Duct Tape Decorated Storage Container

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: you can NEVER have too many storage solutions.

I'm always trying to look at things in a different way in order to reuse or up-cycle things rather than recycle or throw them out. When my husband came home with ice cream in a sturdy plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, I knew I'd be reusing the container for storage.

Since I didn't really want the container to still look like it contained ice cream, I decided to cover it with duct tape. I'm really happy with the results.

MATERIALS
- empty plastic container with lid
- duct tape
- electrical tape (optional)
- exacto knife, scissors

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the container, inside and out.

2. Wrap a strip of duct tape around the side of the container along the top edge of the area that you want to cover.

If your container has angled sides like mine, you'll have to cut slits in the duct tape with the exacto knife to get it to lay smoothly over the container.

3. Wrap another strip of duct tape around the sides along the bottom edge.

4. Since I had just a narrow gap between my strips of duct tape, I decided to use electrical tape to fill in the space and provide some interesting contrast. You can use another piece of duct tape if you prefer.

5. Apply a piece of duct tape to one side of the lid. Press it down firmly into the corners.

6. Use the exacto knife to trim away the excess tape in the corners.

7. Repeats steps 5 and 6 on the opposite side of the lid.

8. Cover the middle of the top of the lid with another piece of duct tape. Trim any excess.

9. DONE. 

Pretty easy, right? The only thing I noticed once I was at this point was the stamped writing on the edge of my lid. I tried some cleaners and rubbing alcohol but couldn't get it off. After some more experimentation, I discovered that sticking a piece of electrical tape on the writing and peeling it off removed most of the writing.

 

Now you're really done. Enjoy decorating and filling your containers!

Up-Cycled Snack Containers to Custom Canisters

Some of my toddler's favorite snacks come in these little cardboard cans with plastic lids. They're fairly sturdy, so I decided to reuse some as food storage canisters. I had some "Star Wars" wrapping paper that I have been saving for a fun project and this seemed perfect.

You can use whatever kind of paper you like, as long as you have enough of it to cover the cans and glue that will hold it in place. You can also use fabric instead of paper, or duct tape, or contact paper. Whatever you choose, this is a super easy project.

MATERIALS

- empty food cans with lids

- wrapping paper or similar

- glue

- labels (optional)

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the cans and lids. Don't soak the cardboard as it will deteriorate. I let the cans air dry for a day or more to make sure they're completely dry.

2. Lay the can on the paper and wrap the paper around it to determine how long of a strip you require. Leave enough extra for the ends to overlap. It's better to have a big overlap than a gap.

Measure the height of the can with a ruler or by placing it in the paper. You want the strip to fit between the top and bottom raised edges. Cut out the strip.

3. Wrap the strip around the can to make sure it's the correct size. Trim if necessary. Glue in place. I used an ordinary glue stick. The top edge of my cans was rolled up a bit most of the way around and I rolled it up in the places that it wasn't, because that made it easier to get the strip of paper positioned properly.

4. That's basically it! Didn't I tell you that it was easy?

OPTIONAL: Add labels to the sides and/or lids, if you want to. I printed labels off my computer using a font that looks like the "Star Wars" logo.

OPTIONAL: To make the canisters more durable, you can also cover the paper with clear contact paper or packing tape. I suggest applying the label before you do this, if you want a label, since it might not stick as well to the contact paper or tape.

DIY Wall Mounted File Organizer

In an attempt to organize our kitchen a little better, I designed and built a wall mounted file organizer. I had looked at buying one, but couldn't find anything that fit my needs and the space where I wanted to put it. I wanted to mount it on the side of a cabinet, so I also wanted the organizer to be light weight so that I could use 3M strips to attach it, rather than screws or nails. I used foam core board, but you could use cardboard. You could also use thin wood if you want to get really fancy.

MATERIALS
- foam core board
- white glue
- ruler, pencil
- exacto knife
- acrylic paint, brush

1. Determine what size you want to make your organizer and how many "pockets" you want it to have. I wanted a letter-size piece of paper to fit "landscape" in both pockets. I chose two pockets: one for papers to be filed and one for papers to go out (letters to be mailed, coupons, etc.).

The base of my organizer is 11" wide by 14" high. I started with two pieces of foam board this size and glued one on top of the other to make a base two boards thick.

 

I glued 1/2" strips of foam board all the way around the front edge of my base.

2. Decide how deep you want the pockets to be. On my organizer, the bottom pocket is 4.5" deep and the top one is 5" plus it extends down inside the bottom pocket a bit.

 

I made the top opening of my pockets 2" from the back/base.

Draw out your side pieces so they look like two overlapping right-angle triangles. Measure the lengths of the two angled edges - these measurements will be the height of your front pieces. My front pieces are 10" wide.

3. Hold one side piece in place and mark on the top pocket front where you need to notch it so that the bottom edge of it will fit down inside the bottom pocket. Mark the opposite side of the front in the same place. Double check, then trim away the two notches.

Test-fit the pieces and make any necessary adjustments.

4. I glued a 1/2" strip on edge across the bottom of where my bottom pocket sits because I had a bit if a gap there when I test-fit the pieces.

Glue the side pieces in place. Use the fronts to ensure that you have them at 90 degrees to the back/base.

I used some more 1/2" strips inside the pockets to make the sides sturdier and ensure there weren't any gaps at the bottoms.

Glue the fronts in place. Allow all glue to dry thoroughly.

5. Paint and decorate the organizer however you please. Label your pockets, if you want to.
(The paint warped my fronts a bit, but I don't mind.)

DONE. 

What fun ways did you decorate yours? Chalk paint? Your last name? An inspirational quote? Did you label the pockets with your family members' names? I haven't decide what else to do on mine so it's still just boring and white.

Reinforce and Redecorate a Storage Box Using Duct Tape

My niece was recently given a ukulele. It came in a fairly nice box, which she will be using as a case for carrying and storing her new instrument, but in her excitement to open it, she tore the box a bit. Naturally, I stepped in with a quick and easy way to make any storage box stronger and prettier: duct tape.

You can use this technique on any box. Duct tape is so versatile and comes in so many colors and patterns that you can easily upgrade a boring or flimsy box to fit your decor and needs. Who says that a storage box has to be boring?

Have a race car track in a box? Use black and yellow tape to look like a road around the sides. Have a punch bowl set in a box? Use colored tape to match your kitchen, dining room, or favorite beverage. Saving keepsakes or schoolwork in boxes in your kids' rooms? Use duct tape to make the boxes part of the decor. Have a ukulele in a box? Use your niece's favorite color duct tape to make it extra special for her.

MATERIALS
- box to be covered
- duct tape (I also used brown kraft paper tape but you can just use duct tape)
- white glue
- scissors

1. Start by repairing any damaged areas with tape. I like to tape both the inside and outside of any tears or cuts.

2. Reinforce the corners with white glue (allow to dry thoroughly) and tape. If the box is two pieces (like this one), make sure that they still fit together properly.

3. Wrap a strip of duct tape all the way around the box (I did just the lid for this one), lining the edge of the tape up with the edge of the box.

4. Wrap additional strips of duct tape all the way around the box, using the first strip as a guideline. I try to slightly overlap the strips so that no cardboard shows through. Use as many strips in whatever pattern you like to cover the box.

5. DONE! (I have found that some brands of decorative duct tape don't stay stuck, unfortunately. If you notice your tape lifting off at the end, just tape across it with some clear scotch tape or packing tape.) Enjoy storing your special items in their beautiful and sturdier boxes.

Triangular Storage Boxes (for awkward and unusual spaces)

We have a wooden corner unit in our basement that has these triangular shelves on both sides. They're great for displaying things but I wanted to add some closed storage to the lower shelves, so I had to design some custom boxes.

Once you figure out the angle, which isn't difficult, it's actually pretty easy to make the boxes. I covered mine with wrapping paper but you can decorate yours however you choose.

MATERIALS
- cardboard box approximately the same size as the shelf
- flat cardboard pieces
- paper
- exacto knife, scissors
- ruler, pencil
- glue gun, glue sticks

1. Place a regular piece of paper on the shelf with one edge tight against the side. Bend the opposite side up so that you can press the paper tightly into the corner. Fold the paper firmly so that the folded edge is tight against the side of the shelf. This will be your template for creating the box.

2. Cut the top flaps off a cardboard box (and cut shorter than your shelf space, if necessary). Place it upside down on your work surface. Put your template UPSIDE DOWN on the bottom of the box with the 90 degree angle against one corner. Trace your angle, using a ruler to make the line longer if necessary. Cut this line and down the sides of the box at both ends of the line.

NOTE: If you have other shelves that are exactly opposite the one you start with, you should be able to use the same template, just place it right side up on the bottom of the box instead.

3. Measure the angled edge of the box at the inside of the bottom of the box. This length will be the length of the side piece of cardboard, plus an inch or so for flaps on both ends (for gluing). Measure the inside height of the box. This will be the width of the side piece, plus an inch or so for a flap along the bottom (for gluing).

4. Inside the bottom of the box, trim the inside flap(s) back from the angled edge to make space for the gluing flap on the side piece. Glue down the inside flaps. Check the side piece for fit, adjust if necessary, and glue in place. I glued the bottom edge first, then one side, then the other.

If you don't want to make a lid, skip to decorating and using the box.

5. Place the box upside down on another piece of cardboard and trace around it. Use a ruler to draw lines about 1/8" outside of the traced line (for folding). Draw more lines an inch from these lines (or more if you want a deeper lid). Cut on these lines. Cut some of the ends to make small flaps (for gluing). Fold on the fold lines.

6. Check to make sure the lid will fit. Glue the small flaps to the insides of the lid edges to form the lid. I also taped the corners that I felt needed a bit of extra reinforcement.

DONE. Decorate/cover the box however you like, fill it up, and stick it on the shelf.

(No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you - we painted the corner unit before I finished the boxes.)

DIY PJ Masks Headquarters

Having a specific space to put a toy once they're done playing with it helps encourage kids to clean up after themselves. This is especially true when the storage solution can be part of their play, which is what I had in mind when I designed this "PJ Masks" headquarters.

On the TV show, the heroes' logos open up to allow their vehicles to exit, but I decided that trying to attach "doors" would be cumbersome and difficult. I designed this project for these specific toys, so you may have to make adjustments if your kids have a different size or style of toys.

MATERIALS
- three cylinder-shaped cardboard cans/containers with lids
- black foam core board
- black duct tape
- red, green and blue paper
- red, green, and blue acrylic paint
- white glue, glue gun, glue sticks
- pencil, ruler, marker
- scissors, exacto knife

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the three cans and lids.

2. Draw the openings onto the cans (or sketch on paper first, cut out, and trace onto the cans). Carefully cut out the shapes. Check to make sure that the toys fit through the openings and make any necessary adjustments.

3. Paint inside the cans and around the edge of where you cut out the opening. Allow to dry.

(Since the paint that I used easily scratched off my containers, I also lined the insides with paper wherever the toy might touch that was easily visible. You can skip this if you want.)

Trace the bottom of a can onto each color of paper twice and cut out the circles slightly smaller (six total, two of each color).

Measure the inside height and cut a strip of each color paper that width.

4. Line the inside of the can bottom, side and lid with the paper. Trim the paper to the correct size and glue in place.

5. Glue the lids on the cans and glue the three cans together. I used my glue gun.

Cover the top and sides of the can tower with black duct tape.

6. Cut an 8" diameter circle of black foam core board. Cut it in half, then in half again.

Glue two quarter-circles on top of the other two, forming two double-thick quarter-circles.

7. Cut two blue, two red, and two green 2" by 1.5" paper rectangles with the corners rounded on one short end. 

8. Cut four small triangles out of black foam core board. Glue together in pairs. Glue/tape to both sides of the top can along the outside edge.

9. Glue the rounded rectangles onto the foam core quarter-circles. Glue gun the quarter-circles to the sides of the middle can.

DONE. "PJ Masks all shout 'hooray', 'cause in the night we saved the day!"