This is a view of the sundry box's interior. As you can see, I made a matching vinyl panel for the inside of the box. I did this so that the box had a sturdier base. I also wanted to make sure leakage from his stored items (should there be any) would not immediately drip onto the hardwood floor or his wicker nightstand. The base panel is not secured and is easily removed for cleaning; it can also be propped upright in the box and placed against the front panel (i.e., in case he wishes to "hide" the box's contents;).
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The Background Story:
I decided I wanted to make something special for my Schatzi’s birthday—it was the first time I could celebrate his birthday with him. The gift “needed” to be something crafty yet “masculine” in appearance, and something slightly metaphorical in meaning. After looking around his very barren (excuse me: minimalist) apartment, I decided to focus upon replacing a little bedside sundries container he’d had for (too many) years. Until my gift, he was keeping a bunch of items in an old Cafe du Monde coffee can. (Ah, bachelors!:)

Being German, my boyfriend is very blatant and very much a “straight shooter;” I would never ask him if I looked “too fat” in something, for fear of hearing the “real” answer (rather than the auto-response that women often seem to try and program into our male mates). At first I found his candid nature a bit shocking, but now I find it completely refreshing and freeing: I always know where he stands.

I wanted to pay tribute to this honesty by trying to create something as transparent as possible.

Thus, I challenged myself: create a transparent, sleek/functional container that looked masculine enough for him to keep on display, even if company visited.

After several brainstorms, I decided to make him a storage box that I would knit with clear, monofilament (i.e., plastic-like) fishing line or “wire.” I figured that a stockingette stitch in this medium would prove quite sturdy yet a bit “giving,” should he overstuff the box.

These pictures show the final product. I am quite proud of its organic appearance and the way I used materials. (I was not an art major in college!:) Be warned, though: I would NEVER recommend this project to someone—working with monofilament wire was very hard on my hands. I’d even venture to say that it caused me more pain (and forced me to take more breaks) than when I knit or crochet with thin metal craft wire.

Sustainable Company Business Card design template by Aaron Shurts.Showcased on Inkd.com.

Any company or business taking steps to become a more sustainable corporation can utilize this business card to reflect the process. The organized layout and clean colors reflect an image of a company "going green."