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Thursday 1 April 2010

PROMARKER STORAGE TOWER.

Do you have lots of Promarkers? Are you keeping them in a box somewhere and rooting around for the colour you need? Well, so was I. I started looking around for storage for them and everything I found was either too expensive or didn't hold enough pens or both, so I sat down and thought of a way to make myself a storage tower for them. This is what I came up with.


It will cost you the price of some A4 cardstock and heavy card or mountboard, both of which you've probably already got. It's very easy to make, although it is time consuming, but have a go and I hope you like it.

Step 1. Using your score board, score down 1 inch on all four sides of your A4 card. Fold over and sharpen the creases with your bone folder.

Step 2. Cut into all four corners just down to where the creases cross to make the corner tabs.


Step 3. Stick a piece of strong card (your scrapbooking pizza boxes are good for this) into the centre of the card for added strength. You will also need a strip down each of the edges.


Step 4. Fold the tabs to the inside and stick down. This is your first box lid and will be the base one.


Step 5. Now, repeat the above, EXCEPT you only need a strengthener strip down one long edge.


Step 6. Again, repeat. This time though, cut off one of the long edges down the score line. This will give you a 3 sided box lid and you only need a strengthener in the centre.


You will need to make as many of these as you need for however many Promarkers you have. Each shelf will hold 16 Promarkers. I made 10 of each (the four sided and the 3 sided) and this will take the whole range of Promarkers with a few spaces spare. You will need an even number of each.

Step 7. Now, before you start building it up, take a 3 sided lid and put 16 Promarkers into it. Using a strip of paper the same length, mark off, using the PM’s as a guide, 16 sections. Put this template aside and don’t lose it. Also, and I suggest using the card that you normally colour on so you get an exact colour match, cut strips to fit the front edges of the boxes. I cut 10 of these.


Step 8. Now, start building your tower. Make sure you have the base lid at the bottom. Using sellotape, stick your boxes together. Also, MAKE SURE that the strengthened edge of the four sided pieces is at the FRONT and the strengtheners on the 3 sided bits are at the top. After the 4 sided base, use a 3 sided lid and keep building like this. Be careful to match them up at the edges. The sellotape will keep them in place temporarily. Plan how tall you want your tower. If you have a long enough piece of mountboard or card to cover the whole sides in one go, build the tower in one piece. I did mine in two halves (10 each) and then put those together at the end, as I didn’t have any mountboard long enough.


Step 9. When your tower is stuck together, cut a piece of mountboard to fit each side and one for the top. Cover these in papers of your choice. I actually covered mine in one of my least favourite papers as I knew I’d never use it for anything else, so I may as well get some use out of it, lol.


Step 10. When your sides are covered, stick them with STRONG tape or glue onto the tower. Be extra careful that you have them all lined up evenly and that you put a ruler or something into the gaps from the inside to push up against the sides for extra adhesion. Remember, the box sides are fairly flimsy at this stage.


Step 11. When you have the sides on, join the two halves if you’ve worked this way, and finally add the top. I also covered the back with a piece of plain white card, just to tidy it up. Your tower is now basically finished.


If you want to make a fancy top like I did, then go ahead. Stick it along the front edge and bend two strips of card to stick at the back and support it.


Step 12. Now, take your strips of card and following the colour chart (which you can download from Letraset) and using the template you made earlier, mark the 16 sections on each one and colour them in with your pens. I also chose to print little labels onto Safmat and attached those after I’d coloured. Attach these to the front of your tower.

I printed labels for the whole colour range and have my spares stored in a little bag. As I get more pens, I shall colour the block and attach the label.

You will also need to cut and colour little circles for the end of the pens. I used my Robo to cut mine and they are 9mm diameter. The extra circles I cut are stored away too until more pens arrive. Stick them on the ends using Diamond Glaze or similar.



So, there you are. Promarker storage for pennies, well a couple of pounds for the cardstock, lol. I hope you like it.


Oh, there's a bit of luck. The postman has just brought me more new pens, so I've got to go update my tower already. Yay!!!!!

25 comments:

Karen said...

Lorraine, this is a brilliant idea and best of all it doesn't cost much to make. I'm going to find some space to put one, then I'll have a go.
Thanks for sharing this, it's brilliant.

kim said...

wow lorraine ,you clever little bunny you ! i must have a go at this .how tall does it stand ?

Lorraine said...

Thank you, ladies. :o)

It stands about 20 inches (each shelf is 1") and the footprint is approximately 9 x 6.5. That's an A4 sheet minus 2 inches on long and short sides.

Unknown said...

Love your idea for your promarkers storage...mine are in a small box he he .. don't have so much. Hugs xxx

Annie said...

what a fabulous project you have created - and you are right, my markers are jumbled up in a series of different boxes. I've just got around to designing my own version of the colour chart and it's on my blog if you want to take a peek.
enjoy the weekend.
hugs, annie x

Priyanka Bokdia said...

amazing..! what a brilliant idea...! i appreciate every bit of it...

gillyflower said...

wow that's brilliant might have a go at this as it drives me made rooting all the time

oh by the way you said you hadn't seem the image i used before on the promarker challege
http://gillyflowersexpression.blogspot.com/2011/01/promarker-challenge.html

she is from qvc a set of stamps called fair lady
just in case you fancied getting her
Item Number 590134

gill x

Maymac said...

Great storage for promarkers. I have been looking for ways to store mine as I can never find the one I am looking for. I will need to get busy now and start building. Many thanks for the tutorial
Mary

Marion said...

Hi Lorraine, Fantastic idea and so very creative of you. Thanks for sharing this with us.
hugs
Marion

Anonymous said...

very clever idea for keeping the pens tidy and organized! a lot of us guys will be following suit!!!

hugs June

NancyD said...

Simple Brilliant!! Thanks for sharing.

Marjolein said...

Wow! What an amazing idea! Really love it!
Defenately gonna makes this one for my promarker too.
Thanks for sharing!!

xoxo
Marjolein

Angela Toucan said...

very clever

Aquilla said...

Wonderful idea xxxxx

Jacqueline941 said...

It's brilliant I'm going to have a go!
Thank you for showing us all.

Jackie x

Lynn (delphinoid) said...

A wonderful idea!!!

It looks fab and what a wonderful way of storing your Promarkers. Thanks for sharing your idea with us. :) X X

Lorraine said...

Thank you all very much. I'm curious as to how this is getting a lot of views all of a sudden, lol.

I will tell you though that I've been using mine every day for well over a year now and it's still going strong, so it will last if you make one. :o)

Marie Richardson said...

Lorraine this is awesome, thanks for sharing Ive only got about 60 pens but keep saying I want to get more so think I might have to have a go at building this, if nothing else it will look ace lol
Thanks again
Hugs
Marie xxx

Kimberly said...

Fantastic storage box. I currently have all my colors in a pull out drawer and colors are put together...reds, greens, blues...you get it..i'll have to work on this for sure. I tried to download your files but it says unavailable. I'll try again later...tfs
www.justwordz.ca

Inkypinkycraft said...

Gosh this is amazing , you should go into business!!!
Fab idea, not sure I am patient enough trace x

Maxines Craft Room said...

Wow what a fabulous idea. Mine are all stored in a box with elastic bands round them and can never find the right colour lol! I saw something similar done with a dvd storage rack but more expensive and not nearly as nice as yours. Well done. x

♥ Sonja Bekker ♥ said...

My lorraine

Wonderful idea for our storage of the Promarkers
and Aquamarkers ;)
TFS
It's just wonderful
Hugs Sonja
xx

May said...

What a fantastic idea, you clever girl, thank you so much for sharing, and with great ideas like this I have joined you as a follower, great job, Hugs May x x x

Unknown said...

Thanks Lorraine what a wonderful inexpensive and practical idea I will be making one this weekend. Fed up spending ages trawling through my box for the right colours.

Anonymous said...

This is a brilliant idea. Have just finished mine and it has pride of place in my craft room. Am now going to make the ink storage chest!!!! Once again Fab Ideas.