Each of us loves a beautifully decorated interior. This commitment becomes especially in demand in cases where interior solutions affect the good mood and joy of our loved ones.
With the proper ingenuity, you can create any design options with your own hands.
This joy can also be caused by the gifts that we love to give each other. But how can you make sure that the gift is not just ordinary, but something unique and memorable for a long time?
There are several different solutions for this, and today we will talk about one of them: decorating the box using wallpaper, paper, fabric and other similar materials. Covering a box with wallpaper or covering it beautifully with fabric is not as difficult as it might seem at first. Let's look at a short master class that contains step-by-step instructions on how to do it yourself by decorating a cardboard shoe box both inside and outside.
If you do not have experience in such work, there is no need to despair and worry. The scheme of work is quite simple, since it allows you to do the decoration yourself by completing the design according to the pattern. As for choosing a gift box, it can be either with or without a lid: decoration does not depend on its shape. It can be square, rectangular and even round.
Gift decoration
In winter, you can use spruce branches. They can become the final decoration of the box while tying the bow. Today, cones are extremely popular.
They can be of various sizes and shapes, creating a truly festive mood on winter evenings. In order to attach the cones, glue or double-sided tape is used. Boxes decorated with Kraft paper look great with satin ribbons.
What paper is suitable for lining a box?
To transform a cardboard box, you can take absolutely any paper. Anything suitable for this purpose:
- colored paper;
- gift;
- paper for decoupage and crafting;
- self-adhesive paper;
- wallpaper (vinyl, paper, non-woven, textile, etc.);
- napkins and much more.
DIY storage box decor
In any home you will find many necessary things scattered throughout the house. They can get in the way and constantly appear in your eyes. It is better to create a special place for them.
For example, it could be a storage box. Making it yourself is quite simple. To do this you need a few things and a flight of your imagination.
You can make a storage box using: Newspaper tubes. Cardboard to create the bottom. Acrylic paint. Glue and scissors are required.
You need to glue newspaper tubes to the bottom and connect them with glue. Afterwards, cover the product with acrylic paint and use additional decorations.
How to wallpaper a cardboard box
Packaging experts have developed several pasting methods. The simplest of them is to cut pieces of wallpaper to the size of the sides and glue them to double-sided tape.
Master class on wallpapering a box with your own hands:
- The remains of the wallpaper are straightened on the table so that they do not curl.
- Place the box and mark the dimensions on all sides.
- If necessary, glue the strips of wrapping material together.
- Cut out 4 strips along the marked contour, 4-5 cm wide and length equal to the height of the box. The ribs are glued to strengthen them.
- Glue the bottom according to the markings.
- Glue the sides one by one, folding them onto the inner surface.
- Cut out the part for gluing the inner base and glue it. If necessary, cover the lid.
Tools and materials
To quickly wallpaper a box, stock up on tools and materials:
- pick up a cardboard box; Preference is given to durable boxes with thick walls
- select wallpaper by color from the sections remaining after the renovation;
- a simple pencil;
- scissors;
- stationery knife;
- glue;
- masking tape;
- protective moisture-resistant varnish.
Tools for doing the job can be found in every home.
In addition to the basic tools, for more comfortable work, you may additionally need clamps, a ruler, and brushes. There are times when a compass is needed.
What boxes can be decorated with wallpaper?
In addition to the appropriate size, when choosing a box, pay attention to strength. For organizers, choose cardboard boxes with thicker walls so that they can withstand the stress of frequent use.
Corrugated cardboard boxes from household appliances are used to store toys. Packaging containers are made of denser reinforced cardboard. If necessary, the walls are additionally covered with a second layer of cardboard.
In order to properly wallpaper the box and increase the service life of the organizer, the ribs are additionally strengthened. To do this, they are covered with masking tape or strips of 2-3 cm cut out of paper.
Thick, glossy shoe boxes are good for organizing a first aid kit, storing cosmetics or jewelry. They are also suitable for organizing storage areas for handicrafts and creativity.
How to glue wallpaper to a cardboard box
To beautifully wallpaper a box, you need to choose the right glue:
- silicone glue is used with a hot gun, this is one of the fastest methods of pasting, but may dry out over time;
- double-sided tape is easy to use, but if the decorative layer is too dense and heavy, it may come off;
- office glue glues the paper base well, but can leave whitish streaks on the surface, so it is important to ensure that it does not get on the front side;
- time-tested PVA glue will reliably glue any material to the base of the box.
What materials are used
Decorating a cardboard box is a process that requires the use of different materials, such as: Packaging paper rolls or wallpaper rolls. They can be used to cover the product on all sides.
Various pieces of fabric. Old things, for example, a T-shirt or skirt, are also suitable for decoration. Paper napkins with beautiful designs are used in decoupage.
How to cover a paper box with vinyl wallpaper
Master class on covering a round cardboard box with vinyl wallpaper:
- Prepare the remaining wallpaper and level it.
- Place the box and trace the bottom with a pencil.
- Cut out a fragment along the outlined contour.
- Measure the height of the box and add 2 cm. Transfer the resulting size to the wallpaper, this will be the width.
- Measure the circumference of the box with a centimeter and transfer the size to the wallpaper - this is the length of the strip. Add 1 cm for the joint.
- Cut out the resulting part. Apply glue and leave for 5 minutes.
- Apply glue to the circle of wallpaper and leave for 5 minutes (1).
- Glue is applied to the side.
- Glue the strip, aligning the part along the top of the box.
- The protruding 2 cm of the glued fragment is cut into segments in increments of 15-2 cm. They are folded to the bottom and glued (2).
- PVA glue is applied to the bottom of the box.
- Glue the circle to the bottom of the box, carefully aligning it along the contour (3).
Attention! To prevent vinyl wallpaper from shrinking or deforming, they are first coated with glue and left for 5 minutes so that they absorb moisture and stretch.
Getting started to create a box
Before you start work, it is better to prepare everything down to the smallest detail, so that later you will not be distracted from the process. The box must be the correct size. The design needs to be thought out in advance. To do this, you can look at photos of box decor on various websites and make the right choice.
Prepare your workplace. Select all materials from scissors to glue. The process of creating a box on your own is exciting. It would seem that creating a box is not so much an interesting activity, but with the right design, it can become an excellent hobby.
A beautiful box in the right hands can become a real work of art. The main thing is that it fits perfectly into the existing space and is in perfect harmony with other interior items.
To create a box yourself you need to have some patience. Also, such an activity will require a large amount of free time, but it is worth it. After all, you get an excellent piece of furniture that can delight you every day.
Decoupage technique for decorating cardboard packaging
Some people are in a hurry to throw away not only shoes, boots and other footwear that they have taken down, but also the box from under it. But if you cover a shoebox with paper, it will be transformed and become an irreplaceable thing. It can be used as a box or a place to store various little things that tend to get lost.
The master class will show you how to cover a box with paper using the decoupage technique:
- Take a clean shoebox and remove tape and other stickers from it.
- Take two shades of paint (preferably acrylic) and cover the sides and lid of your box. Paint the sides black and the top white.
- Make a frame on the lid using the same color as the sides of the box. To do this, step back a few centimeters from the edge of the top and stick on a square of masking tape. Cover the indents with black. After this, remove the tape. As a result, you have a frame for a white square in the middle with smooth edges.
- Choose a suitable picture. It can be depicted on a napkin, plain paper, wallpaper, and so on.
- Cut out the picture and put it in the water.
- Then take the picture out of the water, place it on a piece of oilcloth (an A4 file is perfect for this purpose) face down, and blot the top several times with a cotton or paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Cover the picture with PVA glue or decoupage glue.
- Also coat the lid where the picture will be glued with glue.
- Transfer the oilcloth with the image to the lid. To do this, simply turn the picture over and straighten it with your fingers.
- Carefully remove the oilcloth.
- When the picture is dry, the entire cover should be coated with acrylic varnish.
- To prevent the borders of the picture from being too prominent and conspicuous, apply white paint to the edges of the image and gently blend it with a large brush or sponge (you can take a piece of foam rubber).
- To make the picture look harmonious, you can additionally add some touches with acrylic paint (for example, shadows and highlights, background).
- When you are done with the background and image, coat the entire surface of the box lid with varnish.
- Decorate the walls if desired.
When everything is dry, the box can be used.
Box in decoupage style
Initially, you need to prime the box in two layers. Each of them must dry well. Afterwards, sanding is carried out using strong and smooth sandpaper. Next, the product is painted with acrylic paints. The surface is thoroughly coated with glue and then it dries.
After the napkin is placed on the product, the unevenness is straightened out. The surface is carefully ironed using parchment. The excess edges are cut off and the product is covered with a layer of varnish. This method of decoration is especially popular today.
The second way to decorate with paper
Here is another instruction on how to cover a box with paper:
- Place the bottom of the box on the selected paper and trace it (Illustration 1).
- Cut out the bottom piece so that there is a margin of two to three centimeters on each side (Illustration 2).
- Glue the part to the bottom of the box and fold up the protruding edges (illustrations 3 and 4).
- Place one side on the paper and outline it. Cut out the part with a margin of a few centimeters on all sides. Glue the paper to one of the sides (illustrations 5 and 6).
- Carefully fold the edges of the paper (to the bottom, to the sides and inward). If necessary, make small cuts (Figure 7).
- Cover all sides of the box in the same way (Illustrations 8 and 9).
- You can paint the inside of the boxes with a suitable color paint. It is better to use acrylic (Illustration 10).
- Let the glue and paint dry completely.
The decorated box is ready!
DIY products
To store many things in the house, boxes are a must. It’s more profitable to buy a ready-made one in a store, but it’s more profitable and enjoyable to make it yourself. It's best to transform existing boxes. For example, shoe boxes or crockery boxes are great.
The main thing is that they are durable and reliable. Decorating the product depends on your imagination. It is best to use rectangular rather than square products.
Shoe boxes are the easiest to decorate. They are ideal for storing jewelry, toys, medications and much more. A beautifully and originally decorated box can fit perfectly into the interior.
Decorating the packaging
Let's first look at such an interesting pasting technique as decoupage. To decorate using this method, you will need to choose some attractive pattern, maybe more than one. As a unique decoration, you can use napkins with a pattern already cut out on them. And in general, any thin paper, such as tissue paper, will do.
Interesting to know! In cases where you decorate using two-layer paper wallpaper, it is advisable to cut out images on one of the two layers, taking care to separate them first.
Now a little about how decoupage is done correctly. Almost all of us are well aware that when it comes to learning any skills, it is better to see 1 time than to hear 100 times. That is why we advise you to familiarize yourself with the thematic video instructions, where the features of this decoration technique are described in as much detail as possible. So, let's look:
Be that as it may, there is absolutely no need to limit yourself solely to the use of decoupage. To solve such problems, there have long been specially developed and tested alternative methods for decorating packaging boxes with the aim of converting them into gift boxes. So, let’s list some advantages and features of using other methods of decorating boxes with wallpaper:
- If you decide to use fiberglass or non-woven fabrics, then remember that such wallpaper can be painted. To paint glass wallpaper correctly and beautifully, you need to use special types of paints. First of all, we are talking about alcohol-based and water-based dyes. It should also be taken into account that their composition must be acrylic.
- In addition, you can use an additional layer of special decorative varnish, which will not only help keep the surface intact, but also make the box more interesting. In addition, this transparent composition is absolutely safe for human health.
- Additionally, you can make a beautiful decor for the lid. As a rule, a special packaging ribbon of bright colors is used for this, imitating a tied bow, or small lace elements.
Related article: Making a door for a cat with your own hands
Attention! If you don’t have enough time or imagination to create some interesting decorative ideas, you can do it very simply. Use regular vinyl stickers to decorate your walls. Fortunately, you can buy them not only in specialized wallpaper stores and online stores, but often also in regular supermarkets, in the departments of home goods and repairs.
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Decoupage on cardboard: master class
One of the budget and unusual options is to decoupage a cardboard box with your own hands step by step. The decoupage technique is a special way of decorating using napkins . This box looks as individualized and unusual as possible. It will not only become a useful storage room, but will also contribute to the decoration of the interior of the house. Decoupage of the box looks not only beautiful, but also elegant.
- shoe box;
- acrylic white paint;
- sandpaper;
- napkins with a pattern;
- glue (special for decoupage);
- sponge;
- varnish for cardboard.
