DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes.

DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes 3Living a studio apartment, there aren’t many ways to hide things (like messes or even organized piles and files). Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to get more organized. Enter: storage boxes that I can easily fit on top of my book cases. Of course, I fell in love with the Kate Spade storage boxes that were outrageously expensive (like…$54.00 for the nesting boxes). I could not afford them and yet I was seeing them more and more on Pinterest. People were making similar ones themselves so I thought I would give it a go. I knew I wanted to do the bold stripe and then decided on a dalmatian print.

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What do you need to make boxes inspired like those?
-Boxes (the smaller ones I used and the larger ones both come in pairs, the smaller pair is $10 and the bigger pair $20)
-Painting Tape
-Oil Based Sharpie in Black (and white…if you want to fix a mistake or two) (I got this pack)
-Oil Based Sharpie in Gold (for the accents…a marker is easier than paint)
-White Craft Paint (to fix mistakes)
-Black Craft Paint
-Paint Brush

Let’s get to it, The DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes

DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes 5

First, have all your supplies at the ready (that means the black paint poured out) and paint brush chosen. For the striped boxes, start with the lids to get a feeling for it because they are simplest. To divide evenly, start the tape here where the silver corner begins. See?

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Place tape on each side of the lid so there is a large white space between them. Then eye the middle area. Place tape there. You’ll have two windows that are basically equal on each side on that equator line. Tape there.

The goal here is to tape, press that tape down, and paint quickly. Because of the material of the boxes (it’s not like they are super expensive!) if the tape is on too long, it will pull off that shiny layer leaving paper. So press the edges of the tape down and paint quickly (don’t worry about the finesse, just make sure you get around the edges of the tape…I as you can see from the photos, I did not want to extend the stripes of the lid the side of the lid; I used scissors with the tape to get a clean edge). Don’t wait for the first coat to dry before you start a second coat and here is the crazy part…don’t wait for the paint to dry before removing the tape. The first time I did wait and it was a disaster.

There are pros to doing this: the lacquer doesn’t come off and the box doesn’t become papery on the black and white parts (so the straight lines don’t even matter). The con: your lines are not 100% perfect. I used the white paint to fix that issue (of course, you don’t have to use the white paint by all means, don’t!). I also used the black sharpie to create crisp lines.

For the sides, I do not recommend taping all four sides at once (I did this and disaster struck). Tape one side at a time. You’ll take two horizontal lines and keep them as even as possible. Paint and remove the tape. Let it actually dry before you move onto the next side so you can match the placement of the tape.DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes 6

For the smaller boxes, I actually drew with the oil based sharpie the dalmatian print. I used a print I liked and mimicked it for awhile before I had it down. Again, I started with the flat surface of the lids.

DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes 2

Use the Gold Oil Based Sharpie to color in “the hardware” and the “edges.” Decide which way you’ll have the boxes face and place the now gold “label holder” (official title?) on the appropriate side of the box.DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes 1

Then start organizing! It’s more fun when you’re organizing using pretty things or is it just me? I actually ordered two more small boxes for more space. I will probably leave those white and change the silver hardware to gold.

Here is the thing: these do need a few touch ups. But the fact is, this project and I needed a break from one another because it was bringing out all my neurosis. But I love them and I am so glad I did it. I might do more. Ultimately, with the supplies I already had plus the fact that these are customized to my design aesthetic, I have so much more storage for a lot less money than if I would have gone and bought the Kate Spade Single Set of Nesting Boxes For a Lot of Money (even though I obvi love Kate Spade).

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Is this a project you would try for your girl boss office storage?
xo,
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30 thoughts on “DIY Kate Spade Inspired Storage Boxes.”

  2. Sheryl

    Nina, I LOVE these. Thanks for being honest that you had to step away from them – I’m afraid I could be hyper focused too. I’m certainly pinning and planning for a fall craft day soon.

  11. Rachel Walekr

    I am so impressed! These look gorgeous and so professional…I would’ve never known they were DIY! I seriously love the dalmatian print. Looks so chic! Good job, friend! You are talented.

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  16. Diana Hart

    Those boxes are fabulous! I will definitely want to make for myself. There are so many stuff I would store inside them, for which I couldn’t find appropriate storing place. Thanks a lot for the great idea:)

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