Turn a Gift Box into a Storage Box

If you haven’t thrown out all those gift boxes yet, you might want to see this before you do. It’s a simple tutorial on how to transform a standard shirt sized gift box into a storage box, or two for that matter. Sure, best practice when trying to stay clutter-free is to get all those gift boxes into the recycling bin, asap, but I often find that gift boxes have some of the most interesting branding and/or designs. Enough so that salvaging them for quick, cheap and easy storage is always something to consider.

This can be used as a means to make smaller gift boxes for gift giving, as well.

How to turn a gift box into a storage box

Supplies

• Standard shirt sized gift box
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Stapler(office type) – OR – Glue gun/glue sticks

• Measure the height of the box. Mine measured 3 inches.
• Measure the length of the box, and the divide that in half and place a pencil mark in the center point on the side of the box.

• Lay your measuring tape along the center marked point and center your height measurement, (mine was 3″, so I centered it at the 1-1/2″ point) and then make two marks to equal a centered 3″ piece.
• Repeat this step on both sides of the box.

• Using the scissors, cut a slit 1/16th” in from the marked lines on both sides. (I ended up with a cut flap that equal 2-7/8″ on both side of the box.)

• Lay the box along the edge of a table where the flaps begin to create a straight fold.

• Hold the box up and fold it back on itself the rest of the way, and the run your fingers along the fold to keep the crease straight and more defined.
• Repeat for the other side.

• Determine which side of the box you want as the top, and then tuck the flap piece to the inside of your bottom, and either staple or hot glue the flap the sides of the box bottom.

Let your box design determine what it is going to store…or not.

Because of the “field and stream” type theme, this set will probably end up holding my hubby’s extra fishing tackle supplies, but whatever the gift box design, they could be used to hold items such as craft, sewing, art supplies; kids collectible game cards, teenage mementos, last year’s Christmas cards, that extra set of steak knives, a collection of napkin rings, little girls hair barrettes, office supplies…shall I go on?

Turning a gift box into a storage box is easy-peasy and a cheap way to help de-clutter any room.

Thank you so much for stopping by ~ Amy