One of the benefits of having pretty much every craft item known to man is the ease at which my girls (and heck, the entire neighborhood for that matter!) can count on me to have just the right thing they need when it comes to making projects for school.  Glue?  Check!  Punches?  Check!  Paper?  Check!  And on and on and on….

So of course, as our oldest daughter prepares to leave for her freshman year of college, I keep thinking to myself, “What if she needs a paper cutter at one in the morning?  What will she do?!”  As if that is going to happen, right?  Well, I can rest a little easier because I put a box of basic school supplies together for her.  You can do the same thing, too!  If your kids are still too young for this, put together a box anyway.  I’m sure you know someone who knows someone who is heading off to school.  It will be fun for you to make, and even more fun for the college kid when he/she needs a permanent marker to make a poster for a party and is too broke to buy one.  All of these items are so inexpensive to buy during this time of year.  Wait a month, and you will be shocked at how expensive they suddenly become; especially in college bookstores.

Some basic items for your college box can (and should!) include:

Permanent markers

Colored pencils

Regular markers

Glue

Scissors

Paper cutter (because every piece of paper should be straight!  it looks so much more professional!)

Tape

You-name-it

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I was going to leave the box plain white, but how could I possibly live with myself?  Go ahead and decorate your box to match the student’s school theme!  They will love you even more…guaranteed!

In keeping with my latest obsession of making boxes and stationary, here is an idea for something you can make for a college-bound kid. 

I made the card resemble the Duke “D” by cutting out part of the fold and by rounding the corners.

The cards are perfect for college students to use as thank-you notes or invitations to school-related events.  I also made smaller gift tags that can be used as mini note cards, too.

Don’t forget to stamp the envelopes! 

Tuck everything away in its own little compartment inside the box:

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Here’s a review of the other boxes/ideas:

  Baroque Motifs

  Faux Suede Box

  Well-Worn

I have been on a roll making stationary and decorative boxes.  It’s so much fun, and you’ll love doing it, too.  See how to make a faux suede box HERE, and a fun baroque box HERE.

My aunt owns a horse farm that she calls “Magnolia Farm.” During these lazy and HOT days of summer, I decided to work on her Christmas gift.  Hopefully, when Christmas finally arrives, I won’t forget about it!  You should do the same thing, too!  What better way to spend the summer?  It’s way too hot down here in south Florida to do anything outside.  Not only do these fun stationary boxes make great gifts, but they also make a great project to work on with your kids.  You could even host a girls’-night-out!  Just provide a list of supplies for your friends to bring.  You’re sure to have a fab time.

I haven’t made the box yet, but in the meantime, here is a look at the cards, gift tags, and personalized stamp.

P.S.  I used Stampin’ Up’s “Well Worn Designer Series Paper” to add some texture to the card.  I also used a technique called “direct ink to paper” to create a worn look.  All you have to do is apply the ink directly to the edges of the cardstock, and then randomly wipe some of the ink directly from the ink pad onto the paper in random places.  This is one of my favorite techniques.

The Card:

The Gift Tag:

The Set:

Lately, I have been obsessed with making boxes and filling them with stationery.  I ordered a custom stamp for Sharon and made her her very own box of personalized stationery.  I’m hoping that because it’s handmade, she’ll forgive me for being so forgetting her birthday. 

(If you look closely at the box lid, you can see that I used my trusty drywall tape as an embellishment.)

Here’s the inside.  I love the lid.

The lid’s pocket holds 3″ x 3″ notecards and envelopes.

Here’s a top view of the box and all of its goodies and compartments.

In addition to including Sharon’s personalized name stamp inside the box, I also included three wine corks that I wrapped with hemp twine.  She can use the twine to attach the cards to packages.

Don’t you just love these fun colors?  They are Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, and Lucky Limeade…all from Stampin’ Up!  

TIP:  I used Mod Podge to apply the Designer Series Paper to the box.  It is much easier to use Designer Series Paper than it is to use heavy cardstock to cover the box.