Dreamiest Washi Tape Pillowboxes

If you're like me, (Lauren) giftcards are always part of your holiday giving, but store-bought packaging always feels like a bit of a cheat... especially when there are so many cool alternatives that we can *MAKE* ourselves. The good old-fashioned pillowbox is still a favorite of mine, because the dimension makes it look like an actual gift. You can construct them from all sorts of materials, but my absolute favorite is plain old white cardstock decorated with Eyelet Outlet Holiday Washi Tape, because it's easy, quick, and you can customize the look for everyone on your giftcard gift list!

I still use an ancient print-n-cut pattern plus scissors to construct my pillowbox blanks, but if you have a pillowbox die or electronic cutting software, it'll be even easier! I keep two printed copies of my favorite pattern, one to trace the entire shape, the other to uses as a guide for scoring the curves. I like to completely cut out, score and fold all the moving parts before I begin the decoration phase. Since there are soooooooo many beautiful Eyelet Outlet Tapes, it's hard to choose just a few, so I decided to use lots of different ones to create a sort of woven effect on the blank pillowbox.

Start with one strip of tape (I chose Pine Tree) and place it on a diagonal, so that it covers both sides of the box, as well as the flap. Leave an inch or so at either edge, so you can wrap the ends around to secure them on the inside of the box.

Choose a second tape and place one or two strips of it perpendicularly to the first strip.

Work back and forth, adding layers in each direction, until two thirds of the box is covered. Use tapes of various widths, and let some overlap the edges of others, to add more variety to the design. I've mixed classic holiday designs like Tree Tape, Holiday Dots, Red Tree Tape, Merry Christmas Skinny Tape, Season's Greetings, etc, with other red and green tapes in my collection, like Heart Washi and Skinny Hearts Tape.

When you get to the end, if you've accidentally covered your sentiment, as I did with my Merry Christmas Tape, just go ahead and add a second strip on top! The translucency of the design makes it easy to line up a second layer perfectly!

Use your favorite dry adhesive to secure the flap. I like Scor-Tape, because it's very strong and comes in a bunch of widths. But remember, that it's a lot easier to attach Candy Cane Brads, Solid Color Flowers and other embellishments before you fold the box (!!!) and secure the flap with your extra strong, super-sticky tape! Do you notice anything about the picture above? Yes, I forgot it'd be hard to punch holes and place brads after the box was taped together. Hence the bold italics! If you'd like to be extra sure your box will stay together for all eternity, add another decorative tape strip or two after it's constructed.

Now that you're an expert pillowbox maker, I bet you won't be able to stop with just one Washi Tape masterpiece... I know I couldn't! ♥

Lauren Bergold

loves blogging and Eyelet Outlet products, 

especially the ones that make holiday gift-giving easier!!!

Just Say, "NOEL!"

What's your favorite crafty thing about the holidays? For me, (Lauren) it's got to be fancy giftwrapping! Don't get me wrong, I love making cards and presents, but it's my belief that upon seeing a really beautiful package, everyone kind of secretly hopes that it's for them! The good news is, it doesn't take much effort to make that be true for everyone on your list. My secret weapons: plain gift bags, bought in bulk; and Eyelet Outlet holiday washi tapes!

There are soooooooo many beautiful varieties it's hard to choose... so I didn't, lol; this bag has five tapes and five brad styles! But this idea would be just as lovely (and more CAS!) if all the letters had the same pattern. I really love the way different tapes mix and match, though, so I've used Holiday Ornaments Tape, Pine Tree Tape, Heart Washi (who says hearts are just for Valentine's Day?!) and Holiday Dots Tape. To construct the sentiment, I've lined up neat strips of tape on scraps of white cardstock, traced around some old chipboard alphabets, and hand cut each letter. But to save time, you could use alphabet dies, or dress up storebought diecuts.

After my letters were complete, I trimmed a piece of holiday sheet music and added a border made from Christmas Washi. Finally, it was time to add a few embellies. I decided on a Poinsettia Brad, a Cardinal Brad and a Holly Brad, as well as some Elf and Snowflake Brads. But again, you could still get a beautiful effect by choosing just a couple... why not mix and match a few new treats with styles you already have in your stash? Remember that hearts, flowers, foliage, musical notes and many other motifs can work for ANY occasion, so feel free to combine holiday and non-holiday elements!

I hope you'll be inspired to consider using items from your own crafty stash when it comes to wrapping presents this holiday season!

Lauren Bergold 

has nieces and nephews who don't realize you can BUY 

giftwrap and cards in a store, lol! :)