Celebrate the red, white and blue with a special gift! EcoHeidi Borchers upcycles a milk carton into a wire handled carrier. Decorated with decoupaged book pages and dangling stars, this carrier is perfect for wine or herbed vinegar.
Watch EcoHeidi’s Patriotic Wine Carrier YouTube video tutorial!
Materials
Milk carton
Aleene’s Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Decoupage – Matte
Brushes (one for Decoupage, one for paint)
Book pages
Acrylic paint – red, blue, white
Water
Matboard – to use as inserts to strengthen the milk carton
Craft knife (to cut matboard)
Scissors
Clothespins
Wood stars
Twine – thin gauge
Heavy gauge covered wire (for handle)
Wire cutters
1. Carefully tear open the top of the milk carton and remove plastic pour spout.
2. Rinse and dry inside of carton.
3. Cut down each corner from top to first fold in carton. Bend two opposite sides in to the inside of carton.
4. To strengthen carton, you will need to measure and cut matboard to create inserts for two sides. Measure one side of carton from top to bottom, side to side and cut piece of matboard to measurement. Cut one end of matboard to point. Repeat to create second cut piece of matboard.
5. Insert matboard inside carton and mark carton along pointed edge. Cut along marked edges to create points on carton.
6. Apply glue to matboard pieces and glue inside carton. Use clothespins to hold in place while glue dries.
7. Tear several book pages into approximately 2″ x 3″ pieces.
8. To decoupage the outside, working small sections at a time, brush outside surface of carton with Aleene’s Decoupage. Brush a coat of Decoupage onto the back of book page piece and glue onto carton. Brush over book page with Decoupage. Repeat to cover entire outside and inside of carton. Let dry.
9. If desired, apply white paint in dry brush technique over the decoupaged book pages.
10. To create the stripes, mix red acrylic paint with water to create a wash. Brush color onto book pages. Let dry.
11. Find grain in book page paper and tear into approximate 1/2″ strips.
12. Decoupage stripes onto outside of carton.
13. Apply blue wash of color to stars and book pages. Let dry. Use stars as patterns to cut book pages to size. Glue in place with Decoupage. Let dry.
14. Glue a length of twine to back of stars. Set aside to dry.
15. Punch hole slightly below each point in carton.
16. To create handle, insert end of wire in first hole and bend up. Repeat by inserting other end in other hole, adjust for desired length, cut off excess and bend up.
17. Hang stars from handle. Tie with another piece of twine to hold in place.
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