Recycled Cardboard Caddy

I love the shape and the convenience of caddies, but hate the cost of them.  So, I decided to make my own.  Eco friendly crafts from Consumer Crafts are my favorite and are always FUN! Let me show you how I made mine!

Materials:

• corrugated cardboard (recycled)
• tube from a roll of aluminum foil, wax paper or paper towels (recycled)
• masking tape
• Mod Podge
• Gesso
• acrylic paint in your choice of colors
• papers leftover from other projects
• stamps, inkpads, embossing powders, etc, if desired
• heat gun if you choose to emboss
• paint brushes
• left over bits of ribbons, trims, tulle, embellishments
• punches or dies of your choosing

Instructions:

1. I started by creating the basic shape of my caddy. I cut the cardboard into pieces to for the bottom and sides of the caddy and then I inserted the cardboard tube as the handle.Start by cutting your cardboard into pieces that will form your caddy. You need 2 sides, a bottom and 2 end pieces that are shaped like a house as shown in the picture below:
   
   
    
2. Next, tape your pieces together using masking tape as shown in the picture below:
   
   
    
3. Once you've got your pieces attached to the bottom of your caddy, bring all the sides up to form the caddy and tape all around the side and inside of your caddy.
    
4. Next, using scissors, poke holes into the ends of your caddy where you want the tube to go through. If you use a paper towel roll, you can use several layers of paper and modpodge wrapped around the roll to make it sturdy enough to use as a handle.
   
   
    
5. Next, cover the caddy with Gesso. This acts as a primer and creates a clean foundation for you to decorate your caddy.
    
6. Now the fun really begins! How you decorate your caddy is up to you. I started with a layer of acrylic paint around the edges and outer corners of the caddy. Then I layered all the bits of goodness all over the caddy; patterned paper, stamped and embossed images, flowers and trims.  Use whatever scrap leftovers you can find in your collection to decorate the box.  It is your coice.  Here is how mine turned out: