Recycled Art Caddy to Store Kids Back to School Supplies

How has the first week of school been going for your family? Are your children already busy with homework, spending time with new friends and getting ready for the weekend? Even if your two days off are packed with errands and appointments, be sure to build in a bit of “craft relief” to blow off steam. Crafting on the fly is easy when you’ve got a selection of tools, from markers to paint brushes, ready to go. This week, we’re transforming an empty cracker box into a colorful caddy that goes wherever the crafting takes your family. Have your child make her own – or whip up one for your desk!

Materials

  • Empty cracker box
  • Duck Brand Ducklings Mini Rolls
  • Scissors
  • Marker
  • Ruler
  • Hole punch
  • Craft cording (found in the trim aisle at craft stores)
  • Scrap cardboard (optional)

Instructions

1. For this caddy I used Duck Brand’s Ducklings. What are those? They’re mini rolls of duct tape in colorful patterns. The skinnier width is easier to manipulate when wrapping the cracker box. See the Duck Brand’s Ducklings website for current colors and patterns.
2. Trim off the box flaps on the cracker box. Once that’s complete, measure 6 inches from the bottom of the cracker box. Make a cutting line at this mark on all four sides of the box. (You can customize the size of your caddy depending on the types of crafting tools your child uses most.)
3. Cut off the top of the cracker box on the cutting line. For younger crafters, it’s best to help them with this part.
4. Starting on one side, begin wrapping the box in duct tape. Have your child use one favorite pattern or several. See those green-handled scissors in the picture? That’s a special edition from Fiskars and Duck Brand. The blades are non-stick so that trimming items like duct tape and washi tape doesn’t ruin a good pair of scissors. I picked up my pair at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft and have been a huge fan of them.
5. Before your child reaches the bottom of the box with the duct tape, make sure to cover the bottom. That way the last row of wrapping on the box will cover the bottom’s seams for a more finished look.
6. Once the wrapping is complete, punch a hole in either side of the box with a hole punch.
7. Cut an 11-inch piece of craft cording and fish it through either side of the caddy, knotting on the inside to secure the new handle.
8. As an extra to the caddy, you can add a divider inside. Using a piece of lightweight scrap cardboard, cut the piece to the height and width of your caddy, adding about 1/4 inch to the width. Score the piece 1/4-inch and fold. Position into the caddy and secure with duct tape on both sides.
9. Your caddy is ready to go! What will your family load it with?

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