DIY Marble Decor Tray Tutorial

Today I’m showing you how to make this DIY Marble Decor Tray out of a box and contact paper. This is a great way to repurpose old boxes and organize your things as you get ready to go back to school or homeschool!

Make a matching School Note Inbox while you’re doing this!

DIY Marble Decor Tray

Supplies:

• Empty white box. 
• Marble contact paper. Any brand is fine.
• Scissors.
• Soft tape measure.
• Pencil.
• Craft knife.

Note: I highly recommend using a white box, as contact paper is often slightly see through and the marble looks more realistic on a white background. If your don’t have a white box, paint any box white and let it dry overnight.

Start by measuring your box. You want to start one the inside edge of one side, and wrap the tape all the way around to the inside edge of the other side. Measure both the long and short sides of the box. Add two inches to each measurement. Cut out a piece of your contact paper to the measurements. Set your box on top of the wrong side of the contact paper, making sure it’s centered. Trace all around the box with a pencil, and set the box to the side.

This part is tricky, so make sure to look carefully at the photos. Drawing the lines correctly helps give the box a very neat finished appearance.

Make sure the long side of the contact paper is facing you. On each end of the long side, draw a 1/2 inch line extending from the rectangle. Do this on both long sides. Draw a line coming straight down from each of the extension lines, to the end of the paper. Then draw a line coming straight out from the extension lines, to the end of the paper. This is what it should look like when you’re done drawing all your lines.

See the corner boxes created by the lines? Go ahead and cut those out. Also, cut down that 1/2 inch extension line to the corner of the rectangle. Go ahead and peel off the backing, exposing the sticky side of your paper. Set your box on top, making sure to line up the corners. Flip the whole thing over, and smooth out the contact paper on the bottom of your box. Work from the center outwards, using your hands to smooth out any air bubbles. Patience is key.

We’re going to work on the long sides of the box first. Start by taking one side and smoothing it up onto the side of the box, and fold it onto the top. There will be lots of overhang, and that’s what you want. You’re going to make a cut into the corner with your craft knife, and make a second cut on the top going down to the corner. This cut will be on the inside of the box edge. You’ll have a rectangle that’s attached at one little corner. Trim that corner at an angle, and remove this little rectangle and throw it away. Do this on both sides of both long edges. You should have a little flap on the side of each corner when you’re done.

Take that little flap, and fold it over to cover the corner of the box. Do this on every corner. Now take the top of the edge and fold it down the inside of the side of the box. Smooth it into the inside edge of the box, making sure the crease is nice and sharp. Whatever is left just flatten it onto the bottom of the box.

Now move on to the short sides of the box. Smooth the paper up the side of the box. Then trim any overlap off the corner, and trim a little off the flap edges if necessary. Then smooth the paper down the inside side of the box, tucking it into the crease and flattening it onto the bottom. Your box should look like this, with the bottom and outside and inside edges all covered.

Now measure the inside bottom of your box, getting your measurements as exact as possible.

Cut out a piece of contact paper to match your measurements. Remove the backing, and smooth this piece onto the inside bottom of your box.

And you’re all done! These boxes can be made with a variety of contact papers, and you can find a variety to match whatever look you’re going for. I love using these trays for things like coloring supplies, small lego builds, makeup, or just about anything you need to keep all in one place!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY Marble Decor Tray tutorial, and found it useful!