Decorative boxes for craft fairs

I have done a few craft fairs recently and found that small decorative boxes have sold well. Its coming up to Christmas so some of  my boxes have been a bit shiny and blingy!  These boxes are useful for jewelery and for trinkets. Or maybe to hang on the Christmas tree with chocolates inside!!

I have bought simple papier mache brown boxes and worked on them. I start off by painting  the boxes using acrylic paint. This takes a while to do, as you have to do the inside as well. However, treat it as a production line with about 10 to 20 on the go. Mix the colours rather than just use what comes out of the tube.

When the boxes have dried check to see if any need an extra coat of paint to neaten them up. I usually add a coat of PVA glue or clear varnish at this stage. This makes them a bit more robust and long lasting.

Then the fun bit begins! You will need some sequins, some ribbon and trim. Whatever decorative stuff you have really! You can make your own with shiny paper or buy ready made.

You can produce them as single items or as sets of different sizes. These look nice if you tie them together with string or ribbon.

You can give them a bit of a theme as well. These are my "African " ones, I used hessian on the top and string around the sides. the top is layers of thin animal fur style paper stuck on with with PVA glue, and sealed with matt varnish. I finished off with a large ethnic looking wooden bead.

A lot of little girls seem to collect small boxes to hide all their treasures in. I designed this next set with them in mind. The flowers are just simple ready made stickers. I put a couple of layers of varnish on these though, to make sure nothing peels off.

The finishing touch to all my boxes is to add some felt to the base. This hides any untidy paint edges, and gives a more quality feel to the product. I use colours that match up with the design, but clashing colours can sometimes work as well. I attach with pva glue. You have to be careful not to add too much, so it sinks through the felt, but enough so as it actually stays in place.

This is a simple idea, but sells quite well. You usually need a few cheaper items at a craft fair, as this guarantees a sale, and you cover the cost of the table or stall.

I really enjoy making these boxes. I will never do the same ones twice, so it does not get boring. I can theme them and make them seasonal.  Give it a go !!