Im always looking for a way to use what I have at home and with craft fairs coming up; I really didn't want to spend anymore money than I already had to. So I thought there had to be a way to make bow holders/cards and use what I already have at home. After pondering; I found a cool solution to recycle and have a unique look.
What you need:
- Cereal boxes, shipping boxes, or any sturdy cardboard box or paper.
- E600 glue, Tacky glue, double sticky tape. Anything that you already have at home that will bond well and hold strong.
- Pen
- Ruler or bow card template ( I used 2 square templates from my scrapbook pack)
- Scrapbook paper or any kind of paper that you would like to decorate the outside of your card.
- knife or hole puncher ( my hole punch was broken so I found that a steak knife still did the trick)
- hair bows
First things first; make sure your box is clean and free of scrap cereal or dirt. If you are using a cereal box, open it all the way up by opening the tabs and the flap on the side of the box like pictured.
Cut off all the tabs of the box, just using the front and the back of the box. Be sure when you are cutting that you are cutting inside the seam not in the middle of the seam. If you cut in the middle then the sides will not bond well when you glue the paper to the cardboard.
Next, place and mark your lines of your templates. I used 2 different sizes; a smaller one for aligator clips and a larger one for boutique bows. You can use your best judgement and make them any size you wish. I find it much easier to mark the board before you put on the paper. You can let it sit for longer without disturbing it. Now if you are wanting some of the print to show on the back side; I suggest going ahead and cutting it out.
Make sure to glue the end that will not be showing. Apply the glue side to the back of the paper, NOT THE PRINT SIDE. I folded over the paper to show you that I have my template showing on one side and the print side on another.
I then took the pieces that I cut out, where I wanted to see the front of the cereal box. I put glue on the back side and applied them to the remaining edge of my scrapbook paper.Now take something heavy like a phone book or novel and set it on top of your work while it dries. You can even take the book and with a little bit of pressure, gently push it back and forth on top of your work, almost like your sanding it with the book. This will help remove any air bubbles and also help seal the edges better. Give it the proper amount of time to dry please.
So when you cut them out it should look like this. The far left is the top, the middle is what it looks like with the cereal print showing, and the right is just a blank back. You can add whatever you wish to these. Whether adding more paper to the back or just adding your business card; that is up to you.
To add your bow, simply use the prongs as a guide to where you need to cut the card. Make 2 lines and either use a hole puncher or some sharp scissors and cut your circle. I did not have a hole punch so I decided to try cutting them. Precision doesn't matter on this step because your holes will be covered by the hair bow.
Just add the hair bow and your done!! Now you can either attach your business card to the top or add another hole punch to hang it. If you have nice handwritting, you can even just print your web addy on the top. Either way, create it to your liking. Enjoy!!! 
