Christmas Card Gift Box and Gift Tag tutorial

Do you have 15 minutes?  Yes?  Then go and grab your Christmas cards and make some recycled gift tags and Christmas-card gift boxes with me!

Here are two easy projects that are great 'mom I'm bored' activities for the kids [and adults!!].  Don't throw away your cards - reuse them!  All you need are a few basic tools and materials.

Recycled Christmas Card Gift Box and Tags 

Materials/tools
-Scissors
-Ruler
-Pencil
-Glue stick
-Used Christmas cards (or the good ones orphaned with no envelope!)
-Tag punch (optional) - just cut plain rectangles for tags if you want!
-Hole punch (optional)



Instructions
To make the tags use your tag punch to punch out tags from your used Christmas cards.  Place the punch on the card in different ways to find the best image for the tag, making sure that the back does not have writing on it already!  Trim the card before punching if necessary to get the best image on the tag, as seen below.

Punch when you are ready then create the hole on the tag using a hole punch).  From this particular card shown, only one tag could be made because of the printing on the inside cover. 

Continue punching and trimming and presto - you will soon have a stack of fun tags!

Any bits of card not big enough for the punch can be cut into usable rectangles and/or squares for tags as well!  Punch holes if desired. 

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To make the recycled Christmas Card gift box to hold your tags, take one of your larger cards.  Cut along the fold so you have two equal parts - one will become the lid and the other the base.  The inside of the box will have the writing in it! 

I have made a mosaic because Blogger is not uploading pictures properly.  So, from left to right, here are the steps:

Top row of images:

Cut card in half along fold, mark out 2.5cm and 4cm, draw the lines, score along lines with the tip of the scissors but do not cut through.

Second row: 

Cut the 4cm lines at each corner to create the tabs that fold inwards, fold up each side and bend the tabs inwards, NOTE that the 1.5cm extra needs to be scored (not shown in images) on the two ends of of the lid plus the two ends of the base so they can bend over the tabs to hold the walls of the box (closeup image), the folded ends over the tabs. 

Third row:

Folded ends and tabs are glued in place using glue stick, punched Christmas card gift tags are placed into the base/bottom of the box, lid put on top of base and job done - now go make a second one!

Images showing the completed box and the underside of the box - a nice snug fit.

These boxes can also be used as ornaments and as decorations to hang on your tree or used as advent boxes filled with treats!  They even make great little boxes to give jewellery in.  Use your imagination and recycle, reuse and re-purpose all of those Christmas cards! 




Happy creating!  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

 
If Blogger starts behaving itself, I may be able to add some more pictures.  In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions!

P.S.  Here is a bigger photo showing the drawn lines which are cut to create the tabs and the ends.  This is a 4cm line drawn at 2.5cm away from the edge on each corner.