DIY chest from a box

A chest out of a box is an original idea for handmade items, easy to implement and has practical applications. This is not an unnecessary “dust collector”, and with due diligence it can turn out to be a very nice little thing that you wouldn’t be ashamed to give as a gift.

What can you store in a chest out of a box?

The chest, made from a cardboard box, is essentially the original version of a casket - that is, ideal for storing small items. Which ones? Traditionally, boxes are used to store:

• costume jewelry;
• sewing supplies;
• Memorabilia - small gifts and souvenirs;
• postcards;
• stationery;
• Photos not yet sorted into albums.

You can store in the chest small items related to your hobby - yours or the one to whom it is intended as a gift.

Benefits of a boxed chest

The boxed chest has a number of advantages:

• this is not only a beautiful, but also a useful thing;
• will perfectly play the role of an original gift (including a themed one, it can be a wedding gift, created for a specific date or event, or match the hobbies of the gift recipient);
• a wonderful craft to make with children (today it is no longer an ordinary household item, but a historical or fairy-tale item; the idea of ​​creating it is wonderful for developing children’s imagination, joint creativity in a playful way, and at the same time for the development of fine motor skills);
• it’s easy to make with your own hands;
• materials for manufacturing are quite budget-friendly - to create the simplest chest out of a box, you can find everything you need at home;
• it takes relatively little time to make (compared to other handmade products).

Have you decided to make your first chest? Go ahead, start by looking for materials and tools for the job.

What you need

What is needed to create a chest from a box? Depending on the creative concept, literally anything can be needed! But the basic list of materials is:

• cardboard for the base;
• paper - colored and white (for office);
• scissors;
• stationery cutter;
• a set of paints (preferably acrylic or gouache);
• brushes of different thicknesses;
• a simple pencil for marking;
• glue (stronger - PVA, Moment);
• ruler (preferably metal, plastic ones are easy to “mow”);
• double-sided tape;
• knitting needle, dull pencil or out of pen;
• brads in the shape of carnations;
• fabric (what kind and whether you will need it depends on your idea);
• small decorative elements (also selected according to the design).

IMPORTANT. The optimal solution is to use beer cardboard for the base. Ordinary corrugated cardboard is easily deformed, forming unsightly breaks, and it has unsightly ends. The binding is “oak”, it bends too tightly - it’s not for nothing that covers of large albums are made from it. Cardstock (designer cardboard) is a bit thin for the base, but a sheet of silver cardstock is very useful for decoration.

Please note: beer cardboard is much easier to cut with a utility knife than with scissors!

Step-by-step description of the process

Let's consider two options for a cardboard chest: a simple one and a more complex pirate one.

Option 1, base assembly:

1. Let’s create a “pattern” - first, cut out a strip of 90*30 cm from cardboard.We make markings on it: lid (30 cm), back side (20), bottom (20), front side (also 20).
2. Cut out the sides (20*20).
3. We cut out the sides of the lid: they will be semicircular - we bend a strip of cardboard (40*9) exactly in half and use scissors to make the upper part semicircular, cut it at the bottom - and the sidewalls are ready.
4. We bend the first piece as the diagram is drawn and glue the sides. We glue them with paper ribbons bent in half lengthwise (they need to be cut 2-3 cm wide).
5. We subject the lid to the creasing process - this means that we press parallel lines on it at regular intervals with a blunt pencil, knitting needle or non-writing pen - it is better to draw them along a ruler in advance. We bend the lid in an arc and glue the sides using paper strips bent lengthwise and cut into teeth on one side (the cut is necessary so that they do not wrinkle).
6. Glue the lid.

The base of the simplest chest is ready.

IMPORTANT. There is an even simpler option - take a ready-made cardboard box and separately make a chest lid for it in the manner described above.

Option 2, basis for a pirate chest:

1. We create blanks - we will need two front walls (18 * 8 cm), two side walls (11.7 * 8), two bottoms (18 * 12), a lid (18 * 19.5 cm), sides - we make them in the same way , which is in the first option, but the lower, straight side is supposed to be 11.7 cm - you need to draw a circle with this diameter and cut it in half. Be sure to estimate - the corners of the semicircular sides should coincide with the corners of the lid, it’s easier to fix everything in advance, then it will be too late.
2. We crease the blank for the lid using a metal ruler - draw lines at intervals of 2 cm (the outermost fragment will be wider, almost 3 cm), fold it into a semicircle so that it bends and “gets used to” holding its shape.
3. We cut 2 strips of 4 cm wide from office paper, bend them lengthwise and cut one half of both in the shape of cloves. Using these strips we glue the lid and its side parts.
4. We connect the parts of the base using paper strips 3 cm wide, also folded in half.

We have the frame of a pirate chest. How to make it exactly pirate?

IMPORTANT. As in the first case, for this option you can use a ready-made box and make the lid yourself. You can not put it on glue, but come up with wire or leather loops for it - this way it will be easier to open and will stay in place longer.

Decor: what can you use to paste it over?

The first chest can be pasted over if desired:

• colored paper;
• cloth;
• wallpaper imitating wood texture;
• worn leatherette or old leather;
• fragments of a wooden napkin.

When choosing a material for gluing, consider the intended purpose of the product: the design must correspond to it. Use your limitless imagination!

For example, even a wedding chest for collecting money can be designed in completely different ways, depending on the purpose of the collection:

• just cash gifts for newlyweds - the chest from the box is decorated in a traditional “wedding” style or in the style of a wedding (nowadays thematic ones are popular - in a single color scheme, in a certain surroundings);

• packing for a honeymoon - the chest should be bright and festive.If you already know where the newlyweds will go, you can use something from the style of the country chosen for the trip.

If the product was created together with a child, let him figure out how he wants to see it and try to cover it with whatever he wants.

IMPORTANT. When cutting out parts for gluing, do not forget to leave allowances for bends.

The second option is declared to be pirated - therefore it will be made from “rotten boards”. How to achieve this effect?

1. We cut strips of cardboard 2-3 cm wide (you can deliberately make them unequal for greater naturalness). The “covering” for the bottom and sides is true to size in length, for the lid, front and back walls - 1 cm longer, this spare centimeter is necessary for bevel. Now on the front side, using a stationery knife, we slightly “plane” the strips from the edges so that the “boards” appear unevenly planed and rotten.
2. We make the “boards” for the lid strictly 2 cm wide - the same as the scoring lines, otherwise they will give the finished lid an unsightly bend. The last strip (there is more than 2 cm, remember?) must be carefully adjusted to size.
3. We glue the “skin” onto the body and cover.
4. Glue the second blank for the bottom to hide the strips of paper connecting the bottom to the side walls.
5. We paint the workpiece with brown paint, trying to create the tone of wood, and wait for it to dry.
6. Using a thin brush, apply black paint to the edges and cuts of the “boards”: this is how they become “old and rotten”.

We ended up with a well-deserved sea chest, perhaps even lying at the bottom of the sea.

How to decorate

The decor for the first version of the chest from the box is selected according to its main color and style. It can be:

• multi-colored ribbons;
• braid;
• lace;
• beads;
• appliqués made of fabric and paper;
• fragments of photographs (photos of the newlyweds are suitable for a wedding);
• natural materials (like “stuck” dried flowers, very small pebbles and shells),
• thematic collages from various clippings;
• elements of the same styles that are accepted in scrapbooking (shabby, vintage, Provence, steampunk, journaling, etc.).

For the second, marine version, we will need a “wrapping” - a sheet of silver cardstock is suitable for this. We cut out two strips for the lid (19.5*2 cm) and two for the base (we adjust these so that there is enough for three sides - the front wall, the bottom, the back). Using brown and black paints (you can mix them for a more natural look) with a brush, “paint” them over the stripes, imitating the effect of rust.

At equal intervals we insert brads - an imitation of nails - into the “forged” strips. Then we glue the strips on both sides over the lid, and the lid to the box. We glue the strips for the body so that their edges coincide with the stripes on the lid.

Both chests are clearly missing something, right? Of course, the castle!

The easiest way is to buy a decorative lock for scrapbooking - they cost a pittance. For the first version, the castle can be made from cardboard or anything - and not necessarily in the shape of a castle, it depends on the style.

For a pirate look, a decorative furniture handle with a ring of the appropriate color is suitable - black, steel, bronze or brass; you can use a figured one or in the form of a lion's head. A couple of the same handles can be glued to the sides - supposedly “for carrying” a heavy treasure box.

How to decorate a chest from the inside

Depending on the overall style, you can cover it with paper, leather, any suitable fabric (plain, colored, emphatically luxurious - for example, velvet), or even faux fur.Photo collages inside such chests look original.

For our pirate chest, matting, burlap, worn leather, canvas, brown or black leatherette are ideal. You can simply paint the inside a dull black color, but everything stored in it will look bright and impressive against such a background.