Shoebox Shot Glass Display

I've been collecting shot glasses from my travels for the past decade or so. I have them in storage on a closet shelf at the moment, gathering dust. This project is a simple and creative way to display them using an unneeded shoebox.

Shoebox (adult size)

4 shot glasses

Tape measure/ruler

Box knife

One pair of small "clipping" scissors

One pair of large scissors

Packing tape

Pencil (for marking)

Envelope of any size (optional, for tracing)

Find the dimensions of your shoebox (length and height).

Decide how large the opening is going to be for the display. Keep in mind that a typical shot glass is about two inches wide. Four shot glasses is a good number to use for display in a shoebox. You won't want the glasses touching, so leave at least a quarter inch between them. This means you'll want an opening at least 8.75" wide.

Another thing to consider when deciding the dimensions of the opening is that the distance between the bottom of the display and the bottom of the shoebox itself should be the same as the height of the lid. In the pictures above, the lid is 1.5" tall and the centered envelope leaves 1.5" at the bottom. You will stand the lid up inside the shoebox as the "shelf" for the shot glasses, so its height should match the bottom of the opening.

You can use an envelope to set dimensions and trace the outline of the opening, but only if you can find an envelope with dimensions that allow what I've just described above. Fortunately for me, I have an envelope just the right size.

Mark the four corners of the envelope onto the shoebox (or your own chosen dimensions for the display), connect the corners with a pencil, and use a box knife to cut along the sketched lines to make the opening.

If the box knife leaves frayed ends, spruce them up with the small scissors.

If your shoebox has a hinged lid, cut it off. If your shoebox has a separate, unattached lid, leave it for now.

Trim the width of the shoebox lid a bit on both sides so that it can slide into the interior of the shoebox. As mentioned earlier, the lid will serve as the "shelf" that the shot glasses sit on. You don't need to be too particular about how much you trim it down, as long as you make it narrower than the shoebox width and wider than the display opening width.

NOTE: This step is for hinged, attached shoebox lids. If you are using a shoebox with a separate, unattached lid, then skip this step. Unattached lids have a lip that goes all the way around, whereas an attached lid that is cut off at the hinge has a lip only on three sides. For this project, the attached lid has been cut off and the one side without a lip is used to make flaps to attach to the inside of the shoebox (for stability).

If using an attached lid that you have cut off, create two flaps out of either end of the one "lipless" side. The size of the flaps can be flexible, as long as they are narrow enough to hide behind front of the shoebox. The two flaps will lay vertically against the interior front wall of the shoebox. Use the packing tape to tape the flaps against the shoebox wall.

After cutting out a section of the lid, save the strip of cardboard that you have cut out.

Tape the display shelf to the front of the shoebox, wrapping the tape around to the front. It's unsightly, but you can cover it up later with construction paper or artwork.

Take the strip of cardboard from the section of the lid that you cut out to make flaps. Cut this section to the same length as the display opening. In my case, that's 9". The width doesn't matter too much, as long as it's more than a couple inches wide.

Divide the strip mathematically into fourths (in my case, 9/4 is 2.25"). Each fourth is the home of one shot glass. Measure the width of a shot glass base (in my case, I am using a vitamin bottle cap because it's just slightly wider than a shot glass base; the cap is shorter and therefore easier to trace). My bottle cap is 1.5". Thus 2.25 - 1.5 = 0.75. There will be 0.75" of free space in each shot glass' home. 0.75/2 = 0.375, or 3/8", or 6 notches on a ruler that is divided into sixteenths. Count 3/8", or 6 notches, from the left edge of the back of the strip, and make a mark. Count this same amount backward from the 2.25" mark, and make a mark. The two marks form the diameter of the shot glass holder. Line the shot glass so that it matches the two marks. Trace around. Repeat this for all four shot glasses, and then cut out the circles using the smaller scissors.

NOTE: In my case, the bottle cap I used to trace out the shot glass holders is slightly wider than a shot glass base (maybe 3/16" wider). The difference is enough that the shot glass will not really sit securely in the hole - unless you sink it way in, which you can't do. You might want to be more particular about tracing and cutting the exact diameter of your shot glass base if you want the glasses to sit snugly. For me, tracing and cutting a diameter slightly larger than the base of the shot glass allows me to shift the glass within the holder and line the glasses up more precisely. It's more about compensating for minor imperfections in measurement then it is about holding the glasses securely.

Center the cardboard strip of holders in the middle of the opening. Place it just up to the front edge so that it is flush with the shelf's edge. Tape it down to the front and in back to secure it.

NOTE: You might want to place some construction paper or decorative paper under the holder strip and on top of the shelf (if the shelf has lettering or markings from the shoe brand). I've chosen not to do this until I decide on what to do for Step 10.

Although the shoebox display is structurally done, you might not want to stop there. You can add some backing and decorate the outside of the shoebox, if you wish. You might want to cover up the packing tape in front and any brand name markings on the shelf inside the display (or anywhere else on the box, for that matter).

When I have the chance to go to the arts and crafts store, I will pick up some construction paper to cover the front, sides, and interior shelf of the shoebox display (under the holders).