ADORNit blog hop!

Hello and welcome to the ADORNit Make it Merry blog hop,  part of the Make it Merry blog party. And, just for the occasion I've changed my blog background to something a little more festive.

I hope that you are enjoying the inspiration you've seen so far from the other ladies involved in this blog hop. I always enjoy seeing all of the fabulous and creative ideas and hope that these things are helping you to get excited for the upcoming holiday season.

Just in case you stumbled upon my blog and didn't start at the beginning of the blog hop, please check here where you will find a list of all of the participants so that you don't miss out on anything. Simply start at the first blog listed and then follow the links in each consecutive blog until you get to the end.

Just a little insider information for you: My family and close friends know this about me- Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love the special spirit of the holiday, the twinkling lights, the crispness in the air, beautiful holiday tunes, the excitement of finding that perfect gift for someone you love, decking the halls and every nook and cranny with the loveliness of Christmas. We pull out our decorations the day after Thanksgiving so that we can enjoy them for as long as possible.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is being able to make something special for someone I love. These things don't have to be fancy or cost a lot of money because if the gift comes from the heart you can never go wrong. I am going to share with you a little something I made yesterday out of something many of us having sitting around: an old box. They come in all sizes and can be repurposed for many different things. The little box I used was a hot cocoa container from a gift we received last year and I simply decorated it to be able to use it again this year (or, secretly, I might just hang onto it for myself!- don't tell!!).

Step 1: find an old box you can alter


Step 2: Gather materials: patterned paper, ink, pen, trimmer, adhesive, flower, tag, trims and anything else you want to add to your box

Step 3: remove any labels from box- not completely necessary but I didn't want any extra bumps on my box

Step 4: measure and trim patterned paper to fit lid and sides of box. I cut mine so that I'd have about an 1/8 inch border all the way around. I also inked the edges and added some faux stitching with my Sharpie to give it a little extra detail. You can use whatever ink color you prefer for the edges- I found that a combination of brown and black gave me the best effect for this project.

Step 5: The lid (if your box has one) - add papers and trim as shown.

Step 6: Gather materials for making the tag for the top of the box. I used the same paper for the top as I did for the sides which contrasted nicely with the tag and other supplies I had chosen for the lid. Add paper and tag, ribbon, flowers or whatever else you would like to use.

And there you have it- a repurposed box that you can now use for a small gift or a treat for someone you love. And, this didn't cost me a thing- I used an old box, papers from a kit from last year, as well as other trims and things from my craft supply.

I hope that you've enjoyed my little Christmas Box tutorial!

Please leave a comment here on my blog and I will do a drawing after the blog hop ends for a fun scrappy prize for one lucky winner. 

Now, please head on over to Michelle Lanning's blog and have a wonderful rest of your time blog-hopping!

Have a wonderful day!