Graphic 45 French Country 4x4 Utility Box

Hello my crafting friends,

August is upon us and it’s time for the next exciting challenge at Eclectic Ellapu.  This month is a fan fav…wait for it…you guessed it…ANYTHING GOES!!!   It’s far too hot to be outside so grab the kids and head to your crafting sanctuary.  Let’s rocks some awesome projects to share an inspire others.   For my design team project, my inspiration came from a simple personal need.  I needed a pencil/pen container for my desk.   Now of course, I could just go right out and purchase one but why do that when I have everything I need to make one right here!   I started with a craft coloured DCWV Explosion Box that I got from Michaels awhile back.  I tore out the inside papers (it come with 1 layer), so that it was just the base of the box with the attached 4 sides.  I attached some binding strips I made out of craft paper to hold the box sides together and created the 4x4 box.  And yes, you know how I love building things from parts; I could have made the explosion box from scratch as well but why should I work that hard when I don’t have too (save that energy for another project).  I put the box lid away; I will use it for another project some other time.  Some ideas for the lid: a decorated little trinket/embellishment holder when you are working on a project and want to keep all those little items together and out of the way.  If you glue some thin silicone rubber on the sides and inside bottom you can have your very own hand-made hot glue gun holder, and if you are careful with paper placement and embellishments you could probably squeeze the bottom of the box down into the lid as its holder.  Let me warn you, it will be a tight squeeze and I say once it’s in there, it stays, that’s how tight the squeeze will be.  Sorry got a little off target, continuing on with my project info… I inked all the edges with Distress Ink Vintage Photo.  I used some left over scraps from my favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite paper Graphic 45’s French Country (can you tell it’s my favorite paper).  I used the paper for the inside and outside of the box.  I place a piece of acetate on the inside bottom of the box to eliminate the ink pen and pencil stains. I finished off the box corners by hot gluing some Chinese Braid to the edges.   Since this will be a heavy use utility box for me, I felt that minimal decorations for the outside of box would be best.  I just wanted something simple and cute to sit on my desk at work for my writing utensils.  I’ve seen some boxes that are really gorgeous with lace, metal embellishments, flowers, ribbons, the bottom feet doohickies (not sure what they are really called but they lift your box up so it’s not sitting directly on the surface).     Below I have shown the box as a decorated small table or mantel piece box.  You can use this little box for many things… a loose change, bill or stash money holder, etc.    Again, I plan to use mine for pens, pencils and highlighters on my desk at work.   Well, that is it for now, see you over at Eclectic Ellapu for the August “Anything Goes” challenge!!!

 

Joyce