Perk up your bathroom or bedside table or create a heart-warming homemade gift with this stylish tissue box that makes great use of your family photos.
Start by rummaging through your files and choosing scenes that touch your heart or even your funny bone! What gives the craft an antique look is a product familiar to most scrap bookers: negative strips-those clear display folders that resemble real film negatives and can usually be found in craft stores. As you pick your photos, get creative. Try seasonal shots from one particular year or scenes from different years to show the passage of time. The decorative holder makes a perfect gift for friends or family.
Materials
- Several loose photographs or printed digital photographs
- Narratives negative strips in varying sizes
- Self-adhesive paper, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, at least 4 sheets
- Colour photocopier (or access to store copier)
- Unfinished wooden tissue box
- Craft knife
- Cutting mat
- All-purpose sealer (suitable for photography)
Instructions
step 1 The key is to organize photos in the negative strips in a somewhat random fashion. First, gather a group of related images on your photocopier and try different arrangements to see which compositions you like best. Go for variety. Use a combination of large, medium and small negative strips if you have them. For an interesting effect, let a larger photo sprawl across two or even three windows on one strip.
step 2 Place self-adhesive paper in the manual feed of the copier. Lay three negative strips at a time (filled with your photos) on the glass and copy. For our box, we printed three sheets of self-adhesive paper with images, although we suggest that you make at least four sheets so you have plenty of choices.
step 3 To cover the box, cut up strips or stick on entire sheets of images. Arrange some strips or sheets horizontally, some vertically. Trim away any pieces that overhang the edges of the box or wrap them around an adjacent side.
step 4 Once the box is completely covered, apply the sealer to all surfaces as protection.