Boxes and Bows (and Crepe Paper)

All but one box is done now. That box is made, but I may put a few more items in it, so I haven't sealed it up yet. Here are the ones that are done:


This is a favorite. I used one sheet of my fanciest paper in the lid, and let the colors in it determine the rest of the colors.


Not quite as fancy a paper this time, but I still let it determine the rest of the colrs.


This one is twice as big as the others (made from 12-inch square scrapbooking paper). Ones this big I usually use cardstock in the base to provide a little extra strength. Bloody pain to fold, though. My fingernails usually aren't strong enough to crease it, so I've taken to using a television remote. :^D


This one is a different style box than the others. Tsuzura (wicker) box is the name in the book. It is not as sturdy, but it is closer to being cubical. This one is made from 9-inch paper that had been sitting around as a lid gathering dust. Lately I haven't been able to FIND 9-inch paper, but 6-inch paper would have resulted in a 2-inch box. Too small for the present inside. And, yes, this one isn't as neatly folded as the others. All the extra fold lines from the paper's former life made it quite messy.


Another one that used some of my second best paper as a starting point for color.


Another larger box, with scrapbooking paper forming the lid and cardstock for the base.


This wouldn't fit easily in a box, so I used an envelop fold instead. It works best for flat items, but this one doesn't bulge as much as the other I made tonight (not pictured :^D). Oh, and I "spraypainted" over the name, if you're wondering why the tag looks odd.


And this last one isn't a "box" per se, but it is a common technique of mine for oddly shaped items. Wrap in tissue paper. Tightly wrap crepe paper around it. Then tape and seal with ribbons. And, yes, I could do with a less visible tape. Oh well.

One thing that is totally new this year is the use of tie-on tags for all the actual boxes. The envelope really NEEDS a sticker tag to hold it closed, but I found nice, old-fashioned, tie-tags for the boxes. And now I need to put all the paper, ribbon, etc, away so that the living room is no longer a disaster area.