Gift Boxes

Hi all! Sue here with you today sharing a quick idea for making gift giving a bit more special. I am sure us "crafty types" (as my mum calls us) all enjoy the personal touch when it comes to giving gifts - whether it be a handmade gift, handmade card, or simply the handmade touch when it comes to the wrapping.

I like to have a stash of things on hand that can make giving a personal gift a bit easier, so it was with this in mind that I purchased a few simple paper mache boxes to decorate and put aside for gifts. (You can usually find these type of boxes readily available in craft supplies stores or discount stores, and they are great value.)

Here's what I did with mine...

To achieve this look, I simply primed the boxes with gesso first, then applied a coat of acrylic paint in my chosen colours. I also sponged some paint onto manila shipping tags to match.

Once dry, I inked the edges of the tags and stamped the "just a note" sentiment onto them. (I prefer to keep the sentiment generic, so I can use them for any occasion and just add the particulars in my handwritten message.)

I inked along the edges of boxes, and then randomly stamped on the top & sides of the boxes using a grunge texture stamp and a sheet music stamp (to match the sentiment, of course). ;)

After drying again, I randomly sponged a small amount of gesso over both the boxes & tags to soften the overall look. Then simply added a punched cardstock butterfly and some organza ribbon.

Voila! An easy way to add the personal touch to giving gifts. (Filled with chocolates they make great teacher appreciation presents.)