Aunt Peaches made three of these recycled album cover gift boxes for three different friends — one of whom is fond of Christmas (album: Christmas Wishes), one who is fond of folk dancing (album: Polka Festival), and one who is fond of mustaches (album: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young). And hey, good news — chances are good there is an album for everyone!
Materials
Record sleeves (purchased at garage sales/thrift stores for less than $1)
Ruler
Stapler (heavy duty enough to chomp through layers of cardboard)
Pencil
Box cutter, Xacto knife, or razor blade
Instructions:
1. Cut the front and back of the sleeve apart. On the cover, use a pencil to mark a line exactly 2” from the edge. Repeat on all four sides. Use ruler to trace the lines, scoring the cardboard but not cutting through all the way.
2. Fold the cardboard inward. Then cut along the scored lines, as shown, to create the corners of the box. You’ll want to create four flaps, two on each side, by cutting along the crease up to 2″ from the edge of the box.
3. Draw the corners inward and staple in place. Remember, neatness counts.
4. BAM. That’s your box top. Now repeat on the bottom half, this time marking the lines 2 1/8″ from the album’s edge (or 2 1/4” for very thick cardboard).
5. Bonus! Old records come with nifty paper sleeves. Save these liner notes and use them to wrap your other gifts. And hey! Are you not planning on playing that old record? Turn it into a decorative bowl as a gift for someone special.
Many thanks to the witty and clever Aunt Peaches for sharing this excellent idea!
