Original project inspiration and directions:
DIY Cereal Box Drawer Dividers
From your stash of saved food boxes, experiment with different shapes and sizes to see what will work with your chosen drawer or shelf organizer (and which will be most useful for the intended contents). Ideally, you will have a selection that fits really well, but it's okay if you end up with a few gaps around the dividers. If you end up with a lot of space, you could tape or glue your finished compartments together to keep them from sliding around too much.
Once you have your box assortment all set, they will all need to be trimmed down. You can measure if you want them to be precise, but it's okay if there is a little variation as long as they are pretty straight and flat on top (this will help with the wrapping process). They should match the height of the drawer (with enough clearance to not catch when opening/closing) or shelf box but if the drawer is very deep, they may be more useful as shallow containers depending on their intended contents. NOTE: If you don't care if the dividers look pretty, stop here if you'd like. To make decorative dividers, carry on!
Now it's time to cover each box in wrapping paper. Start by measuring out the wider side of the first box. You can trace along one edge to get the right width and then use a ruler or other straightedge to extend the straight line. This piece should be long enough to cover the inside of the divider (on the bottom and two sides) plus enough to come over the top edge and at least partway down the outer facing of the sides. It can be long enough to fold down onto the bottom if gaps in your divider spacing allow for visibility of the compartment's sides.
Before attaching the main section of wrapping paper, cover the two smaller end pieces so the edges of these pieces of paper will be nicely tucked in under the main piece. Measure the width the same as in the previous step. You will need two pieces at this narrower width, each long enough to cover the inside of one of the narrower sides, roughly ½" lip for the bottom, and some or all of the outer facing of the side (see previous step to determine). Fold the bottom lip as shown before attaching to the insides of the divider with tape or glue.
Attach both narrow side strips before attaching the larger main piece of paper.
When attaching the larger strip (or any of the paper strips if your divider box is too small to get your hands into easily), use the ruler to gently push the paper down inside of the box. This will ensure that the paper makes it all the way to the bottom (especially if your box is deep) and you can use the small flat edge of the ruler to smooth it into the box's creases.
Fold the excess paper over the top of the box and attach it to the outside. The first divider is now done!
Repeat the wrapping process for all remaining divider boxes. If you have a lot of wrapping papers to choose from, ones that are slightly thicker (like the metallic one shown here) are less likely to tear as you push them into the boxes and finagle them.
If you are filling a larger box to organize a shelf as shown here, you can wrap the outer box to match.
It's done -- now you can fill it up with all sorts of tools and supplies!
Just the same as in the first version, you will need to start by selecting an assortment of boxes that work for your chosen drawer and trim them down to fit appropriately. This version works better with larger divider boxes due to the thickness of the gift bags.
Any gift bag in need of a new purpose will do (provided it is not too tiny), but the extra large ones work best as there are fewer seams to work around.
Measure out your pieces the same as in the first version, avoiding creases in the bag if possible. Test that each section fits in without too much effort as the thicker paper is less forgiving.
Here, you can also do the ruler step before attempting to attach anything so you can determine where the corners are and therefore pre-crease the strips.
Again, attach the narrower side pieces first. Don't forget the little lip at the bottom!
Glue or tape in the larger section to finish off the divider!
As you go along, you may find it easier to pre-crease all the folds of the larger section.
Wrap all the remaining boxes the same way.
If you are making dividers for a shelf box instead of a drawer, wrap the larger box to match.
Now fill up the compartments! Depending on the coating of the bag(s) you have used, you may even be able to gently wipe down the surfaces if they get dirty.
