Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Gift Boxes

 

By Katina Logan, Illustrator, Martha Pullen Company

Going green never looked so fabulous. Before throwing out those used gift boxes, take a second look to see if you have a hidden treasure. These adorable 3D tags were made following these simple steps:
 

Gather your supplies:

• gently used gift box
• scissors
• craft glue
• glitter dust/fine glitter
• corrugated plastic or cardboard box, or adhesive foam dots
• double stick tape
• hole punch
• ribbon
• rubber stamp & inkpad

1. Cut out tiled artwork (or other motifs from your gift box stash).
2. Cut out duplicates of the same artwork, trimming close to the design.
3. Using craft glue and glitter, embellish the design; set aside to dry.
4. Cut a small square from the plastic or cardboard, smaller than the design; adhere a small piece of double sided tape to both sides of the square (Note: An adhesive foam dot can be used as well).
5. Place taped square to the back of the cut-out design.
6. Place the taped design directly on top of the matching artwork, aligning design (this will give your tag a three dimensional effect).
7. Punch a hole in the top center or corner, depending on the direction of the artwork.
8. Cut a piece of ribbon to your desired length (I used a 6-inch piece of 1/4-inch wide ribbon).
9. Fold ribbon in half; insert folded end through the hole and insert both cut ends through the folded end. Pull to create a knot to secure the ribbon.
10. A rubber stamp can be used to stamp “To & From” on the back of the hang tag.

These adorable tags can be used as hang tags for garments and gifts and as ornaments.  They are so much fun to create, and the possibilities are endless.