Thrifty Fix: Homemade Storage Boxes

When I shared my almost-floating shelves that I built for my office, I promised I’d share with you how I created a free decorative storage box for my incoming mail.

When I first planned my shelf project I went on the hunt for a skinny and tall decorative storage box or basket that would fit on the skinny shelf.  I found some cute containers, but they were pricey.  And not perfect enough to warrant forking out the dough.

Sidenote: Am I the only one who gasps at the thought of paying $15-$20 bucks for a storage box?

So I did what any good do-it-yourselfer would do – I made my own container. It couldn’t have worked more perfectly.

My original plan was to take an old cardboard box, cut it to size, then wrap it with some plain white wrapping paper.  To dress it up, I’d cut pieces of patterned scrapbook paper (in the color scheme of my room, of course) and affix them to each side of the box.  But when I got home and searched my closet for a box, I discovered a pretty cream and green printed box that had originally housed a set of bud vases.  The green leafy design matched my green shelves and accent wall perfectly!

The width and length of the box was slightly larger than a piece of paper.  Perfect.  But I wanted it to stand on its side, not on its bottom.  To make the box function as needed, I simply cut off one end and used a bit of tape on the inside to make sure the right bits and pieces stayed together for the long haul.

To dress it up more, I mounted a brown piece of cardstock to the box in order to create a photo display.

I converted a photo of me and my honey to sepia tone, and affixed it to the brown mat.  Ta-dah!

So that’s how I created a storage box for incoming mail.  I think that in the future I’ll whip up some more custom storage boxes if the need arises.  I love to DIY what others would buy!

Did you notice the cute painted portrait of my first cat?  That painting was done several years ago by Tucker Adamson, a delightful artist in Richmond, VA.  Check out her gorgeous gold ink drawings and other creations at her website.  I’m looking forward to having some colorful paintings of my dogs and cats made in the new year.

And on a final bookshelf note, I really enjoyed Rhoda’s post at Southern Hospitality about fall bookshelf displays today.