Want a simpler, more beautiful way to create qualitative storage boxes? Well, I did. I have been saving up sturdy shoe boxes to create storage in my office, but I needed the right paper to wrap the boxes in.
I headed to the new Paper Source in Rockefeller Center and picked up a few sheets of gift wrap paper. The key to picking out paper in a sea of many beautiful choices, is to select sturdy paper, not the thin paper.
Make sure the colors match so you don’t have a hodgepodge of different colors that don’t match your decor. Make sure to stay within the color scheme (or use complimentary colors) of the room where the boxes will be placed.
You can see that I chose colors in mint green, turquoise and gold, with an offset pattern of black/white (because black/white stripes with any print outfit seems to go well, apply that idea to home decor as well). The patterns don’t necessarily have to match, but the colors should.
One note in doing this project, I don’t recommend using just any kind of gift wrap paper. I purchased the gift wrap sheets, as well as a tube of gift wrap paper (to be more economical). There is a major difference! The gift wrap sheets wrapped around the boxes perfectly, making it easy to assemble. The gift wrap paper from the tube ended up being a complete disaster! I had to pull and re-pull the paper. It bunched up in places it shouldn’t have. It was much more flimsy to work with and you could definitely see that this paper was made for wrapping gifts, and did not work well for projects. It was meant to be ripped up, not to have lasting power. [Keep that in mind while shopping for paper.]
As for the amount of paper you will need for each box, as you can see in the first photo (and below), I used two different types of paper. That was because I didn’t have enough paper and didn’t realize it until I had cut the paper for the lid. One sheet fits a thin shoe box like the one pictured above (with a little bit of paper leftover). You’ll need two sheets for regular sized shoe boxes.
As for tape, I used both regular tape and Paper Source’s Super Tacky Tape. I highly recommend using this super tape. It is so simple to put on and it really adheres the paper to the box, especially when you’re working with glitter paper. The ladies at Paper Source swear by this tape, and I can completely understand why. It is a no fuss double-sided tape that works really well. Once you go with their Super Tacky Tape, you’ll never go back to any other double-sided tape.
So here’s what you need to do this project:
Sturdy Shoe Boxes
Paper Source Gift Wrap Sheets
Scissors
Tape
Paper Source Super Tacky Tape
Sticker Labels (I used these)
The project is very simple.
- Measure the paper to the lid, making sure you have up to an extra inch of paper to tuck into each side of the lid (depending on the size of your box). Cut the paper.
- Wind the super tacky tape around the inside of the lid (about 1/4-half an inch from the top). Remove the film on the tape.
- Wrap the paper around the box like you would as if you were wrapping a gift.
- Tuck the extra paper in over the lid on all sides and secure it to the tacky tape already in place.
- If there are any open pockets on the outside of the box that needs to be secured, use the tacky tape to secure the paper to the paper (reminder, this is double-sided tape, so you will secure from the inside of the paper, not the outside).
- Secure the paper inside the lid with regular tape (this also helps prevent the paper from tearing when you close the box). Also, make sure to cover up any super tape that may be sticking out from under the paper with regular tape. USE ONLY REGULAR TAPE ON THE INSIDE, NOT ON THE OUTSIDE.
- Repeat the steps above for the box.
- After completing, write down what the contents are on a label and secure it to the box. Voila! You are done!
NOTE: The reason why you should use the gift wrap sheets – when you wrap the lid and the box, you won’t need to use tape on the outside because it wraps around the box perfectly. You will only use tape on the outside for those rare instances when you need to secure an open pocket (using the double-sided super tape). There should be NO TAPE seen on the outside of the box. Leave the tape for the inside!
I couldn’t believe how nicely the boxes turned out using the Paper Source gift wrap sheets. I was more amazed at how smoothly the paper just wrapped around the boxes and required so little tape (to no tape) on the outside of the box. I could tell the difference in using their regular gift wrap paper vs. the specialty gift wrap. It’s a difference of catastrophe vs. ease and perfection.
A friend of mine said she’s going to try to do this same method with magazine holders. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
What I love about Paper Source is that it is a great place for perfectionists who aim to learn more about crafting and perfect their projects with qualitative products. They’re not too expensive. I love that they don’t just sell everything under the moon for crafters. They sell perfect, qualitative products. Why waste your money trying to save on making the project when you can invest in the right materials from the get go and do the project once and it turn out beautifully? You have less fails when you focus on buying qualitative from the get go.