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!!!!!