Crafters Box

What a better way to organize your craft utensils and tools than to recycle empty tissue boxes and empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls?! Materials to do this project include cardboard paper towel or toilet paper tubes, an empty tissue box (rectangle or square depending on how many separate dividers you need), and if you want to make this functional box snazzy, decorative paper/ ribbon, etc. Begin by making 4 slits on the top of the tissue box from the center toward each corner. Glue these flaps into the down to the edge of the inside of the box to create a sturdier box. Next, if you are going to decorate the outside of the box, do so now by cutting your paper appropriately to wrap around the entire box. (Hint, if you cut one long strip and create creases where each corner of the box lies instead of cutting four separate panels to glue on each side, the effect is much more crisp and clean. Also, if you aren’t very crafty, you can obviously use a box that has a printed design already on it to achieve an effortless, decorated effect). Use double-sided adhesive to adhere the paper around the tissue box (liquid glues will create an unattractive, clumpy look). Then, measure the height of your box and trim the cardboard tubes to approximately the same height of your box. Using hot glue, carefully line one end of the cardboard tube and stick to the bottom of the inside of the box in rows. Most tissue boxes will require five rows of three tubes. When you are finished, you have 15 dividers for pens, pencils, markers, scissors, hole punches, etc. that will fit perfectly on your desk! How else have you recycled your empty tissue boxes?

Written by: Karly Poole