Homemade tarot bags/purses/boxes

[Raggydoll]

Really cool! You can also use printable fabric to customize them. I used to do that with bags. Print your favorite card of a deck.

 

Thanks for the tip! I am really happy to have found this photo paper that I now use, it is a thick, matte and smooth paper that’s water resistant. It gives a really nice finish to the boxes. But I will certainly try out other materials and techniques when I get the feeling that a certain deck calls for it!

[Raggydoll]

Your boxes are beautiful!  <3

 

Thank you  <3

 

[Raggydoll]

I really like your boxes, Raggydoll. I wish I was better at crafts.

 

Thanks  <3 Maybe you would get better at crafts if you practiced? It doesn’t have to be perfect, the most important bit for me is the process of creating whatever it is I am creating, and doing it with intent. It is really rewarding and a good addition to ones spiritual practice!

[EmpyreanKnight]

Maybe I should. It's just that even if I try to be very gentle in handling things I usually end up tearing them or something lol. In her house, my mom bought me a special set of tough steel cutlery because I bend my spoons and forks especially if I'm hungry (I don't use knives even on tough meat). ;D

[Raggydoll]

Maybe I should. It's just that even if I try to be very gentle in handling things I usually end up tearing them or something lol. In her house, my mom bought me a special set of tough steel cutlery because I bend my spoons and forks especially if I'm hungry (I don't use knives even on tough meat). ;D

 

Well all you really need is strong teeth, I guess  :))

[EmpyreanKnight]

Uh oh I have a delicate jaw. :P

[PathWalker]

Maybe I should. It's just that even if I try to be very gentle in handling things I usually end up tearing them or something . . .

 

You could try working with a soft leather and twine if you think fabric is not right for you?

[Raggydoll]

I also made a box for the Wychwood oracle. (This deck comes with a nice black drawstring bag, but unfortunately the bag was way to small for the deck so I decided it needed a more suitable home  ;D).

[Raggydoll]

And this time I made the inside of the box purple . It felt like the perfect pick <3

[EmpyreanKnight]

Maybe I should. It's just that even if I try to be very gentle in handling things I usually end up tearing them or something . . .

 

You could try working with a soft leather and twine if you think fabric is not right for you?

 

You're right, I should prolly work with tougher materials, PathWalker.

[Canid]

I used to put a small quartz crystal in between the lining & outer cover before I sewed it together. Absorbs negative energy & recharges.

[Canid]

Maybe I should. It's just that even if I try to be very gentle in handling things I usually end up tearing them or something . . .

 

You could try working with a soft leather and twine if you think fabric is not right for you?

Yes! I’ve made many with chamois, embroidered them & blinged them with beads before stitching it together. For ones with flaps instead of drawstring, I attached magnetic hematite to both the flap end & the ‘body’. Chamois is so soft & pliable. But the fake chamois is a bit stiff. You can get it at any store that has an automotive dept., Wal-Mart, etc.

[Canid]

For drawstrings, I made monks cord out of embroidery floss, instead of ribbon. It’s really easy, & LOTS of color choices.

[Raggydoll]

Here's a box that I just finished. It is for my Japaridze tarot!

 

I scanned one of the cards and printed it on matte photo paper, then I cut out the image and edged it with a blue pen to make it work even better with the box.

[Raggydoll]

I did the inside with a light blue colored paper.

[Raggydoll]

And I finally made a box for my vintage University Books RWS! I went for a traditional look that somewhat resembles what the original box looked like.

[Raggydoll]

I've made quite a few bags and boxes by now, and almost all of my decks have suitable homes to live in (there is still one or two more decks that are lacking boxes though, and I'm pretty sure there are more to come in the future). Here is a picture of some of my decks. Its a mixture of original boxes and boxes/bags that I've made. They all go well together, I think  ;)

[Bookworm]

I envy your boxes, Raggydoll! One day I'll get brave enough to try my own.

[Raggydoll]

I envy your boxes, Raggydoll! One day I'll get brave enough to try my own.

 

If you scan images to use for decorations then you have nothing to lose, you can still keep the original box and have all the cards intact and just experiment. It’s so much fun and if you don’t put any pressure on yourself that it has to look perfect then I’m sure you’ll have a great time!

[Bookworm]

Thanks. I especially want to try them for my poor decks that have no boxes. I will take your advice and not worry about perfection. :)

[Raggydoll]

Thanks. I especially want to try them for my poor decks that have no boxes. I will take your advice and not worry about perfection. :)

 

Go for it! My first boxes was definitely NOT perfect (I actually threw away the first two cause I measured all wrong and they looked so bad that I almost felt sorry for them :))) But now I am really happy with all the boxes I make even though every single one has small imperfections. That’s what gives them personality! And as long as the deck fits inside - and the lid fits (OMG, don’t know how many times I screwed up lid measurements in the beginning!!!)

 

PS. Add 4mm on each side (except for the depth on the lid that has to be a lot smaller than the depth of the bottom part, I like it to be around 1,5cm for most of my lids) for the lid to fit perfectly.

[Bookworm]

Thanks! <3

[Raggydoll]

Today I wanna share a picture of a box that I made for the Wisdom of Trees Oracle. The reason I wanna share this pic is not (only) to showcase a box that I am really proud of, but also to show one of the key reasons behind me continuing to make these boxes. I mean, a lot of the time it really is because a deck is totally lacking a box to live in (mainly because I like to buy vintage/pre-loved decks and they sometimes have their original boxes missing), but a BIG reason is also for the sake of space (the lack thereof).

 

Some of the newer decks come in these ridiculously oversized (in my opinion) boxes, that takes up so much storage. And all that packaging also have a tendency to make me less inclined to use that deck, partly because I don't feel the right vibes from the deck, but also because it takes extra time to unwrap everything (especially when you don't want to damage the pretty box that it came in). I know that these large boxes are made big on purpose so that they can fit the guidebook and some of these really big boxes are very nicely done and look quite nice on a bookshelf. But, nonetheless, I prefer having more space to store (more) decks.

 

The box on the left is the one I just made, and the one on the right is the original box. This is not even one of the biggest original boxes I've seen, not by far. But it serves as a nice example still. In most cases, if the original box is nice enough, then I will keep it but I will put it in my storage room. This is especially if I think I might want to sell the deck at some point or if its a more expensive/collective piece.

 

 

[Raggydoll]

Here is an even better example of a box that I made some time ago. The difference in size is quite remarkable!

 

I understand that this box-making thing is not for everyone and that lots of people actually appreciate those large boxes. But for those of us who have limited amount of space or just want to be able to squeeze in more decks, then this might be of interest  <3

 

And now I am off to start working on a box for the Moon Oracle that I recently received. That deck also came in a very large box so I am glad to be able to downsize it somewhat.

[Bookworm]

Yes, Raggydoll, that makes a lot of sense, and those are lovely boxes. Good luck with your new one