends and family to send you postcards from their summer vacations and then use them with decoupage glue to decorate your photo storage box. Pick up some vintage postcards from the local antique mall or vintage store, or dig through your attic for old postcards you could use. Follow the decoupage medium instructions to adhere them to your photo box.

5. 

   Use old letters. Old handwritten letters, no matter what the subject, are aesthetically interesting when used to cover your photo storage boxes. Old inked love letters, vintage letters from faraway soldiers or just notes from your kids all look great when used in a collage fashion or when wrapped like gift wrap around your storage box. Again, using decoupage glue, adhere the paper to the box and pay special attention to the edges to make sure your box looks neat and tidy.

6. Go with a word-montage. Separate your photo boxes by subject matter then choose one word that describes the contents. Take that one word and write it over and over again in different sizes and font styles to cover your box. Use a variety of marker points (fine, wedge, thick) in a color that will show up clearly on the box. You can also choose to just do this on the drawer of the the storage box for interest.

Tips & Warnings

• Get the whole family in on this project. Ask your kids to decorate boxes that hold photos of them and their activities.

• Don't over-wet your photo storage box when doing decoupage. Most storage boxes are not water resistant, so allow some drying time between layers.

References

• thriftyfun.com