How to Make a Beautiful Gift Box from a Half-Gallon Carton

We went shopping today for the holidays and I had picked up a big bag of salt-water taffy, which happens to be one of my father-in-laws favorite candies. I was trying to figure out how to package it and thought about buying a Christmas tin to put it in. I didn't have one on hand so I was thinking about making something like a handmade box to put the candy in. My daughter just polished off the rest of the orange juice and I was getting ready to throw the carton away when I stopped and thought,"What could I make out of this carton?" Then it hit me. I was looking for something to put the candy in, why couldn't I decorate this carton and use it. It's sturdy enough and it saves me a trip to the store to find something to put the candy in. So this is what I came up with.

Supplies Needed:
Half-gallon milk or juice carton
Scissors
Bone Folder and scoring board
Adhesive
2 sheets 12"x12" of the same patterned paper
Hole punch
12" strip of ribbon
2" circle punch
Piece of scrap cardstock
Stickers or other embellishments

Start with an empty half-gallon carton, I used a Minute Maid Orange Juice carton. Cut the top off the carton at 7 ½" from the bottom. Wash the inside of the carton with soap and water and allow to completely dry.

Take one sheet of the 12"x12" patterned paper and score the page at 2 ¼", 6" and 9 ¾"". Then cut the second sheet of 12"x12" patterned paper down to 7 ½" x 12". Score the paper in half at the 3 ¾" mark. Now cover the carton with adhesive. I used spray adhesive and sprayed all four sides but you may want to put adhesive on two sides at a time.

Wrap the first sheet of patterned paper around the carton. You will have two sides completely covered and the other two sides will have a few inches covered. Put adhesive on the strips of paper that overlap onto the other two sides. I used regular craft glue for this. Now place the second sheet of paper you cut down on the remaining two sides of the carton. Smooth over any bubbles and make sure all edges are tacked down well.

The tag is simple to make, just punch out a circle from any scrap piece of cardstock or paper. Punch a hole near the top of the circle for the ribbon and embellish with a sticker. Write on the back of the tag to whom you are giving the gift to and who it is from.

Next fold over the paper at the top of the box and punch two holes for your ribbon. Then thread the ribbon through the tag and then through the right side of the holes in the package. Make sure the folded side of the paper is the back so you will want to make sure you are threading through the front if you want to make a bow in the front. Then thread the ribbon through the hole on the left of the package in the back and then tie a pretty bow in the front.

Then you can decorate the front of the package with stickers or other embellishments or just leave it as it is. I used Jolee's dimensional sticker snowflakes. This gift box/bag is sturdy so it could be reused. I used Christmas patterned paper because this is a Christmas gift. Select papers that fit the occasion you are giving your gift for such as birthdays, Valentine's day, Easter, etc.