whiskey tango... from adult stocking stuffer to travel story toy

by Melissa

my husband appreciates a good whiskey, and happened to mention it once. so inevitably at Christmas time an in-law gets him a bottle or two. last year, a trio of The Glenlivet came to his "stocking" in a gift box. being a good Pacific Northwestern'r, i endeavored to take the box apart for the big green bin, but the cool magnetic closure didn't seem very recycle-friendly. meanwhile, i also had noticed how much our girls loved playing with a fold-up storytelling box picked up at a garage sale. but there was only one, for two girls... hmm...

so, to spark your own DIY imaginings, here's the transformation from container-for-tasty-adult-beverage to travel-ready-storytelling-toy, the perfect size for small princess characters, super heroes, mini ponies, or green army men.

Step 1 - Acquire Box

remove contents, drink, and enjoy (responsibly).

Step 2 - Detoxify

in this case, i had a can of gold spray paint ready to redeem the exterior of this box so no nosy nannies might wonder about my fitness for parenthood. you could also Modge Podge with some cool paper.

Step 3 - Set the Scene

i cut out nature scenes from magazines, traced the shapes, and cut and pasted them to fit inside. if i were to do it again, i would also mount several additional scenes on cardstock to fit snugly over top so that the girls can switch out scenes.

Step 4 - Pack Up & Go

stash your chosen characters inside the box, close 'er up and hit the road. perfect for hotel rooms and plane rides. if you do lose it, hey, you're not out too much, right?

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