{cardboard box baskets}

I had the pleasure of being over at Fireflies & Jellybeans on Friday, and this is the project I shared with her readers. I hope you enjoy it, too!

After completing the entertainment center we built for our basement, I was in desperate need of some baskets to go on the shelves behind the doors.

I love baskets, and don't mind spending a little more on nice ones if they are going to be in a prominent place. However, these would be hidden behind doors, and would be in the throes of the basement, so I just didn't want to spend a lot on them.

So, I went on a hunt to find baskets for around $5--I knew I could paint them or jazz them up somehow, as long as they were the right size and shape. I went everywhere, and had absolutely no luck. I ended up at Walmart last, and when I couldn't find anything there, I headed to the organization section. When I saw these sturdy moving boxes, I knew just what I wanted to do!

These "cardboard box baskets" are perfect. They are darling, sturdy, and cost less than $3 a piece to make. I love how they turned out, so I now I need to make one more to fill the whole space.

They are SUPER easy to make--this is how I did it!

ITEMS YOU NEED:

• sturdy book or moving boxes, with handles
• spray paint
• double stick tape
• scrapbook paper
  
• cardstock
• distress ink
• printed text

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray paint boxes. It took 2 coats and 1 can of paint to do two boxes. It will just depend on the color of your box, and if there is any writing/graphics.




2. Print out desired text on cardstock. Cut it out, distress the edges, and mat it on a coordinating piece of cardstock. Distress edges.



3. Cut your scrapbook paper to fit entire front side of your box. Take a tiny bit of tape to hold the paper on the box, then trace the handle opening on the inside of the box, so you will know where to cut. Cut out the handle opening, then secure the entire piece of cardstock on your box. Distress the edges of the box and paper.

4. Using the double stick tape, attach your printed text to the box.

Ta-da!! You have darling, simple, and cheap cardboard baskets that you can use anywhere. These would be great in closets, the garage, pantries, or inside furniture doors.



In the entertainment center:


Have a great weekend, everyone!

P.S. An update on the shoes I painted: I wore them to church last week, and had them on for about 4 1/2 hours. No paint rubbed off--they were perfect! I had a few people ask about it, so I thought I would share. :)