Homemade Christmas Boxes

Homemade boxes can be accessorized with evergreen boughs or ornaments.

Gift giving is an integral part of the holiday season, and taking as much care with a gift's outer wrapping as you do choosing the present inside can make a gift even more special. There are many small touches and accessories that can be added to a box to personalize it, but creating your own gift box from scratch or by using reused boxes is a great way to focus on the sentiment behind the season.

Things You'll Need

• Old cardboard boxes
• Christmas cards, advertisements or wrapping paper
• Clear craft varnish
• Glitter
• Acrylic paint
• Small paintbrush
• Medium-sized flat bristled paintbrush
• Glue
• Scissors
• 8.5-inch-by-11-inch pieces of card stock
• Printer

Instructions

Decorate Old Boxes

1. Cut out holiday designs and images from old Christmas cards, wrapping paper or magazine advertisements. Don't be too discriminating; you will need a lot of them to cover your boxes.

2. Glue the images to the top and sides of old shoe or shirt boxes, making sure that they overlap slightly and cover the entire surface. Allow the boxes to dry for four to six hours.

3. Cover the entire box with a layer of craft varnish, using a medium-sized flat-bristled brush. This will add a gloss finish to the box. Allow to dry for the time specified on the varnish, then apply a second coat. Allow to dry fully before use.

Build Your Own Boxes

1. Download a Christmas box template for 8.5-by-11 paper, such as those available for free on the Craft & Fabric Links website. You can print a plain box and decorate it later, download a template with a design on it, or create your own design with image-editing software.

2. Print the box template onto sheets of heavy card stock and trim the excess paper from outside of the schematic with scissors.

3. Fold the paper along all of the box edges.

4. Add glue to the backside of all tabs and fold them in to adhere to the inner part of the side adjacent to them.

5. Allow the box to dry for the time indicated on the glue. If your box has not been printed with a design on it, decorate it using acrylic paint, glitter, or cutout images from old Christmas cards.

References

• Craft and Fabric Links: Darling Little Boxes