Artful Painted Giftboxes From Recycled Food Boxes

I have to say, there is something so very very satisfying about making a painting on a recycled cardboard food box! And this year whimsical painted boxes, on the small side, are a big part of my Chanukah/winter decorating! The themes are not specifically Chanukah, which means I can keep on using them until Purim, phew, because I’m really enjoying the fun play of color and artful pattern, and there is no pressure for them to be “art” as after all they are boxes! The top box with the flowers in bottles is based on a bottlescapes lesson from Amanda Evanston in her Insider’s Group, the middle box is quite simply splattered paint, which is the first step in my graffiti mittens giftbox, and the bottom box was previously shared here. So friends, make a mix of fun painted boxes and then stack them and display them, (mine are on gallery shelves in the kitchen) and I promise, you’ll just want to keep them. That said make a bunch more to actually use for gift giving and spreading joy! Lets, take a closer look!

The top box with the bottles is mixed media, which is a mix of acrylic paint, black sharpie pen, white paint pen, and a metallic permanent marker for the gold line work on top. Working with pens together with acrylic paint gives one the ability to loosen up a bit as any necessary definition can be done with linework, not paint.

The white linework on the bottom box makes the pattern pop, and you can read more about that in the post here.
The side of the box isn’t the queen of the show, so it can be even more abstract, which I actually prefer. So maybe next time I’ll have to treat the front of the box as though it is the side! Getting ourselves to loosen up when it comes to making art is not simple, especially for someone like myself who is coming from the rigidity of a design background!

Okay friends, grab those food boxes, milk cartons or any cardboard containers and get to work! You may want to lightly sand the box, and it is recommended for high gloss boxes. You can also opt for a quick layer of gesso, but I did not do this, and all is just fine. Enjoy!