OY! KRISTEN

The Inspiration.

Christmastime is so twinkly and magical. I was inspired by these West Elm's boxes, like this and this. I thought the mixture of gold, silver and charcoal colors would look really pretty on my dresser, so I began brainstorming. These boxes were clearly out of my price range, so I thought, "I will just make my own." My DIY desire was confirmed when I stumbled upon these cigar boxes (below) at a flea market in the neighborhood. They are super legit, solid wood with hinges and everything - the guy sold all three for $20, which I thought wasn't too bad. Then I began hunting for the perfect paper. I went over to my friends at the to-die-for Paper Source, where the ladies there helped me pick out these three styles: Gold on Cream Mums Fine Paper, Metallic Wash on Natural Fine Paper & Gold Linear Dots on Slate

Fine Paper. We were in business! This is such a great DIY for a Christmas gift or for yourself. And the gold-silver theme is very holiday-esque, but will blend beautifully year-round as well.

The Items You Need:

- Cigar box

- Paper - Any kind of sturdy paper will do - Perhaps even wrapping paper!

- Mod Podge (I used the glossy because I already had some at the house, but matte would probably look really awesome)

- Scissors (the sharper, the better. You're about to get your trim on.)

- Xacto Knife or pocket knife

- Foam paint brush

- Newspaper

The Budget:

- 3 Cigar Boxes (varying sizes) - $20

- 3 sheets Fine Paper - Approx. $20

= GRAND TOTAL: $40

The Method:

If you are good at wrapping presents, you will be excellent at this. Because essentially, all you are doing is wrapping this box, very precisely, with the paper, and applying the glue as you go.

1. Go ahead and lay out the newspaper (this will be your workspace) and wrap the box in the paper, eyeing the separate sections. If you're into measuring, you could get out a tape measure and go to town (I am not that kind of gal.) Decide about how much paper you will need for each section. Make sure to leave a little extra around all the sides.

2. Once you have an idea of the measurements, begin cutting the paper very to fit the box. Do this as you go in sections. I started with the front of the box, measuring the necessary "cut out" of the front hinge, and carefully traced the area with my pocket knife (if you have an Xacto knife, it would be super easy to trim this area away, just watch your fingers!)

3. Once the box has been measured and the paper has been trimmed to fit around the hinges, you can begin wrapping the box and glueing, very carefully, all around the box. Apply the glue, and immediately smooth the paper across the chosen section of the box. Smoothing it is very important, so that you won't have any bubbles in the paper. The glue dries pretty fast, so once you apply a coat, make sure to immediately apply the paper.

4. Watch the corners, make necessary trims as you go (this is where the very pointy scissors will come in handy!) This process is more about "touch" and less about step-by-step instructions. Make sure to wipe excess glue from the box, you don't want it getting stuck in the hinges!

5. Once the box has been completely covered, set it aside for 24 hours to dry. Make sure to leave the box open, so that it won't glue shut!

6. After 24 hours, apply another all-over coat of the Mod Podge and then let it sit (open) for another 24 hours.