Reorganizing your closet or linen cabinet? Before you rush to the store for a bevy of decorative boxes, take a peek inside your recycling bin. It’s easier than you think to upcycle cardboard boxes into elegant and eco-friendly storage. Plus, this project makes use of materials you might already have and gives your budget a bit more breathing room.
Online marketplaces like Amazon can make shopping less stressful, but with all that convenience comes plenty of wasteful packaging. Instead of tossing it out, transform all that cardboard into sophisticated and inexpensive storage boxes for your home. This is also a prime opportunity to use scrap fabric and ribbons from previous projects. Your wallet, the environment and the clutter in your closet will thank you, making this DIY project a win-win-win.
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Materials
- Amazon box
- Cutting mat
- Box cutter
- Burlap
- Permanent marker
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Willow Mist”
- Large paintbrush
- Mod Podge
- Rubber brayer
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Strips of floral scrap fabric
- Thick ribbon or trim
- Amazon box
- Cutting mat
- Box cutter
- Burlap
- Permanent marker
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Willow Mist”
- Large paintbrush
- Mod Podge
- Rubber brayer
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Strips of floral scrap fabric
- Thick ribbon or trim
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Place the Amazon box upside down on a cutting mat. With a box cutter, cut the flaps off the box. Trim any packing tape as needed.
1. Place the Amazon box upside down on a cutting mat. With a box cutter, cut the flaps off the box. Trim any packing tape as needed.
2. Place the box on its side with the long side facing up. Place a piece of burlap on the side. Line the top and right edge of the burlap with the top and right edge of the box. Make a small mark on the fabric showing the length and height of the side, but add an inch for cutting allowance.
3. With a ruler, draw straight edges on the fabric to create a rectangle with the marks you made in the previous step. Cut out the rectangle, then use it as a template to cut out a second piece from the burlap.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the short side of the box.
5. Iron all four pieces of burlap until they’re smooth.
6. Paint the inside and outside of the box with “Willow Mist” or light gray chalk paint. Allow the box to dry completely.
7. Paint one of the long sides of the box with Mod Podge. Lay a matching piece of burlap on the Mod Podge with the top and left edges of the fabric aligned with the top and left edges of the box. Roll the fabric flat with a rubber brayer.
8. Cut a small square out of the corner of the excess burlap. Tuck the bottom edge of the burlap under the box, and hot glue it down. Tuck the right edge of the burlap over the side of the box, and hot glue it down.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you’ve covered every side of the box with burlap.
10. Take a thick strip of scrap fabric and place it on the top half of one side of the box. Hot glue it in place. Fold the top of the fabric over the top edge of the box, and glue it to the inside. Fold the fabric around the inside and outside of the corners, then glue it in place. Repeat until you have a band of fabric going around the top of the box.
11. Place ribbon where the scrap fabric meets the burlap. Wrap the ribbon around the box, hot gluing it in place as you go.
12. Repeat step 11 for the inside of the box, this time placing the ribbon where the fabric meets the exposed cardboard.
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13. Once the hot glue is dry, you’re ready to fill your storage box and enjoy!