High-End Dollar Tree DIY Mirrored Tissue Box Tutorial: Tumbling Tower Block Upcycle
Transform Dollar Tree wooden blocks and a silver gift bag into a sophisticated, boutique-style tissue cover with custom crystal feet.
This article is adapted from a video originally published on YouTube on May 11, 2024.
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Plain cardboard tissue boxes are so boring. But with 212 Tumbling Tower blocks and a few "glam" essentials, you can build a heavy-duty, professional-grade tissue box cover that looks like an expensive mirrored boutique find. This project features a removable top for easy refills and custom-made "crystal" feet, proving that high-end home accents are achievable on a dollar-store budget.
📺 WATCH: See how the jenga blocks turn into an elegant tissue box here.
Materials
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Note: This design is sized for a standard 25cm x 8.3cm tissue box. Always do a "dry fit" by placing your actual tissue box on the wooden base before gluing the walls to ensure a snug, professional fit.
3 Boxes of Tumbling Tower blocks (212 blocks total)
Silver teardrop design gift bag or silver craft paper
Silver glitter fabric (thicker variety)
Self-adhesive silver rhinestone ribbon
Faceted square gem rolls (self-adhesive)
4 Large diamond-shaped acrylic gems
Silver beaded necklace
Silver metallic acrylic paint (or metallic gray marker)
Tools
Miter shears (to cut wooden blocks)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Wood glue
Dry paintbrush (for glue string removal)
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
💡Sandy’s Crafting Tips & Hacks
The Wood Glue Advantage: When you’re assembling several wooden blocks, reach for the wood glue instead of the hot glue gun. Wood glue is much thinner and won’t leave clumpy ridges, giving your panels a perfectly flat, professional finish.
The Instant-Hold Hack: Wood glue takes a little time to set, so I like to add a tiny dot of hot glue on the very edges. This gives you an immediate hold so you can keep working on the next panel without everything sliding around.
The Glue String Removal Hack: Keep those mirrors sparkling! Once the glue has cooled, use a dry, soft-bristled paintbrush to whisk away any “spider webs” for a clean, boutique look.
Seam Camouflage: Use painters tape to hold gift bag edges down overnight while tacky glue cures. This prevents the paper from curling. Once dry, wrap rhinestone ribbon over the vertical seams—if you have a wide gap, you can apply an 8-row strip and fold it in half around the corner for a flawless finish.
The Custom Leg Hack: To give your box that expensive furniture feel, glue a diamond-shaped gem into a silver ornament cap. These make the perfect “crystal” feet and add instant height and elegance to your piece.
Instructions
1. Build the Wooden Base: Assemble a base 5 blocks wide and 8 blocks long. Use hot glue, applying it as flatly as possible to avoid “clumps” that make the wood sit crooked. Use the empty Jenga boxes as a straight-edge guide to keep your rows perfectly aligned.
2. Construct the Walls: Build two large side panels (14 blocks upright plus two horizontal rows of 5 on top) and two small end panels (8 blocks upright). Use Wellbond white glue for these larger panels to give yourself time to adjust them to a perfect 90-degree angle.
3. The Removable Top: Create the lid using the “mirror image” strategy: build the top and bottom halves of the lid separately, ensuring an oval opening is left in the center for tissues. Test the fit before moving to the glam stage—it should be snug but removable.
4. Wrap in Designer Silver: Cut a silver gift bag into panels. Use tacky glue to adhere the paper to the wooden sides. Use the tracing paper hack to get a perfect oval cut-out for the lid. Once dry, cover the bottom of the box with silver glitter fabric for a professional, finished look.
5. Frame and Bling: Apply self-adhesive rhinestone ribbon to all vertical and horizontal seams. Paint the top lid edges with silver metallic paint to hide any exposed wood, then layer on rows of square gems. Finish the edges by framing the opening and base with a string of silver beads.
6. Add the Height: Glue your DIY diamond-and-bead legs to the four bottom corners. Position them flush to the edge so the sparkle is visible when the box is sitting on your vanity or coffee table.
Related Content & Resources
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Disclaimer: I’m not a professional. All my DIY’s are for entertainment purposes.