Your Favorite Photo Tissue Box

Perk up your bathroom or bedside table or create a heartwarming homemade gift with this stylish tissue box that makes great use of your family photos.

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Start by rummaging through your files and choosing scenes that touch your heart or even your funny bone! What gives the craft an antique look is a product familiar to most scrapbookers: negative strips—those clear display folders that resemble real film negatives and can usually be found in craft stores. As you pick your photos, get creative. Try seasonal shots from one particular year or scenes from different years to show the passage of time. The decorative holder makes a perfect gift for friends or family.

Materials

Several loose photographs or printed digital photographs
Creative Imaginations Narratives® negative strips in varying sizes
Self-adhesive paper, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, at least 4 sheets
Color photocopier (or access to store copier)
Unfinished wooden tissue box
Craft knife
Cutting mat
All-purpose sealer (suitable for photography)

Instructions

step 1The key is to organize photos in the negative strips in a somewhat random fashion. First, gather a group of related images on your photocopier and try different arrangements to see which compositions you like best. Go for variety. Use a combination of large, medium and small negative strips if you have them. For an interesting effect, let a larger photo sprawl across two or even three windows on one strip.

step 2Place self-adhesive paper in the manual feed of the copier. Lay three negative strips at a time (filled with your photos) on the glass and copy. For our box, we printed three sheets of self-adhesive paper with images, although we suggest that you make at least four sheets so you have plenty of choices.

step 3To cover the box, cut up strips or stick on entire sheets of images. Arrange some strips or sheets horizontally, some vertically. Trim away any pieces that overhang the edges of the box or wrap them around an adjacent side.

step 4Once the box is completely covered, apply the sealer to all surfaces as protection.