Every family dumbs a lot of scrap boxes and cardboard. Scrap boxes and cardboard, treated with some practical creativity, may become products which have artistic, educative, and economic values. The impact to the environment is also very positive : the less we dispose scrap boxes and cardboard, the cleaner our environment, and eventually the less exploitation to our forest.

This article gives an idea how to change a scrap of a tooth paste box and scrap cardboard into an artistic, hand- self-made pencil case.

Materials and tools you need :

- A scrap tooth paste box (choose the biggest size).

- Scrap cardboard (made out of material thicker than the tooth paste box )

- whitePVA glue

-Thin paper or tissue paper

- A ruler

- A pencil

- Scissors and a cutter

- Paint (spray or acrilyc paint will do) for coloring, or use other techniques.

- Compound powder

Step by Step of the Project :

1. Be ready with a box of tooth paste. The box should be of the biggest size, so that it can accomodate the length size of pencils or pens.

2. Also prepare some scrap thicker cardboard. We use this cardboard for inner lining and covering of the case, to make the case rigid.

3. Cut the tooth paste box into two unequal parts: 2/3 part  will become the case and 1/3 part  will become the lid of the case.

4. Give the case inner linings and covers using thicker scrap cardboard. To make inner linings and covers cut thicker scrap cardboard in the same size as the outside and inside walls of the case and the lid. Make the inner lining 4 cm longer than the case's walls, this longer part will make the edge of the case's opening where we put  the lid on  firmly.

5. The next step is paste your case with tissue or thin paper. First you dillute PVA glue with water in 1:3 composition, stir thoroughly. Cut some thin or tissue paper, you can use either tissue paper or thin paper to make different texture at the final result on the surface when the case has dried. If you use tissue paper, just put it on the surface you want to paste then apply some glue on it using a paint brush. The technique is a bit different If you use thin paper, put the glue on the paper first then put it on the surface you want to paste.Do it on the whole surface until you find it suffeciently covered with pasting paper.

Let it dry. I'd rather  dry it using fan breeze,  instead of drying it under the sun, in order not to make it brittle.

When the case has dried, it becomes rigid and stronger.

It is time to satisfy your artistry in decorating the case. You can color the case with your favorite colors. Here I use egg shell mozaic to decorate the case.

If you decorate the case with egg shell mozaic, it will leave small gaps and rough edges caused by overlapping egg shells. You need to smooth those rugged surfaces using compound powder to fill the gaps. Put five spoonfulls of compound powder in a small plastic container, add some water, stir it so that it makes light dough. Using a rubber spatula, apply the compound dough on the surface just in thin layers so that it won't block patterns of the mozaic. If you find it too thick, wipe the excess with a damp cloth. Let the compound dry. Wipe the case using a damp cloth again in order to clean the rest of compound left on the surface. The case will look brighter after the wiping. Finally, apply varnish on the case. I used spray varnish in this project. The case looks much glossier after the varnish been applied.

No one expects that it is made of scrap tooth paste box !

Golden lines can even make it more attractive !