Creative Keepsakes: Back-to-School Inspiration with the DIY Wood Rounded Tag Box

Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about back to school? The new Clear Scraps DIY Wood Rounded Tag Box is the perfect way to kick off the season—with a fun and functional project that can grow with your child throughout the year!

These tag boxes are incredibly versatile. You can use them as gift boxes for teachers, or—as I’ve done—create a memory box to preserve your child’s artwork. Just scan their masterpieces throughout the year, print them as 4×6 photos, and add a cardstock backing to note the date and details. It’s a great way to save those special creations without piling up clutter in drawers and closets.

Along with the newest release, Clear Scraps introduces a variety of tags designed to fit in the wood boxes, both in chipboard and acrylic, that could be made into a mini album to document the school year, complete with photos, journaling, and fun embellishments—all neatly stored in the decorative box!

For this project, I chose to assemble the box first (my personal preference!) and then decorate. I covered the front and sides with a dark grid patterned paper and added a coordinating pattern to the inside back. Since my box will be displayed on a shelf, I skipped decorating the back, but if you’re gifting yours, you may want to cover that area too.

To embellish the sides, I added a few cute 3×4 cards from my paper pack. The inside top features a “This Book Belongs To” label with a couple of tags tucked behind it, finished with a row of chipboard hearts. For the front, I used the new School Days Chipboard Embellishments—painting the pencil and apple with my favorite acrylic paint markers. I added a glossy finish to the apple with Diamond Glaze for that fresh-picked shine, tied a little twine bow around the stem, and layered the pencil over top. A few epoxy stars completed the look!