Magic Box

"I’ve got a magic box
With twenty-seven locks
And inside I keep all my secrets"

Do you like to collect things? Need a place to store your treasures?

Grown-ups - are you in need of a cute holder for business cards, sewing kits, or spices? Look no further than this quick craft!

If you've ever had a pack of Altoids or other candy/mints that come in little tins, you've probably been tempted to use it for holding small items!

Here's a simple way to decorate a box using only ribbon, glue, and some fun scrap-booking letters!

Magic Box

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies:

What You'll Need:

Altoids or other small box
7-10 inches of thick fabric ribbon (we used 1.5" thick but you can get creative!)
OR a small piece of fabric large enough to cover the top and sides of the lid
2 pieces of thinner ribbon. One should be about 10" and the other around 15" - we used 3/8" thick, but smaller would probably work better! You can use the same type of ribbon for both pieces, or mix it up and use two different kinds. We got some funky polka-dotted green/white and white/black ribbon.
Craft glue - we like mosaic tile glue because it holds your ribbon down on contact without having to hold it as it dries.
Lettering (optional). You can cut this out of old magazines, use scrap-booking lettering, old refrigerator magnets, etc. Or you can skip it altogether!
Treasures to be held: keys, jewelry, baby teeth, business cards, stones, shells, paper clips, buttons, sewing kits, craft supplies, spices, dried flowers, and all your tiny treasures!

Glue, Altoids box, Ribbon, and lettering

Step 2:

a) Glue your ribbon! Cut 3 pieces long enough to drape over both sides of the lid. Line them up, arrange them, and glue down. If you are using a pieces of fabric instead of ribbon, simply lay your piece down so all the sides are covered, and glue securely.

b) Cut a piece of the smaller ribbon for the bottom sides of the tin. Be sure to cut enough so the ribbon overlaps only a tiny bit when stretched around the outside, and glue down securely.

c) Cut a piece of the smaller ribbon for the sides of the lid. This piece should be long enough that it can be tied in the front to make a small bow. Glue the ribbon down starting from the back, then tie a knot in the front and center. The 3/8" thick piece we used gave us a little excess on the top, but we thought it looked really cute! You will probably see some excess pieces of the large ribbon/fabric poking out the bottom - no problem!

d) (Optional) - cover the bottom in stickers, magazine clippings, or more fabric. We decided to leave the bottom of ours as is.

Box covered in ribbon

Be sure you can still easily open the box!

Step 3: Glue your bow in place. Rather than tying a knot, simply make two loops and glue them down securely, creating a bow.

Step 4: Choose your word(s) and glue down your letters! We had big letters, so we could only fit "Keys" - you can label what will be in the box, put your name on it, or even glue some small photos on it!

The finished front

The finished back

The inside, with keys!

Step 5: (Optional) Line your box! If you are using the box for special treasures, you may want to line the box with some cool fabric. If you are using it for spices or any food items, be sure to wash (and dry) it thoroughly.

Send us your craft pictures to Katie@twotomatoes.com!