Cardboard Box Organizer

I enjoy scrapbooking, but I have never really had anywhere to store my scrapbooking supplies.  I tried stowing most of the stickers, full sized pages, scraps of paper, etc. inside one large box, but could never find anything because it was completely disorganized.  I also had a number of smaller boxes, packs of paper, and other items that I stored separately, which made it quite a chore to gather together all of my scrapbooking supplies.  It finally got to a point where I had to do something about it, so I grabbed a large cardboard box and made my own organizer.

What's inside the box:

*Clear storage bags
*The white ribbon is a pulley system to make it easier for me to lift my paper out of the box
*A smaller, decorative box to hold other small items (see this earlier post for ideas on how to decorate cardboard boxes)

Materials:
*Appropriately sized cardboard box
*Plastic bags

Additionally, if you want a lever system:
*Sturdy ribbon or string
*Cardboard
*Scissors
*All purpose adhesive
*Decorative tools to embellish the box (optional)

Directions:
*Separate the items you would like to store in your organizer into categories.  For me, I divided my supplies into stickers, frames and templates, and paper scraps.  Put items intp clear plastic bags.  The bags I used were bags that my curtains came in, but ziplock bags should work as well
*For a lever system like what I have for my paper, cut a piece of cardboard slightly larger than the items you would like to have lifted by the pulley
*Slide a piece of ribbon under the cardboard and place the cardboard inside the cardboard box.  Adjust the length of ribbon until it is long enough to comfortably pull out of the box
*Slide a piece of ribbon under the cardboard going the other way and repeat the prevoius step
*Find the center of each strip of ribbon and glue the centers together so that the ribbons form a plus sign
*Let dry, then place the ribbon in the cardboard box.  Put the piece of cardboard on top of the ribbon, then place the items you would like to lift on top of the cardboard

Fun with 3D

I downloaded a program the other day called Free 3D Photo Maker that allows you to turn your photos into 3D images and I really have been enjoying it, so I thought I'd share it.  Here's a link to a tutorial on how to use the software; the link to download the software itself is at the bottom of the webpage.  As the name suggests, this software is free.  They do try to get you to sign up for some sponsor related things, but you can ignore that.  The images it creates aren't necessarily the best I've seen, but it's a fun little program. 

Need some 3D glasses to view your new 3D images?  Here's how to make them:

Materials:
*Red and blue permanent markers
*Old plastic sunglasses or a glasses template printed on cardstock
*Clear plastic
*Scissors
*X-acto knife (if making cardstock glasses)
*Clear tape (if making cardstock glasses)
*Optional: markers, glitter, and other adornments to decorate the glasses

Directions:
*Print a 3D glasses template and cut out the lens area using an X-acto knife or pop the lenses out of your old sunglasses
*Trace the shape of each lens onto the clear plastic
*Color in the lens intended for the left eye red and the lend intended for the right eye blue
*Cut out the lenses.  If making cardstock glasses, leave a little extra plastic around the edges to make it easier to tape down.  If making 3D glasses out of old sunglasses, don't leave any extra plastic around the edges.  Pop the lenses into the frame and your glasses are complete
*If making cardstock glasses, tape the lenses into place
*Decorate your glasses as you wish

Brian wearing undecorated 3D glasses

My sparkly 3D glasses

Sharpie Tie Dye

Here's a craft my friend Lauren directed me to.  I'm including a link to the original post that I worked from in addition to my own, slightly modified directions.

Materials:
*White or light colored shirt
*Sharpies in various colors (I used red, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
*Isoprophyl alcohol
*Medicine dropper
*Plastic cup

Directions:
*Select a section of your shirt and color in an area about the size of a quarter.  I just made basically a color wheel each time
*Hold the colored in section of the shirt over the plastic cup
*Drip about 10 drops of isoprophyl alcohol onto the colored in section
*Repeat the previous steps in different locations on the shirt until you are satisfied with your design
*Heat set the shirt either by ironing or by tossing in the dryer

Graduation Photo Frame and Tassel Holder

Materials:
*8 1/2" x 11" photo frame with a thin cardboard backing
*2 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in different colors (perhaps in school colors)
*Gold metallic marker
*1 brad
*Graduation themed stickers/cutouts (optional)
*Scissors
*Pencil
*Ruler
*X-acto knife
*Mounting squares or other adhesive

Directions:
*Attach darker colored sheet of paper to the photo frame backing
*Using a ruler and pencil, mark out a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" section of the lighter colored sheet of paper and cut it out.  Mark out a second section of the paper that measures 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" and cut it out
*Trace a gold border around each light colored rectangle
*Arrange and adhere the light colored rectangles on the lefthand side of the darker colored paper
*Using the X-acto knife, create a small incision in the top of the photo backing on the left side
*Slide a brad through the incision
*Add graduation related embellishments
*You can hang a tassel from the brad and the light colored rectangles provide spaces for a 4" x 6" and a 3" x 4" rectangle

Update: Here's what mine looks like with pictures:

Seahorse Spiral Earrings

Materials:
*2 ear wires
*2 seahorse charms
*Small beads in shades of blue and green
*4 head pins
*Round nosed pliers
*Flat nosed pliers
*Wire cutters

Directions:
*Cut off the "heads" of two head pins
*Using the round nosed pliers, curl the bottom of the two head pins to form a loop and slide seahorse charms on.  Close the loop using flat nosed pliers
*Bead the rest of the head pins using beads in various shades of green and blue
*Curl the tops of the head pins and clamp onto the ear wires
*Cut off the heads of the other two head pins
*Wrap around the round nosed pliers to form a spiral
*Curl the tops of the head pins and attach to the ear wires

Digital Notebook Page Collage

Do you have old notebooks lying around?  Turn a page of notes into a work of art.

Materials:
*Notebook page
*Scanner
*Computer
*Paint (or similar program)
*Photos, clip art, and/or a favorite quote (optional)

Directions:
*Select a notebook page that you would like to use as the basis of your collage
*Choose a theme based on your notebook page.  I selected a page from my real analysis notebook, so it made sense for me to design a page relating ot mathematics
*Scan the notebook into the computer
*Open the notebook page in Paint (or drawing program of your choice)
*Open a new paint document and draw illustrations for your note page or import images from other programs or files into the Paint document.  I drew the stick figures in Paint and made the mathematical shapes in Mathematica, then copied them and pasted them into paint
*Select the graphics and position them on top of your note page in a manner that you find aesthetically pleasing
*When saving files made in Paint, I generally save them as bitmaps rather than jpegs because the bitmaps end up looking better, at least for me

Beaded Bookmark

Materials:
*Metal bookmark
*Jump ring
*2 head pins
*Assorted beads
*Wire cutters
*Round nosed pliers
*Flat nosed pliers

Directions:
*Attach jump ring to the hole in the top of the metal bookmark
*Cut the "head" off one of the headpins
*Using the round nosed pliers, create a loop at one of the ends of the head pin
*Bead the head pin
*Curl to form a loop at the other end of the head pin, then attach to the jump ring, using the flat nosed pliers to clamp the loop closed
*Bead the second head pin
*Create a loop at the top of the head pin, then attach to the loop at the bottom of the other head pin