I am having trouble finding the right box.

October 8, 2007 6:39 PM

My father in law is celebrating his 70th birthday this weekend. We got him a kickass present, and it deserves to be presented in a kickass box/receptacle/container. I am not finding it. Ideas please?

All the kids kicked in and bought my father in law his dream Harley Davidson leather jacket for his birthday. Given the fact that it is leather, and a size triple XL, whatever we put it into has to be pretty darn big. I went to a craft store, the UPS store and the Party Store, and no dice. What I am looking for is a nice solid (not collapsible) cardboard box to place it in. My husband suggested putting it into a printer paper box, but I find that tacky! It's the man's seventieth birthday! We spent heaps of cash on this present, can't we find something classier to put it in?
Caveats: not interested in doing a gift bag with a Harley jacket, kinda ruins the effect, don't you think?
So I turn to you, my humble hive, where do you think I can find a box with a lid by this weekend that is at least 2 1/2 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 6-7 inches tall. Don't suggest the Harley store where we made the purchase, I already asked. I am in Chapel Hill, if that helps. I am open to pretty much all creative suggestions.
Much love and many thanks to you all.

posted by msali to grab bag (19 comments total)

Is making one out of wood (or finding someone to do so) an option? A crate would be kind of cool.
posted by DMan at 6:42 PM on October 8, 2007

How about one of those cool metal-trimmed foot lockers. In black, of course, with silver trim.
posted by jamaro at 6:47 PM on October 8, 2007

How about putting it in a Harley Davidson duffel bag?
posted by COD at 6:55 PM on October 8, 2007

Forgot the link on the HD duffel bag
posted by COD at 6:57 PM on October 8, 2007

Go to a good "Cleaners" store and get a storage box used for coats.
posted by JayRwv at 6:57 PM on October 8, 2007

get an empty fridge box, fasten a dowel inside, hang coat, wrap box.

go for the two point conversion and paint the box to look like the TARDIS
posted by vrakatar at 7:18 PM on October 8, 2007

Too bad there's no Container Store near you; this is pretty much why they exist. Can you order something online and have it quick-shipped? Do you know someone in a town where they have a store, who could bring something to the party?
posted by pineapple at 7:31 PM on October 8, 2007

Wrap the printer paper box in this.
posted by Robert Angelo at 7:33 PM on October 8, 2007

Cut the printer paper box down to the appropriate height, (masking paper edges if desired), spray paint box and lid appropriate color.
posted by sLevi at 7:57 PM on October 8, 2007

Wootini in Carr Mill mall gets some really cool looking boxes of various sizes from time to time. Depending on who's working there when you go ask, they might just give you one.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:24 PM on October 8, 2007

Most U-Haul locations will have large packing boxes for individual sale on the show floor. I'm pretty sure you can get specific boxes for jackets/suit tops.
posted by Malor at 8:37 PM on October 8, 2007

Probably the coolest thing you can put that jacket in is a guitar or mandolin case. The mandolin case is smaller but looks like a mini guitar case. You can wrap it in some paper to form the shape of the case and then your father-in-law will be spooked the whole night because he thinks you got him a mandolin! Then he'll open and... God, I don't need to tell you the rest of the story. Let's just say he'll want to hold onto the case. You can get a case at any musical instrument shop.
posted by parmanparman at 8:53 PM on October 8, 2007

by the way, I used idea this on my ex-girlfriend and she loved it. If you use it, please put an update (and a reaction picture) in the thread. Thx
posted by parmanparman at 8:55 PM on October 8, 2007

Ikea sells some nice boxes.
posted by bluefly at 7:32 AM on October 9, 2007

(They have larger dimensions under "size")
posted by bluefly at 7:36 AM on October 9, 2007

You could try a Christmas-themed store and look for a wreath box.

Also - the Wootini comment tipped me off that you live in the Chapel Hill area -- you could try the "Hold Your Own" store in Eastgate.

Another idea would be a large picnic basket. Or a large basket in general, one that has another use: firewood, laundry, dog sleeping, blankets.
posted by amtho at 8:15 AM on October 9, 2007

Find a local Wild Birds Unlimited (or similar type store), buy a 25 gallon or 50 gallon decorated bird seed can. Put the jacket inside than add a well sealed bag of bird seed on the top to hide the present and give an authentic rattle sound.

(Do not recycle a used can of this size unless you know for sure what the can previously held - leather and lard/grease/raw eggs etc do not mix)
posted by jaimystery at 10:25 AM on October 9, 2007

Alright, update time. Parmanparman, I went to the local music store and got an old Fender box (that's all they had), but it isn't that cool, so I kept looking. Solipsophistacracy, I went to Wootini, and although the clerk was super cool, he didn't have anything appropriate, either. He did, however, have a great suggestion - Surplus Syds - one of those old military supply curiosity shops that everyone has in their town. Syd himself gave me a great idea: I bought an old fire extinguisher box that I am going to paint red and stencil on: "In the event of a septugenarian emergency - break glass", and the jacket fits inside, with the Harley Davidson lettering on the sleeve facing oh-so-cleverly outward.
You are all the very very best, and I thank everyone for all of their super cool ideas. I love ask mefi.


(PS - Based on some of your answers, does that mean that there are more than just a few Chapel Hill/RTP mefi folks? Email in my profile if anyone is interested in getting a meet up together
posted by msali at 11:24 AM on October 9, 2007

I'm sure he'll love that, msali. What a great presentation. :)
posted by Malor at 9:08 PM on October 13, 2007