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DIY furniture: paneled chest. DIY chest from a box How to make a chest from a cardboard box

To make a chest with your own hands we will need:

Box (multi-layer cardboard box is best),
wooden rulers (purchased at KOR)
acrylic paint, acrylic varnish
foam rubber or synthetic winterizer
stationery pins
fabric (I used crepe satin)
small hinges and lock (depending on the size of the chest)
stationery knife, Moment universal glue and PVA glue
unnecessary belt or leather (leatherette)


I took a diaper box and cut it in half. The result is a box.
Advice: it’s better to take a box or make it yourself according to the size of the rulers (I had 30-centimeter rulers, and my husband cut them for me with a jigsaw to get the right length for the box).

To make the same stylish semi-circular lid that topped pirate treasure chests in the old days, I did the following:
I cut out a rectangle from cardboard along the length of the box. Using a stationery knife and a ruler, I made horizontal cuts at a distance of the width of the ruler from each other and filled with them all the space except for the allowances. This operation was performed so that the cardboard would gently bend into shape and not break. I made cuts on the side allowances, as shown in the photo.
Next, I cut out two shapes (two semicircles), which will later become the sides of our chest.
Bending it to shape, I glued the lid to the sides. When everything was dry, I cut off the protruding edges with a utility knife.
Using Moment glue, I glued wooden rulers over the box, the lid, and then the sides. Again, my husband sawed off the rulers for the sides with a jigsaw.


After both parts of the chest have dried well, we begin decorating the chest from the inside
By internal dimensions I cut out this figure from foam rubber for the bottom of the chest,
a rectangle and two sides - for the lid. Using PVA glue I glued all the parts.


I waited for the glue to dry and draped the fabric over the chest, attaching it to the foam rubber using stationery pins.


Tip: it is better to glue the fabric up to the rulers in order to tuck it between the cardboard and the rulers. I didn't think about it at first, so I had to peel off the top rulers.
Decorate the outside of the chest.
Take acrylic brown paint. I painted with a hard brush. But you can use a sponge, just move it strictly horizontally so that the wood effect “appears.” Then I coated it with matte varnish, again acrylic.

I glued two straps to the sides of the chest lid.
My husband attached the hinges and lock.


In order to cover some of the unevenness on the edges of the lower part, I glued pre-prepared strips of cardboard. The length of the strips is the length of the chest, the width is 3-4 cm. I bent the strips in half and glued them to each rib, covering both sides with one strip.


We put coconut fiber inside, after painting it with gold spray, chocolate coins, a map of treasure island (found on the Internet old map, printed on thick paper and aged it: we dipped our printout in strong hot tea and held it for 10 minutes. They burned the edges, rolled them into a tube and tied them with gold braid).


And of course, they included the main gift for the newlyweds (real money was mixed with counterfeits). Treasure Island chest is ready!

Such a gift can be given not only for a wedding, but also for a little birthday boy.

Although a handmade chest is considered a truly unique thing, it is rarely placed in a home decorated in modern style. This design is convenient for storing various things that apartment owners do not often use. In addition, the product can act as a separate decorative element that complements the interior of the room.

How to make a chest from a box and other materials with your own hands, we will look at this article.

What can chests be made from?

Creating a chest with your own hands is not difficult. First you need to decide on the area where the future structure will be located. After this, you need to draw a rough sketch of what kind of product you want to create. You should also think about the dimensions in advance.

A similar decorative element can be made using the most different materials:

1. Tree. The structure can be placed in the hallway as a cabinet on which you can sit to put on your shoes, or as a chest of drawers where you can store various things.
2. Plywood or chipboard. It is located in a children's room, in which it is permissible to store toys and other items.
3. Cardboard. The box will serve as the main blank. It stores various accessories and other light items.
4. Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam. This type of structure can even be fixed in the wall.

If wood is used to make crafts, then pine is perfect. However this type When exposed to moisture, wood can swell and become covered with small cracks.

You can also use alder. Of course, such material is not very durable, but due to the light color and soft texture, it may well replace expensive species of tropical trees.

How to make a chest

A decorative chest is considered beneficial and convenient device, which stores things, books, children's toys, sports equipment, and much more. In addition, the product can be used as coffee table, if the small dimensions of the home do not make it possible to place more large furniture.

Chest from the box

Making a chest from a box is quite simple. In addition, this invention does not require large financial expenditures, since its manufacture does not require special parts and materials. Everything you need can be found at home.

Step by step instructions How to make a chest from a box with your own hands is presented below.

Step 1. Initially, you should draw a drawing of the future product on the box. To do this, you need to make semicircles on the small sides, as well as a couple of lines that encircle the box. After this, using a stationery knife, you need to cut off all the excess along the top strip, as well as on three sides along the bottom.

Step 2. The lid for the chest is made from a durable sheet of paper of the appropriate width. It should be fixed on the hinges with stationery clips.

Step 3. The front cover must be attached to the line (you will need regular glue).

Step 4. After this you should decorate future procurement. You need to stick two strips of a dark shade on the lid and body. And then attach handles with a lock to the product.

You can put toys, towels and other things in such a chest, but not very heavy ones, because the structure is not very strong.

Wooden chest

It is very easy to make a wooden product with your own hands according to a drawing. Absolutely anyone can handle this type of work, even those who have not yet had experience in this kind of thing.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Prepare the material. To create a chest you will need boards (sizes depend on personal preference). Using a router you need to make a quarter.
2. Assemble the box. From ready-made boards, make a box occupying approximately 2/3 of the size future design.
3. Prepare the base for the bottom. It is necessary to process the quarters on the boards with a router.
4. Install the bottom. To do this, you will need to connect the workpieces using self-tapping screws.
5. Make a lid. Cut out a couple of side walls in the shape of a semicircle. Then the entire surface of the lid must be covered with boards.
6. Treat the structure with stain, which will help preserve the wood.
7. Secure the fittings. You will need legs, three loops, and handles. A pair of hinges are fixed near the lid, and one will be used as a lock. The legs need to be screwed to the bottom, and the handles should be secured to the sides. And the sides finished product should be decorated with steel tapes.

Made from polystyrene foam

Using a sheet of polystyrene foam you can create an incredibly beautiful decorative item, which can decorate any home interior. The main thing is to strictly follow the manufacturing instructions.

Step by step wizard Class:

1. First of all, it is necessary to draw a sketch of the future structure on a piece of paper with the appropriate proportions and sizes of the elements.
2. The lid should be slightly inclined and consist of five parts: a top, two sides equal in width and a pair of side elements equal in length.
3. The edges of the top and long sides need to be cut off at an angle so that they can be joined later.
4. On the surface of the workpiece parts, using a screwdriver, you need to draw lines that will imitate boards, and with curved lines you need to draw an image of wood.
5. Paint the internal parts dark color, and the outer ones are brown.
6. Once all the elements have dried, they can be connected to each other using silicone or wood glue.
7. Then the sides of the product must be painted in a golden hue, giving the craft a border.
8. You can decorate the surface of the structure with any elements, for example, shells, pebbles or pieces of glass.

Pirate chest made of cardboard

A pirate chest made of cardboard looks very impressive and quite unusual. Such a product can be created together with a child. This does not require any complex materials.

Master class on making:

1. The basis will be an ordinary box, which from the inside at the junction of the bottom and the walls must be covered with very dense material.
2. For strength to internal walls It is necessary to attach dense blanks with glue.
3. The lid must be made of two sheets, which must first be given the desired shape and then fastened together. On the sides of the workpiece, stick paper or wallpaper with protruding teeth, which will then be fixed to the lid.
4. In places where the fittings will be mounted, you need to glue plastic. This can only be done from the inside.
5. Wrap the surface with wallpaper coated with glue. The same should be done with internal part blanks.
6. To decorate, you need to cut out narrow strips, cover them with crumpled paper and fix them on the structure at the same distance. The same stripes can be applied to the lid. Then attach semicircular rivets to the workpieces.
7. Cut out some marine figures and apply them to the design.
8. The inside of the lid must be covered with crumpled paper.
9. Paint the inside and outside of the chest with black alkyd paint. Give the figures a silver color.

Wooden pirate chest

A pirate chest made of wood will look great in a children's room decorated in nautical style. You can store not only toys in it, but also other things.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a wooden chest with your own hands:

1. To prepare a blank for a future product, it is necessary to make a drawing on a furniture board, according to which the parts are subsequently cut out. Since the elements will be fixed with a lock, you need to immediately cut out the tenons.

2. To assemble the frame, you will need to connect all the elements with each other and coat them with glue so that the product is durable.

3. The chest should be plastered inside and out. When layer lime mortar Once it dries, the product can be painted a caramel shade.

4. To create the effect of wood on the body of the structure, you need to grease the newly painted surface with a roller with a mixture of flour, milk and brown paint (the consistency of the solution should resemble sour cream), and then run a spatula over the product.

5. For decoration, a stencil with a marine-themed pattern is used. The workpiece is applied to the surface and covered with white paint. After this, the stencil must be carefully removed.

6. At the end of the work, the outer side of the structure is smeared with wax mixed with gold powder, then sanded with a soft cloth and covered with black paint.

7. The inside of the product must be covered with gold leaf golden color.

8. Attach the cover to the base using door hinges, furniture casters screw to the bottom. The handles are made from rope, which is passed through two holes in the lid. The ends need to be tied in a sea knot.

9. On the sides of the image you need to fix leather straps, tying them around the entire structure.

Flat roof

Often the classic version of the chest has a semicircular lid. However, such a design can also be made with a flat closing element. Besides this method much easier to manufacture.

Algorithm of actions:

1. The main material will be boards (the size of the product can be made in different sizes).

2. Assemble sides from wood, which need to be connected to each other using bars.

3. The bottom is furniture board, which will be fixed on the sides with boards. In order for the workpieces to hold, it is necessary to initially cut out grooves for joining the parts.

4. Now you need to make a lid. Make a marking according to which you need to cut the boards, fastening them together and securing them with bars.

5. Make two holes on both sides and in the lid.

6. Insert a rope through the holes and out through the holes in the lid. Tie the ends into a knot. Make handles from rope. Drill holes on the sides and insert ropes there, securing them with a sea knot.

7. Paint the surface of the structure with stain.

When choosing a chest model that you plan to make with your own hands, you need to pay attention to the option that will fit perfectly with the interior of the house.

Expert advice:

1. For a retro style, a restored element that has no cracks or abrasions is perfect.
2. Vintage style, on the contrary, requires a worn product with chips and scratches.
3. To prevent the design from being too conspicuous, the room needs to be supplemented with objects that will match the style of the chest (lamp, paintings).
4. If the room is designed strictly in white colors, and the structure is of some other shade, then it can be repainted in the color you need.

When creating a wooden craft, its final processing is very important. This includes sanding, tinting and varnishing. If there are still cracks on the surface of the product, they must be hidden using putty intended for wood.

Homemade decorative chests are usually placed in the bedroom, living room and children's room.

In the bedroom, the product can be installed near the bed, placing linen, towels, a blanket with pillows or jewelry there.

In the recreation area, the structure can be used as coffee table, on which you can put a vase of flowers, put a book or newspaper.

In addition, such a decorative element can be placed in the bathroom, and jars of cream, shampoos, cosmetics and much more can be stored in it.

Video

The video shows how to make a shoe box with your own hands.

There are many master classes on creating cardboard chests on the Internet. But I always had questions: what kind of glue is best to glue the cardboard so that it doesn’t move, how and how to strengthen the walls, the bottom of the chest, etc. And when I was given the opportunity and the opportunity to make a chest, I decided to photograph all my actions, the stages of creation and leave , as a cheat sheet to make it easier and faster to do next time.

To make the chest I used:

• a ready-made corrugated cardboard box and additional sheets of corrugated cardboard, napkin strips, vinyl wallpaper;
• PVA joiner glue, PVA construction glue, PVA contact glue, Crystal moment glue;
• pencil, ruler, carbon paper;
• scissors, stationery knife, stationery scalpel;
• alkyd and acrylic paints;
• yacht varnish;
• metal fittings (lock, canopies), bolts, nuts.

In those places where I planned to screw the handles, locks and hinges, pieces of plastic cut from a plastic bottle were glued.

I glued the junction of the bottom and the walls with thick fabric (I was afraid that without this the bottom would fall off the walls if I put something heavy in the chest).

Then, with inside The boxes were glued with additional cardboard walls. In the photo there are 3 types of glue that I used (for experimental purposes). All three did an excellent job of gluing them tightly and preventing the cardboard from changing its shape.

Now the lid. Cardboard for the lid (2 pieces, i.e. 2 sheets). To begin with, I pressed each of them along the grooves of the corrugated cardboard (to make it easier to bend it later and give the lid the required shape without creases on the outside), then glued them together. I pasted wallpaper with protruding teeth onto the sides of the lid for further connection with the base of the lid.

The base of the chest is ready.

Since the chest is large (height - 42 cm, length - 54 cm, width - 32 cm), I was haunted by the question of its density and reliability, and therefore I glued another layer of cardboard and additional pieces of plastic for attaching metal fittings.

I glued the finished lid, consisting of two layers of cardboard, with a third layer, but not all of it, but in three places (the middle of the lid and its edges - along the length of the lid).

"Press" from improvised means.

She began to cover the outside of the chest with thick wallpaper. I decided to use PVA construction glue. I smeared glue on the wallpaper sheets, waited a little and glued them onto the chest. It was stuck on poorly and not securely.

Then I did it differently: I smeared the wallpaper with glue, folded it in half and left it for a few minutes. After this, the wallpaper stuck much better to the walls of the chest. The cardboard did not get wet or warp.

View from the outside, after wallpapering.

View from the inside. For each wall of the chest, I cut off separate pieces of wallpaper, taking into account that each of the 4 strips of wallpaper covered outer side chest and inner. I haven't wallpapered the bottom yet.

I'm starting to decorate the outside of the chest. For the “forged” finish, I cut out narrow strips from corrugated cardboard and covered them with crumpled paper. To make them stick more securely, I pinned them with pins.

I did the same with the lid.

I first drew the decorative elements on paper, then transferred them using carbon paper onto corrugated cardboard and cut them out with a stationery scalpel. And also covered it with crumpled paper, tucking the paper from the front side decorative element on the inside (wrong side), thereby covering the “leaky” - corrugated sides (cuts).

The inside of the lid was sealed with crumpled sheets of paper.

For the bottom from the inside, cut out the right size cardboard, covered it with crumpled paper and glued the bottom.

And outside, on the bottom I pasted wallpaper.

To give a little volume to the decor, I glued flagella from napkins (I don’t think you can call it paper art). The pea rivets were glued with PVA glue by a carpenter, quickly and reliably.

After painting the inside looks like this. I almost forgot, for such a large chest I bought a black one alkyd paint(a lot of acrylic art would be needed and expensive), it can be seen in the upper left corner of the photo. Of course, you can’t compare it with acrylic - the smell is strong, and it takes a long time to dry - 24 hours.

In addition to the silver color, there are many reflections similar to paint, because the chest has already been opened with yacht varnish.

And now just a photo of what happened.

The chest is in action.

Chest - undeservedly forgotten, but very convenient place storage of things. And also colorful decoration at home and a great gift for the hero of the day or newlyweds! Make a decorative chest with your own hands, it’s not difficult at all:

DIY decorative chest. Step-by-step instructions with photos

Collect frame from boards measuring 40x50 cm. To make the sides, you need to step back 10 cm from the edges of the two boards and cut the material in a semicircle. The sides are glued to the bottom or fastened with self-tapping screws.

DIY decorative chest. Photos step by step

Cover the walls with boards. The first blanks are attached in the upper part under the semicircular cuts. After them, on the sidewalls, 20 cm from the top, marks are made with a pencil - they are needed to indicate the future cutting of the lid. Then the boards are fastened on both sides to the very bottom.

Cover the lid. Narrower pieces are attached to semicircular sections to form a lid.

Saw the sides with a jigsaw along the marked lines. After completion of the work, it is recommended to cover the wood with stain or varnish.

Attach loops. With their help, the sawn-off lid is attached to the base. On the other side, screw a loop on which you can hang a lock.

old chest with your own hands. Photo

Attach to the sides pens, for example, bronze. They need to match the style of the hinges and lock.

Decorate DIY chest. For example, type below iron corners. Leather strips nailed with nails with large heads look interesting on a decorative chest. Finally, the legs are attached to the bottom.

DIY wooden chest. Photo instructions

Complete inner part. To do this, cover the entire space with velvet, choosing the color to your taste.

DIY decorative wooden chest. Option 2

There is another way to make a wooden chest with your own hands. It involves the following steps:

Preparation of material. As in the previous case, it is necessary boards. Select the size depending on the size of the chest you want to receive. A quarter is made using a router.

how to make a chest. Step by step photos

Assembly boxes. From the resulting blanks, a box is assembled, which occupies approximately two-thirds of the size of the future chest.

Preparation of material for bottom. To do this, the quarters on the boards are processed using a router.

Bottom installation. It is assembled from blanks using self-tapping screws.

Manufacturing covers. Two side semicircular walls are cut out, then the lid is sheathed with boards over the entire surface.

Product coating stain or varnish. This is necessary for decoration and also to preserve the wood.

Fastening accessories. The chest needs three hinges, legs and handles. They can be purchased at any store, but to make the hinges look more interesting, it is recommended to file them with a jigsaw. Two loops are attached to one side of the lid, and one, for the lock, is attached to the other. The legs are screwed to the bottom, and the handles are screwed to the sides.

old chest with your own hands. Photo master class

Finishing. Copper or steel tapes that are attached to the edges of the product look stylish. However, you can use any decor.

DIY pirate chest for a children's room

If the child's room is designed in marine theme, a pirate chest is suitable for her. It looks great in such a room and is very convenient for storing toys or children's things.

To make such a chest, you must first prepare materials and tools:

• furniture board;
• glue;
• putty for working with wood;
• acrylic paint in caramel, brown, white and black colors;
• gold powder;
• a little flour and milk;
• decorative beeswax;
• potal for imitation gold leaf and glue for it;
• leather belts;
• jigsaw;
• spatula to create a cut texture;
• stencils with images corresponding to the theme;
• rope;
• drill with a pen attachment;
• furniture casters;
• door hinges.

When everything you need to make a pirate chest is ready, you can get to work. The stages are:

Creation blanks. They are cut from furniture board according to a pattern. Since they will have to be connected with a lock, the tenons should be cut out immediately.

Assembly designs. The parts are connected and coated with glue for strength.

DIY pirate chest for a children's room. Photo instructions

Painting. Before applying coloring composition, the chest inside and out should be covered with a layer of plaster. Only after it has dried can you apply caramel-colored paint.

Creation textures. To make the chest look stylish and interesting, we recommend decorating the freshly painted surface with a mixture of milk, flour and brown paint. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed to obtain a composition resembling the consistency of sour cream. It is applied in large strokes to the outer surface of the product. While the paint has not dried, a spatula is passed over it - the result is a clear wood pattern.

Decoration. The pirate chest is actually ready, all that remains is to decorate it. To do this, a stencil is applied to the lid. The picture can be anything: a ship, an anchor, etc. Apply on top white paint, the stencil is removed - and the drawing appears on the surface. The entire outer surface is waxed with gold powder and sanded with a soft cloth, after which a thin translucent layer of black paint is applied. The inside of the chest is covered with gold leaf using gold leaf glue.

Installation accessories. All parts are assembled: the lid is attached to the base door hinges, furniture casters are installed on the bottom. It is better to make a handle from a rope, passing it through two holes in the lid. The ends of the rope are tied with sea knots. Finally, leather straps are attached to the sides of the design on the lid, which wrap around the entire product.

It turns out to be a stylish do-it-yourself pirate chest for a children's room.

DIY chest with a flat lid

The instructions above show how to make a chest with a semicircular lid. But it can also be flat. This product is even easier to make. The instructions are:

First of all, you need to prepare tools and materials by deciding on the size of the chest and cutting the boards.

Collect sidewalls: connect several boards, attaching thin bars along the edges.

Glue parts of the chest, using a furniture board as the bottom. The sides of the product are covered with boards. Don't forget to cut out the grooves so that the pieces fit end-to-end.

Collect cover: take measurements, cut boards suitable length, connect them by gluing thin bars on the sides. Then drill two holes in the top on both sides. Do the same on the lid. A rope is inserted into each hole on the chest, pulled through the hole in the lid and tied at both ends with a sailor's knot.

Do pens: drill two holes in the sidewall at a short distance from each other, insert a rope, tie knots. Repeat on the other side.

Cover stain or varnish.

DIY chest-bench. Photo

Your DIY chest with a flat lid is ready!

DIY decorative chest from a box

If you don’t want to work with wood, you can make a chest out of cardboard with your own hands. Suitable, for example, packaging from household appliances. Manufacturing stages:

From the top make cover. To do this, you need to forcefully draw lines across the entire surface so that the cardboard bends. Then cut out two semicircles and cover them with wallpaper, leaving teeth around the circumference. The blanks are attached to the lid on both sides.

DIY cardboard chest. photo

Insert the inner box into the outer box, having previously attached pens. Both parts are firmly glued to each other (for convenience during work, they can be fastened with clothespins) and covered with wallpaper.

Create decor. It can be made from leatherette, cutting out shaped belts, or baked clay. Cuts of napkins and thick twisted threads will also come in handy. The elements are glued to the chest, and patterns are formed from threads and cuts.

cardboard money chest. Photo

Attach legs. They are cut out of wood or plastic and glued to the bottom of the chest.

Paint DIY cardboard chest. The surface is covered with black acrylic paint, then a thin layer of gold is applied with a sponge.

DIY paper chest

Another economical option a chest made of paper and cardboard, which is useful for storing various small items and will serve as interior decoration. It's very easy to do:

Prepare materials and tools. Cardboard will come in handy box, consumer paper two shades, from which tubes of the same size are rolled, glue, tailor's pins, side cutters, decorative elements.

Take cardboard box need size, make it marking future chest and cut it out. There should be semicircular sides on both sides.

Cover the outer part paper, bending inward about 6 cm.

Tubes flatten and pin along the long side.

DIY paper chest. Photo

Secure strips of a different shade on one side of the chest with pins and weave with existing tubes so as to create an imitation of a basket. Weave all the way to the top, then fold the remaining ends and glue from the inside of the layout. Also braid the sides, not forgetting to glue the strips to the bottom.

To make a lid you will need a regular bottle, the width of which is equal to the width of the chest. Take a piece of cardboard of the appropriate size, wet it, attach it with tape to the bottle, and after drying, spread it with PVA and cover it with newspaper. Cover the finished lid with the same paper as the entire product.

Attach strips along the edge.

Try on the lid issue by weaving it or in another way, for example, by simply gluing strips of paper evenly.

Decorate the chest as you like.

DIY chests

It is not necessary to stop at the design options described - a do-it-yourself chest can be anything! Here are some examples:

Do-it-yourself wooden chest, made in the style of log house made of rounded bars, decorated with metal handles, hinges and lock. The surface is covered with stain.

Carved chest with massive metal handles and ring for the castle. There is an ornament carved on the sides, weaving from thin boards on the lid, the bottom protrudes slightly beyond the walls of the product.

Stylish black chest, covered with leatherette and decorated with leatherette belts. Bronze hinges, locks and handles are perfect for it, as well as decorative nails with large heads.

Laconic wooden product, suitable as a place to store things. A regular hinge and metal handles are used, the lid is flat with rounded edges, and the chest is painted in a discreet color.

Product rectangular shape, reminiscent flirty box. A do-it-yourself decorative chest is covered with plain leatherette or paper, decorated with vintage locks and a patterned metal flower.

Bright chest with a flat lid for a children's room, decorated with images of cartoon characters. The handles are cut out on the sides, and a recess is also made under the lid on one side for ease of opening.

Chest from the box - original idea for handmade, easy to implement and has practical application. This is not an unnecessary “dust collector”, and with due diligence it can turn out to be a very nice little thing that you wouldn’t be ashamed to give as a gift.

What can you store in a chest out of a box?

A chest made from a cardboard box is essentially original version caskets - that is, ideal for storing small items. Which ones? Traditionally, boxes are used to store:

You can store in the chest small items related to your hobby - yours or the one to whom it is intended as a gift.

Benefits of a boxed chest

The boxed chest has a number of advantages:

• this is not only a beautiful, but also a useful thing;
• will play the role perfectly original gift(including themed ones, maybe wedding ones, created for specific date or event, match the hobbies of the gift recipient);
• a wonderful craft to make with children (today it is no longer an ordinary household item, but a historical or fairy tale item, the idea of ​​​​creating it is wonderful for the development of children's imagination, joint creativity in game form and at the same time for the development of fine motor skills);
• it’s easy to make with your own hands;
• materials for manufacturing are quite budget-friendly - to create the simplest chest out of a box, you can find everything you need at home;
• it takes relatively little time to make (compared to other handmade products).

Have you decided to make your first chest? Go ahead, start by looking for materials and tools for the job.

What you need

What is needed to create a chest from a box? Depending on creative concept You can literally need anything! But the basic list of materials is:

• cardboard for the base;
• paper - colored and white (for office);
• scissors;
• stationery cutter;
• a set of paints (preferably acrylic or gouache);
• brushes of different thicknesses;
• a simple pencil for marking;
• glue (stronger - PVA, Moment);
• ruler (preferably metal, plastic ones are easy to “mow”);
• double-sided tape;
• knitting needle, dull pencil or out of pen;
• brads in the shape of carnations;
• fabric (what kind and whether you will need it depends on your idea);
• small decorative elements (also selected according to the design).

IMPORTANT. Optimal solution- use beer cardboard for the base. Ordinary corrugated cardboard is easily deformed, forming unsightly breaks, and it has unsightly ends. The binding is “oak”, it bends too tightly - it’s not for nothing that covers of large albums are made from it. Cardstock (designer cardboard) is a bit thin for the base, but a sheet of silver cardstock is very useful for decoration.

Please note: beer cardboard is much easier to cut with a utility knife than with scissors!

Step-by-step description of the process

Let's consider two options for a cardboard chest: a simple one and a more complex pirate one.

Option 1, base assembly:

1. We create a “pattern” - first we cut out a strip of 90*30 cm from cardboard. We make markings on it: cover (30 cm), back side (20), bottom (20), front side (also 20).
2. Cut out the sides (20*20).
3. We cut out the sides of the lid: they will be semicircular - we bend a strip of cardboard (40*9) exactly in half and use scissors top part semicircular, cut at the bottom - and the sides are ready.
4. We bend the first piece as the diagram is drawn and glue the sides. We glue them with paper ribbons bent in half lengthwise (they need to be cut 2-3 cm wide).
5. We subject the lid to the creasing process - this means that we press on it at regular intervals parallel lines with a blunt pencil, knitting needle or non-writing pen - it is better to draw them along a ruler in advance. Bend the lid in an arc and glue the sides using teeth bent lengthwise and cut on one side paper tapes(a cut is needed so that they do not wrinkle).
6. Glue the lid.

The base of the simplest chest is ready.

IMPORTANT. There is an even simpler option - take a ready-made cardboard box and separately make a chest lid for it in the manner described above.

Option 2, basis for a pirate chest:

1. We create blanks - we will need two front walls (18 * 8 cm), two side walls (11.7 * 8), two bottoms (18 * 12), a lid (18 * 19.5 cm), sides - we make them in the same way , which is in the first option, but the lower, straight side is supposed to be 11.7 cm - you need to draw a circle with this diameter and cut it in half. Be sure to estimate - the corners of the semicircular sides should coincide with the corners of the lid, it’s easier to fix everything in advance, then it will be too late.
2. We crease the blank for the lid using a metal ruler - draw lines at intervals of 2 cm (the outermost fragment will be wider, almost 3 cm), fold it into a semicircle so that it bends and “gets used to” holding its shape.
3. We cut 2 strips of 4 cm wide from office paper, bend them lengthwise and cut one half of both in the shape of cloves. Using these strips we glue the lid and its side parts.
4. We connect the parts of the base using paper strips 3 cm wide, also folded in half.

We have the frame of a pirate chest. How to make it exactly pirate?

IMPORTANT. As in the first case, for this option you can use a ready-made box and make the lid yourself. You can not put it on glue, but come up with wire or leather loops for it - this way it will be easier to open and will stay in place longer.

Decor: what can you use to paste it over?

The first chest can be pasted over if desired:

• colored paper;
• cloth;
• wallpaper imitating wood texture;
• worn leatherette or old leather;
• fragments of a wooden napkin.

When choosing a material for gluing, consider the intended purpose of the product: the design must correspond to it. Use your limitless imagination!

For example, even a wedding chest for collecting money can be designed in completely different ways, depending on the purpose of the collection:

Just cash gifts newlyweds - a chest from a box is decorated in a traditional “wedding” style or in the style of a wedding (nowadays thematic ones are popular - in a single color scheme, in a certain surroundings);

packing for a honeymoon - the chest should be bright and festive. If you already know where the newlyweds will go, you can use something from the style of the country chosen for the trip.

If the product was created together with a child, let him figure out how he wants to see it and try to cover it with whatever he wants.

IMPORTANT. When cutting out parts for gluing, do not forget to leave allowances for bends.

The second option is declared to be pirated - therefore it will be made from “rotten boards”. How to achieve this effect?

1. We cut strips of cardboard 2-3 cm wide (you can deliberately make them unequal for greater naturalness). The “covering” for the bottom and sides is true to size in length, for the lid, front and back walls - 1 cm longer, this spare centimeter is necessary for bevel. Now on the front side, using a stationery knife, we slightly “plane” the strips from the edges so that the “boards” appear unevenly planed and rotten.
2. We make the “boards” for the lid strictly 2 cm wide - the same as the scoring lines, otherwise they will give the finished lid an unsightly bend. The last strip (there is more than 2 cm, remember?) must be carefully adjusted to size.
3. We glue the “skin” onto the body and cover.
4. Glue the second blank for the bottom to hide the strips of paper connecting the bottom to the side walls.
5. We paint the workpiece with brown paint, trying to create the tone of wood, and wait for it to dry.
6. Using a thin brush, apply black paint to the edges and cuts of the “boards”: this is how they become “old and rotten”.

We got a well-deserved sea chest, perhaps even lying at the bottom of the sea.

How to decorate

The decor for the first version of the chest from the box is selected according to its main color and style. These could be:

• multi-colored ribbons;
• braid;
• lace;
• beads;
• appliqués made of fabric and paper;
• fragments of photographs (photos of the newlyweds are suitable for a wedding);
• natural materials (like “stuck” dried flowers, very small pebbles and shells),
• thematic collages from various clippings;
• elements of the same styles that are accepted in scrapbooking (shabby, vintage, Provence, steampunk, journaling, etc.).

For the second, marine version, we will need a “wrapping” - a sheet of silver cardstock is suitable for this. We cut out two strips for the lid (19.5*2 cm) and two for the base (we adjust these so that there is enough for three sides - the front wall, the bottom, the back). Using brown and black paints (you can mix them for a more natural look) with a brush, “paint” them over the stripes, imitating the effect of rust.

At equal intervals we insert brads - an imitation of nails - into the “forged” strips. Then we glue the strips on both sides over the lid, and the lid to the box. We glue the strips for the body so that their edges coincide with the stripes on the lid.

Both chests are clearly missing something, right? Of course, the castle!

The easiest way is to buy a decorative lock for scrapbooking - they cost a pittance. For the first version, the castle can be made from cardboard or anything - and not necessarily in the shape of a castle, it depends on the style.

For a pirate look, a decorative furniture handle with a ring of the appropriate color is suitable - black, steel, bronze or brass; you can use a shaped one or in the form of a lion’s head. A couple of the same handles can be glued to the sides - supposedly “for carrying” a heavy treasure box.

How to decorate a chest from the inside

Depending on general style, can be covered with paper, leather, any suitable fabric (plain, colored, emphatically luxurious - for example, velvet), or even faux fur. Photo collages inside such chests look original.

For our pirate chest, matting, burlap, worn leather, canvas, brown or black leatherette are ideal. You can simply paint the inside a dull black color, but everything stored in it will look bright and impressive against such a background.