Poppies & Roses Archives - Kathy by Design

Little Birdie Crafts Poppies & Roses Altered Box: Good Things in Small Packages

Hello, Friends! If you love little things, then you are going to be very happy with this Little Birdie Crafts Poppies & Roses Altered Box. It definitely falls into the “good things come in small packages” category of crafting. Do you save cute boxes? I do. Seems like I just can’t find it in my heart to toss a well made box. I blame it on my mom, who used boxes to make everything from baby beds to bookshelves.

True story! When my little sis was born in the 60’s there were no fancy little baby seats. But my mom fashioned one from a cardboard box and pillows. She used one of my dad’s old belts to keep Sissie tucked in safe and sound! Ingenuity! Gotta love that.

When this same sweet sis presented me with a cute box of gourmet tea bags this Christmas, I knew immediately that I wanted to make it into some sort of project. So into the Closet of Shame it went. I actually painted all the edges of the 3″ x 3″ x 3″ kraft box with ivory chalk paint before stowing it away because I knew I would be more likely to use it if I’d done a little prep work in advance. Sure enough, as I was perusing the shelves this weekend, there sat the sweet little box, just begging to be used. And that’s how this project came into being.

How to Alter a Box with Little Birdie Crafts Poppies & Roses

This is a quick and easy project. You’ll need to change your measurements if your box is bigger or smaller than mine, but the process is the same.

First paint all the edges of the box, inside and out, with chalk paint. Set the box aside to dry and forget about it for 5 months.
Next, cut (6) 2 7/8″ square panels from the 6×6 Poppies and Roses Paper Pad. Ink the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink, or dry brush them with chalk paint. Or just leave them as they are. It’s all good.
Now, cut (6) 2 3/4″ square panels from another 6×6 pattern. Use these to line the box interior.
Then trace the little tabs on the sides and closure onto a piece of printer paper. Use this as a template to cut out designer paper for those areas on the box.
Fussy cut a border from the 12×12 paper pad. Adhere this around the middle of the box like a belt. It will be a little bit short, so start in the center front and wrap around the sides, ending up on the front of the box. We will cover the gap, so no worries.
Now, attach crochet lace with 1/4″ Scor-Tape above the fussy cut border.
Alter mini bronze box feet with Little Birdie Antique Gold Metallic Wax. Adhere to the bottom of the box and set aside to dry. I use my Dries Clear Adhesive for this task.

TIP: Set the box upside down while the feet are drying.

The Fun Part: Decorating the Box

While the box is drying prepare the decorative elements.

Fussy cut flower clusters, wreath, door, and butterflies from the 6×6 pad cut apart page.
Accent the Ornate Clock Chipboard with Gold Metallic Wax. Back this with a couple of layers of waste chipboard or foam adhesive. Cut the wreath in half and adhere behind the clock so that the flowers can be seen.

Next,alter the grass chipboard with Glimmer Moss Metallic Wax. Cut apart.
Locate some pretty red Little Birdie Flowers. I used Meadow Red and Candy Embossed Daisies.
Once the box feet are dry, arrange the elements in a way that pleases you.

To make the box lid stand upright, use this clever trick I learned from my crafty pal, Ginger Ropp. Wrap a panel of chipboard with designer paper. Then adhere along the back side of the box.

Creating the Tags and Tag Card

I decided I wanted to fill my box with a trio of decorative tags. Two of the tags are just simple tags that I made by cutting 2 3/4″ wide cardstock and decorating with designer paper. I staggered the height. The first tag is 2 3/4″ x 4″. Make the 2nd tag 4 1/2″ tall.

How to Make a Tag Card

Here’s how to make the 3rd tag.

First cut (2) 2 3/4″ x 5″ panels of cream cardstock. Crop out the corners with a corner punch.
Next, cut a 1 1/2″ x 4″ strip of designer paper from your scraps. Score this at 1/2″ and 1″. Now fold to form a little hinged spine.
Adhere the left hand flap of the hinged spine on one tag and the right hand flap on the other.
Then cut a little strip of designer paper to cover the the inside center of the spine.
Next, cut panels of designer paper to fit the tags. Remember to crop out the corners to match the tag base.
Now adhere the patterned paper panels to the tag card.
Create a little pocket on the right hand side to hold chocolate or a gift card.
Cut apart one of the journal cards from the 12×12 collection and use it to decorate the inside of the card.
Use a scalloped punch to cut out one of the small doilies from the 6×6 pad.
Punch holes in the tops of the tags and decorate with ribbon, charms and flowers.
Trim journal cards from the 12×12 pad to fit the tag fronts.

Extra Goodies

Since I had more room in my box, I also “gift wrapped” a little cookie in a punch out doily. A scrap of designer paper makes a cute bag for a honey pouch. One of the tags has a tea bag attached to the back side. The other is backed with light colored wood grain so that a note can be written. And I dressed up one of my vintage silver spoons with ribbon and a posy.

This makes such a lovely gift! It is not expensive to make, and you can honestly put it together in an afternoon. It’s great for Mother’s Day, birthdays, party favors, bridal showers…just change out the paper to match the occasion.

I hope I’ve shared some tips and tricks you can use in your next crafty adventure. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment box below. You’ll also find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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