Begin by taking a standard shoe box and painting the box school bus yellow or chalkboard green, using acrylic paints. Decoupage the sides of the box with school-related symbols from magazines, stickers, wallpaper, scrapbook paper or fabric. Symbols may include a bus, schoolhouse, pen, pencil, red apple, crayon, glue or ruler. Once these are glued to the box, coat the entire box with a clear, spray-on lacquer. Use a pencil to poke several holes in the top of the box. These holes will be used for placing crayons, pens and pencils. Finally, fill the box with various school supplies.
Make recharging your cell phone, iPod, BlackBerry or digital camera a breeze by creating a recharging station to hold all your devices and cords while you recharge them. Start by wrapping the box in fabric, wallpaper or scrapbook or wrapping paper. Affix to the box cutouts of images that complement the décor of the room in which your recharging station will be placed. Spray the box with lacquer. Finally, insert extra large grommets, 3 inches apart, into one long side of the shoe box. Place your devices inside the box and run your cords through the grommet holes and plug them into the wall. Close the lid.
Turn a shoe box into a letter holder by covering the box in old postcards and stamps. Use bits and pieces of past letters for added depth. For a photograph holder, use photocopied cutouts of friends and family to decorate your box. Add interest by layering photo-related cutouts, such as stickers of tiny cameras or the words “Say Cheese!” Remember to spray on a clear lacquer coating to protect the box.
Create a pirate chest fit for any young pirate’s treasure. Using a shoe box with a flip top, paint the box a deep black color. Once it dries add a skull and crossbones cutout to the top of the box, in the center. Take two strips of gold foil and glue them to either side of the skull and crossbones, as gold straps that run along the top and the long sides of the box. Spray the box with lacquer. Insert brass paper fasteners along outside edges of the box, so that only the brass buttons show through. Cover the inside of the box with gold foil and images of coins and cash. Lacquer the inside as well.