Welcome back to the 12 Days of Christmas! Have you visited the other fab bloggers who are part of this festive series? To make things especially convenient, I’ve include links to all of them at the end of this post. They have some spectacular ideas so be sure to swing by and say hello.

Today I’m sharing a colorful project that is certain to come in handy this holiday season. Whether giving a gift, decorating your house, or serving cookies, it’s always nice to have a few colorful boxes around. To make these, I started with plain paper-mache boxes from the craft store and gave them new life with a bit of bling and color.

Using some paint and gold leaf, you can quickly create these boxes to make gift giving and entertaining even more special. Aren’t they awesome?

DIY Gold-Leafed Holiday Boxes

Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

paper-mache boxes (available at any craft store)
craft paint
gold leaf sheets
gilding adhesive
painter’s tape
paint brushes

Begin by painting all of your boxes whatever color you’d like. I chose cheery colors. I suggest giving the boxes two coats for even coverage. Allow the boxes to dry completely.

Then using painter’s tape, mark off areas on the boxes that you want to gold leaf. Have fun and be creative with your shapes.

Once taped, apply the gilding adhesive with a paint brush. Allow it to dry. It will be clear and tacky.

Next, add the gold leaf. If you’ve never worked with gold leaf, it can take some getting used to as it’s very fragile. Where you can, apply whole sheets; then fill in other areas with portions of sheets.

Once the designated areas are completely covered, use a larger paint brush to get rid of any excess gold leaf.

Then remove the tape.

After I removed the tape I went over the gold-leafed surfaces with my fingers to make sure everything was flat and that there were no loose pieces.

And that’s it! In a couple of hours, you’ll have a collection of gorgeous boxes. Aren’t they beautiful?

Like I said, you can use these for almost anything. If you’re not a fan of wrapping, just tuck your gift inside in a bed of tissue paper, close the lid, and tie the box up with a ribbon. Wrapping complete.

Don’t the round boxes look great stacked together? The color combination makes me weak in the knees.

I think they also look wonderful as part of seasonal decor.

I used gold leaf with a patina for this box (and the round teal box) and I’m obsessed with the way it turned out. It may be my favorite. The pattern is unique.

Doesn’t it look sweet just sitting on the shelf? Plus, it can double as storage for a deck of cards, Post-It Notes, or whatever needs a home.

You can also use a box to serve holiday cookies. Place a coordinating napkin inside and fill it with your favorites.

What do you think?

Don’t forget to visit my fellow 12 Days of Christmas bloggers. This a sneak peak of the ideas the are sharing today.

Donna from Funky Junk

Marianne from Songbird

Whitney and Ashley from Shanty2Chic

KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms

Cassity – Remodelaholic

Well, I’m off to decorate my second Christmas tree this year. Join me here tomorrow to check it out. That is, if I can get it finished in time. I may need to borrow a few of Santa’s elves.

Merry Christmas, friends!