Thursday, October 28, 2010

Handmade boxes and file boxes

Boy, what fun I had with these.  In making my own handmade albums, I always wanted to place them in a decorative, protective box that matched the album.  Going to the store and buying one for a particular album I had made to give as a gift, left me with the same feelings of frustration as I had with finding the right store-bought album.  Never the right color, the right size, etc.   So, I embarked on a mission - I wondered if I could make my own.  Set forth below are a couple of the boxes that I made for albums.  Even though they need refinement, they turned out pretty cute for my first attempts several years ago, at making boxes from chipboard and paper.




This box is actually a wooden cigar box that has been covered with paper created by photo editing software, taking my own heritage family pictures and printing them on paper to cover the box.  All of the people in this cover paper are my ancestors.  I got the box from a dear friend of mine, Carol Clark, which allowed me to work with this cigar box.  It actually looks like a leather bound book if you were to sit it on a book shelf - the spine that is.



The picture above shows you the leather spine on the cigar box, along with the paper that I generated from my home pictures and photo editing software.  


Above is a bottom shot of the box - painted a soft sea foam green and later I used gold Rub and Buff on the simulated "pages" of the box.


Ah, these were fun - they are all sorts of accordian file boxes - I store everything from pictures, to DVD movies, to CD backups of my files, to business receipts, and even recipes........... the sky is the limit, and they are totally addictive to make - simple too.  I would come home from work every night and make another one.



Here's on of the file boxes - loved this one - love the classic black and white - gender neutral for gift giving.


Another shot of the black and white box.



Here is another file box, but unfortunately the black file dividers do not photograph well - this box was floral in theme and basically black, grey and white.


Another view of the black/grey/white box.


This open to file box was devised for my kitchen, back when I lived in Michigan.  I wanted easy access to its contents so I left the cover off and made twice as many dividers for recipes that I intended to place in it.


Since moving to California, I have since found a different purpose for this same open top file box - I use it for hard copy back up of all of my digital photos - each re-writeable DVD has a family member on it and stored in this box - the extra dividers were needed as I have so many different DVDs from back ups.

Below are several more file boxes that were made during my week of total addiction to these fun boxes.



Now for my favorites and totally indispensable drop spine boxes - wonderfully designed to hold your most precious handmade albums and books.


This is one of my favorites so far - the drop spine box.  I loved the orchid and green papers and the Prima roses fit perfectly with the paper.  This box can be made as large or as small as you like and any depth you need.  Great box for housing your finished albums.


This shot reflects the ribbon closure on the right side of the box.


Here is a view of the inside of the box - notice how the spine drops down and leaves the sides of the box free-standing but still enclosed.


Same box, different papers - next several photos will show this same box and the actual drop spine.





Well, I think that's it for tonight - wow, a walk down memory lane from about 5+ years ago....... I'll just have to make more of these little guys - love them!

Hopefully tomorrow, more pictures.  Maybe it will be the chipboard gatefold album........ hum, yeah that one (still not completed, but y'all understand that dilemna, right?) 

Sharon

2 comments:

  1. I just love these file boxes. Please tell me how I can purchase one!
    Linda Lesins

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  2. I love the box....it cal so be filled with photo memories!

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