Friday 6 December 2013

Gift Boxes from Old Cards

Part 3 of my Recycled Gift Wrap ideas - How to make little gift boxes from old greeting cards.
How to make gift boxes from old greeting cards

You need two cards which are roughly the same size. I only use the fronts of the cards so I need 2 cards for 1 box. If you use the back of the card too then you only need 1 card per box - you with me so far?

Cut the cards so that one is a few mm smaller than the other. The smaller card will be your base, the larger one will be the top.

Mark a line on each edge. This can be any distance but all the sides must be the same. The further the line is from the edge the taller (but smaller) your box will end up. 

This card measured 16cm x 15.5cm and I measured 3.5cm in. The box finished up approximately 9cm x 8.5cm x 3.5cm.


Cut where shown here:

It's a good idea to cut the top one way and the base another. This photo shows what I mean:

Put glue on the right side where the big red blobs are here (I had to use a fat permanent marker pen here as the card is shiny - I felt very "pulp fiction" as I drew the big red blobs! You don't put red blobs - you just put glue)

Fold the gluey sides up and stick in place to form the box.

 Then hold in place with clothes pegs until the glue is dry.

Repeat for the box base. Measure exactly the same distance from the edge on this slightly smaller piece of card as you did for the lid. Then the lid will end up just a fraction bigger and will fit!
(This is upside down, the red is the top and the black is the base)

Easy as that!

turn old Christmas Cards into mini gift boxes

If you have friends and relatives who insist on writing warm, seasonal messages on the inside left of the cards they send you then ask them to stop, as they are inconveniencing your recycling crafts! If you don't mind a little bit of writing inside your gift boxes then don't mention it!


You might also be interested in:


Scrabble Christmas Sign
Scrabble Christmas Sign
Business Card Box to Gift Box
Business Card Box to Gift Box
Gift Bags from Old Envelopes
Gift Bags from Old Envelopes
Mini Knitted Christmas Tree Pattern
Mini Knitted Christmas Tree Pattern
I'll be linking up this project at all these lovely link parties, why not stop by and have a look
Sum of their Stories
Sum of their Stories

Hello, I'm Julie. I love making things and this is where I share my enthusiasm.

7 comments:

  1. I love this! Thank you. Now I know what to do with all of the pretty cards I've been saving. And thank you for visiting my blog! :) --Fran

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  2. Fabulous idea! I love this! I have tons of cards just waiting to be used :) Happy holidays!

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  3. Thank you for sharing with us at Retro RePin! I featured you this week. Hope you stop by to link up again!

    Robin
    http://redoityourselfinspirations.blogspot.com/2014/12/retro-repin-20.html

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  4. I love the way you write and include your readers, ie, "you with me so far?" these are such personable comments and really connect us with you. thanks for all your fabulous and creative talents!

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    1. That is such a lovely thing to say, thank you. I just write how I speak and hope that's ok with people, it's nice to get some feedback.

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  5. Definitely have to ask a few friends not to write on the inside front of the card... LOL!!! Great idea, Julie, and looks easy to do.

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    1. I guess that could be a bit #awkward, depends how well you know them!! I remember years ago asking my dad to stop writing on envelopes when they are just tucked in instead of stuck, so I could reuse them and he still uses faint pencil now for my cards!

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