Sunday, January 3, 2010

Project Monday's #1

This is something new... I will be posting something every Monday! one of the many New Years resolutions that I have!

Today's project is a Recipe Box. Or more importantly a few of them!!



One of my many New year resolutions is to get more organized! Honesty I have the same one every year, but his year is my year!!
Every year around Christmas I start to do my baking, and I can never find that "one" recipe! Also I am constantly looking up the same recipes from my many cook books....



take a look at this photo, well don't look to closely, I should have cropped it or maybe cleaned up a bit first?


do you see my problem??

notice the top of the cook books, loose recipes on sheets of paper. and if I was brave I would let you see the inside of those binders! SCARY!


So I came up with a brilliant idea, I turned a stationary kit into a recipe box, (see top photo bottom left) BUT I really wanted some thing that would last, that I could have out in the kitchen and not worry about water and grease and dust... cuz I live in my house, lol... oh and I have 4 boys remember!!


So I was at the Cash King just before Christmas when I spotted these really ugly, but super cheap cardboard recipe boxes... and well you can cover anything with paper!
so I remembered that I had bought the cutest paper a few years ago, I don't recall the exact name, I didn't save the backing board that had the name. And because I am sure you are all just like me and buy paper because you might "need" it for something... and if you have a use for it, then you buy 2 just in case you need it later, yep that's me to a T!! ( oh I don't have the board with the name, because I used it for some other project..)
So back to the project... I measured the boxes and I was so happy to find out that one sheet of 12 x12 would cover the box and the lid!! For my boxes I cut 2 strips at 3 1/8th x 12 for the base of the box, and a piece that was 51/2 x 7 1/2 for the lid.
For this project I used Modge Podge, I am sure Crystal effects would have worked, but I wasn't sure I had enough for all 4 boxes!
I wrapped the strips on the base, making sure not to go to high so the boxes would still close well. almost 1/4 inch hung off the bottom. When the base was dry, I used my exacto knife to cut a slit so I could "wrap" the paper onto the bottom, I then modge podged it there too..
For the lid I scored the paper at 1 inch all around and cut 1 inch in on the 7 1/2 sides. I placed the lid in the center of the paper and carefully wrapped the lid. Once it was dry I used my exacto knife to trim away any excess so the box would close nicely. I then brushed on a thin coat of Mondge Podge. I got out my chip board and covered 2 letters in Chocolate chip craft ink and 2 in Creamy Caramel. I tried Vanilla craft, but it doesn't cover chip board well.
I made 4 boxes, I have "e" for everyday meals, "a" for appitizers, "d" for desserts, and "h" for Holiday recipes.
I hope you liked this weeks Project. I will be posting a different Project each Monday... Be sure to stop by and tell me what you think!!
Jennifer Jones

7 comments:

  1. This is a really cute project. It is such a a good idea.

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  2. Awesome project Jennifer! I like how you did 4 different ones too...inspires me to get my recipes organized this year.

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  3. This sounds so cool. I am going to have to look fro soem boxes I can alter like this. I have three 3x5 recipes sitting on my counter now. I have hundreds of recipes stored on the computer. I have loose sheets of paper -- more recipes - in a cupboard on top of other recipe books and folders, etc. I will have to really think about how i want to organize so that i can find them in a much easier manner. 42 years of marriage and recipe collecting have reaped many good tasting recipes -- but the question is how to store them all. We downsized 6 years ago and I have very little storage space. I had to get rid of about 30 recipe books. But if i could have a neat storage sytem for all of these, that would be terrific! I will look at the sales flyers for this week with a new eye for something like this. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Judy Jackson

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  4. Great idea and you did a wonderful job with it! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. My recipe file looks like your old one--lots of loose paper, lol. Great idea to separate the types of recipes. The boxes turned out beautifully!

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  6. OMGosh - these are just too cute for words! What a fantastic idea, and yes I too have that kind of papers - even as far back as the single sided pkgs (lol)

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  7. I love these, the paper was Stampin' Up!s Au Chocolate, and I absolutely loved it! I still have some in my stash that I guard carefully, lol. thanks so much for sharing these gorgeous recipe boxes.

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