Inside Outside Paper Gift Box

You know I love to cover everything with newly-made paper. Even more fun is the un-covering. Handmade paper holds its shape beautifully. Here I've covered the insides and the outsides of several straight sided containers to make little lidded boxes. Enjoy!

It takes about two small sheets of newly made paper (I use the medium pour mold) to cover one of these boxes. For the round canisters, I used a 28 ounce can, for the square boxes a half-gallon juice carton.

The wetter the paper, the better it will adhere to the container and to other sheets of paper.

Inside
For the round canister, start by makig a disc of pulp that will act as the bottom of the "inside" canister. Make the disc by using a second 28 ounce can that has both ends removed. Place the can on the black screen, set on top of the large white plastic pour mold grid, place all of this on a tray. Pour the pulp into the can, remove the can and sponge the pulp disc. Set aside.

Make two sheets of paper using the medium pour mold. Since you want both sheets to be the same color, mix the pulp in two batches, but combine them in one pitcher, then pour half the pulp for each sheet.

Make a fold on the long edge of the wet sheet, about half an inch, then loosely roll the sheet and put it into the inside of the can with the folded lip on the bottom edge, where the side meets the bottom. Once you have the sheet in place on the side of the can, unfold the half-inch lip, so that it is on the bottom of the can.

Take the second sheet of paper and see how much you will need to cover the rest of the side of the can. Gently tear off the right size piece, fold the bottom of the sheet, like the first sheet. Place the second sheet inside the can, unfolding the bottom edge. Made sure the sheets overlap and press them firmly tother, so that they adhere to eachother and form one peice.

Now take the disc of pulp and place it in the bottom of the can. Press it firmly into the little folded edges that are under it.

Let the paper dry completely. It might take all day. Take a long, thin knife or spatula and unstick the paper from the can. Make sure you reach all the way to the bottom. Gently tease the paper canister out of the can by pressing your thumbs on the inside of the can and your fingers on the outside and pushing the paper upward. If you try to grip the top of the paper and pull it out, it will rip.


Outside
Once you have removed the "inside" of the canister, cover the outside using the same technique of folding up about a half inch of the sheet of paper, wrapping the sheet around the outside of the can, then unfolding the half-inch lip onto the bottom of the can. Again, tear off enough of a second sheet of paper to complete the wrap. Make another disc of paper pulp and place it on the bottom of the can, pressing it firmly into the little edges that you folded out onto the bottom.

When the paper is dry, run a knife or thin spatula between the paper and the can. Gently push the paper upward untill it slides off the can.

Squares

The square boxes are made the same way. Instead of a pouring pulp into a can and making a disc, you can tear a square of paper from the wet sheet. Make it slightly smaller than the bottom of the box.

To make that cut-out shapes in the box lids, place a "block" in the pour mold before pouing in the pulp. Leave it there while you drain the pulp and do the initial sponging. For the Christmas Tree and the leaf cut-outs, I used cookie cutters for the block. For the circles, I used coins.

Place a "block" in the pour mold to make a cut-out.

Leave the block in place while you drain and sponge the sheet.

Voila! A cut-out.

Now for the best part. What to put inside. I vote for truffles.