An Easy Leisure Craft

Reading By A Window

by Charles James Lewis (c. 1850)

To make a box similar to the old confectioner boxes, it is just a matter of making a card a little larger than the top of the box. Use any box you wish, from a shoe box, to a tea box. On heavy scrapbook paper or textured card stock, trace around the top of the box. Click on the picture above, of the finished box, for a larger view.

Now cut with shaped scissors, a short length away from the lines, at least 1/2 inch.

Click on the picture for a closer view of the faux diamonds used as dewdrops on the roses.

To give the card a lace look, use your hole-punch near the scalloped edges. Place your art and scraps and paste down. Here you see those little glass stickers that look like diamonds, placed on the dew drops of the rose bouquet in the picture. Choose the shade of paper and the kinds of scraps you like. Here, I have used a ribbon rose bud, a clear glass button butterfly, and some scrapbook papers. I have outlined the middle picture with glitter glue.  On a strip of paper is a written verse, which is then torn around.

Wrap the box in wrapping paper or thin paper, to cover it up. Paste it on the lid of the box, and fill it with the things you wish to give (or keep).  This one is going to be a small afternoon tea for one: a tea bag, and some little bites of tea foods, wrapped in a pretty paper napkin. I will be giving it to a widowed friend.

This is done with a large square paper lace piece, glued on to mauve card board. There was a slight imprint of an oval, which I outlined with glitter glue. The roses are cut out of scrap paper, found at So Shabby Pink. This is then glued on the top of a square box, which is just a little smaller in size.

Here is what the vintage confection box replica looks like, from Victorian Trading Company. I have not seen it up close so I do not know what kind of materials it is made from, but this can give you an idea of what you can use to make this box: ribbons and bows and metalic pieces, crepe paper and cut-outs. Glitter paper from the glitter stack might work for this topper, if you use lots of thick white glue for the doo-dads.

Replica of Confectioners Box From Victorian Trading

with satin ribbon, mica flakes, silk flowers,scrapbook papers $12.94

On family vacation times, even at home, time was spent in leisure crafts. Whether it was a sewing or knitting project, or a paper craft, it was one of the highlights of vacation times. Even a day at the lake or ocean warranted a bag full of these wonderful leisure supplies, to pass an hour away while enjoying time off.

 It is a great benefit to children to find things to do for relaxation, such as reading, writing, or art work. A good book for boys, any time of year, is "The American Boys Handibook," a reprint of the original boy scout book, which has a lot of basic and good activities for boys, from building a bridge, to constructing a brush shelter. You could easily make a boy busy every day of the year with these kinds of projects:- The handibook for boys includes making a kite, a sturdy hammock,  making outdoor furniture, creating a large balloon, making a tent, and many more, some which are very adventurous.  Girls can use some projects in "The American Girl's Handibook."  Both are reprints from Dover. which you can order or find in your local museams.

There are a couple more great boxes like this, here  and here which use good scrapbook materials.
Check this out for supplies. It has everything you need to make the lid of one of these confectioner's boxes, including the punch that makes the edges look like eyelet, sparkling butterflies, and some decorated boxes.
This glitter painting is interesting.  Any kind of card makes a good top for a gift box.  These are all a lot more advanced. I have posted a quick an easy recipe for relaxation and leisure. I believe if the craft takes a lot of time and effort, it can become more like work. The ones I have made here were much more relaxing, and easy to teach children.  I have seen some of these on sites for schools, where children have made gifts for their mothers. Here is a beautiful box top  made with the faux jewels. This one has the scalloped edges. Watch the entire slide show for more paper ideas for box tops resembling the vintage confectioners boxes. This one is more complicated, and interesting.

I still remember carrying a box of sewing and knitting supplies, books, writing materials, and craft goodies, on a trip or just summer holidays at home.