Well this is exciting! An easy no-sew project is kind of rare around here, and this is straight up crafty. That's right. I whipped out the hot glue gun.
Our first aid supplies are usually just jumbled into the medicine cabinet, but it really is a good idea to have kits for the car and the house in case you are on the go or it's the baby sitter trying to fix up boo boos instead of you.
At the same time, this is a generic covered box, and you could make boxes for all sorts of things: A treasure chest for kids, a place to corral little baby things like binkies and booties, a spot to keep keys and wallets, a Brio train box... you get it.
Supplies:
- Empty baby wipe box,
- Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks,
- Tape measure,
- Felt to cover the box. As a ballpark figure I needed 24 1/2"x 6" and 6 3/4"x 9 1/2", but your measurements might be different.
- A scrap of accent fabric bigger than the lid of your box,
- A scrap of leather, Ultrasuede, felt, or anything that doesn't unravel,
- Scissors,
- Pins– optional,
- Steam iron– optional.
Directions:
1. Remove the stickers on the outside of the box. I mildly regret forgetting to do this the second time around.
2. Plug in your hot glue gun. While you are waiting for it to heat, measure the box and cut your fabric:
- Measure the circumference + 1/2" is the width of your fabric, and the measurement from the lip of the box to a little past the halfway point is the length. Cut from felt. My measurement was 24 1/2"x 6".
- Measure the length and width of the lid, disregarding the curved corners. Cut from felt. My measurement was 6 3/4"x 9 1/2"
- Add an inch on each side to the measurement above. Cut from accent fabric. My measurement was 7 3/4"x 10 1/2"
- Cut 2 pieces of leather 1 1/4" x 4 1/2" for cross.
3. Squirt glue all over one side of the wipe box, and press your felt into it butting the long edge of the felt against the lip of the box. Repeat for each side, neatly overlapping whatever is left at the end.
4. The bottom of the box is wrapped like a package. Turn the box over and cover the bottom with glue. Smooth the short sides in flat first, followed by the lapped side, finishing up with the last side. Glue down any spots that got missed.
5. Squirt glue over the face of the lid. Don't worry about the edges yet. Smooth the felt into the glue. Now glue and press down the edges leaving the corners for last. Glue the corners and press in whatever excess if left. Trim all the edges up with scissors to smooth them out.
6. Smooth your accent fabric over the top of the lid leaving excess on each side. Pin it to the felt in a few places to hold it steady. With the underside showing as in the photo above, give each edge a few blasts of steam with your steam iron to crease the fabric and show where you will be folding under.
7. Fold back half of the accent fabric, squirt glue over the felt staying away from the edges, and press the accent fabric down into the glue.
8. Next fold the edges on the creases and glue them down, followed by the corners. You may need to trim some of the excess off the corners and/or use something sharp to push the corners under before gluing.
9. Glue down the small strips into a cross shape on the center of the cover.
Done! Easy peasy. Making this box is much simpler than figuring out how to take an attractively styled picture of it. As it turns out, first aid is only glamourous on television!
Stock Up:
Pick out some items you find practical for your kit. Here are some ideas scoured from the internet.
- Adhesive cloth tape
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic solution or towelettes
- Ace wrap
- Band-Aids in various sizes
- Breathing barrier
- Cotton balls and cotton swabs
- Disposable non-latex gloves, at least 2 pair
- Duct tape– You can stick it on the inside of your box and peel it off later as you need it.
- Gauze pads and roller gauze in various sizes
- First aid manual
- Instant cold compresses
- Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
- Plastic bags for the disposal of contaminated materials
- Safety pins in assorted sizes
- Scissors and tweezers
- Soap or hand sanitizer
- Sterile eye wash, such as a saline solution
- Thermometer
- Toilet paper or wipes
- Triangular bandage
- Suction bulb for flushing out wounds
- Activated charcoal (use only if instructed by your poison control center)
- Aloe vera gel
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Antihistamine
- Aspirin and non-aspirin pain relievers
- Calamine lotion
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Personal medications that don't need refrigeration
- Syringe, medicine cup, or spoon
Emergency Items
- Candles and matches
- Emergency phone numbers: Family doctor, pediatrician, local emergency services, emergency roadside service providers, and the regional poison control center.
- Medical consent forms for each family member
- Medical history forms for each family member
- Sunscreen
- Waterproof flashlight and extra batteries
- Emergency space blanket
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