Craft Your Own Container

Using a cardboard box:

• Decorate with paint, stencils, stamping, etc. (sometimes it is easiest to first disassemble the box into a flat piece of cardboard and then glue it back together when you're done decorating).

• Cover with fabric or wrapping paper.

• Cover with pictures cut from magazines, or old greeting cards.

• Decorate with ribbon, lace, doilies, old jewelry, beads, sequins, etc.

• Make a box stack. Take 3 or more boxes of varying sizes, decorate, stack and tie together with ribbon tied in bow on top.

Using a paper bag:

• You can use any type of paper bag, from plain lunch bags to expensive decorative gift bags. You can even fashion your own bag out of craft paper, shelf paper or wrapping paper.

• Decorate with paint, stencils, stamping, etc.

• Cover with pictures cut from magazines, or old greeting cards.

• Decorate with ribbon, lace, doilies, old jewelry, beads, sequins, etc.

• If the bag doesn’t have a handle, you can make one out of ribbon, fabric or paper.

• Line with tissue paper, paper/cloth napkin, or dish towel with tufts sticking out of the top.

• Add bow or other decoration.