Cuddly Buddly Crafts Blog

This step-by-step project for a ’Gift Box Card’ can be adapted to suit a wide variety of themes once you have learnt the basic construction principles. Have fun and Keep Creating!

 

 

These are the materials and basic tools that are required to make the card.

• Card-box template taken from the Freebie template section, there are three templates to this card-box
• Star shape template resized, from the Freebie shape template section
• Three A4 sheets of printed card with backing paper designs taken from the Country Gents graphics collection
•  Busy Buddies Men’s Celebrate rubber stamp set and Kling-On backing foam
• Rubber stamping embossing supplies, which includes, clear ink pad, gold embossing powder, heat gun and acrylic block
• Colouring in medium, I used water colours
• Coordinating ribbon and fibres.

You will also need craft knife, metal ruler, scissors, pencil, embossing or scoring tool and a selection of double sided tape, glue and foam pads.

 

1 – Take your sheet of Busy Buddies Celebrate Men rubber stamps and carefully cut around an image, get as close up to the image as you can but be careful not to cut into the design.

 

2 – Cut a piece of Kling-On backing slightly bigger than your stamp, peel back the backing, as shown above (beware this is very sticky!) place your cut out stamp on top. Take a craft knife and carefully trim around the edge of your stamp, leaving a small border. Repeat with all of the stamps, leave aside for now.

 

3 – Print your box templates from the freebie template section onto thick card and carefully cut out with a metal ruler and craft knife. Print the backing paper designs from the Country Gents graphic collection, onto textured card, print on both sides, by printing once, then sending through your printer again on the reverse side. You will need two double A4 sided printed sheets which will form the front and back of the box and one A4 sheet which is printed on one side, which will become the card part of the box. Take one of the double sided printed sheets and place the template on top, draw round the template in pencil, ensure you mark where the score lines will be.

 

4 – Remove the template and using a scoring tool or small tipped embossing tool, carefully score along the marks. It’s easier to do the scoring before you cut the shape out. Cut the shape out, then fold on the score lines, using a bone folding tool to give a crisp finish. You will have two similar shapes for the front and back of the box.

 

5 – Once you have cut out the third shape from the templates, which will form the hinged card on the front of the box, crease the card so the fold is on the right and the two small flaps are on the left hand side. Unfold the card and apply double sided tape or strong glue, as shown above, you will be left with one flap on the left hand side which will later be attached to the box. Put aside for the moment.

 

6 – Place an acrylic block on the table and place a chosen stamp onto it, because of the Kling-On backing foam the stamp will stay firmly put. Leaving the stamp face up, take a clear pigment ink and tap lightly with it on the stamp surface, to give an even covering of ink.

 

7 – Turn the stamp over and stamp firmly onto your card, always keep at least one hand on the stamp and press evenly over the stamp surface, do not rock the stamp as this could result in a blurred image! Remove the stamp, and you will be able to just see the image (it will look a bit like a watermark).

 

8 – Sprinkle gold embossing powder all over the stamped image. Tap off the embossing powder, onto a scrap piece of paper and return the unused powder into it’s jar. Once all the loose powder has been removed you will end up with an image as above.

 

9 – Taking the heat gun, I always let mine warm up for a few seconds before directing on the paper. Direct the heat over the image, letting one area melt and turn a shiny gold, before moving onto the next area. Have the heat gun, a couple of inches or about 10cm away from the paper, there’s no need to franticly move the heat gun around, nice and steady to get good results. Remember, the heat gun does get very very hot so keep your fingers out of the way! You can just see in the photo the areas that are turning to a lovely shiny gold colour, where the heat is being directed.

 

10 – Next is to colour in the stamped image. I have used watercolour paint, I have also stamped, embossed and cut out the other images I am going to use.

 

11 – Back the stamped images onto dark green card, then cut a slightly bigger rectangle in dark red card and a strip of dark red card the same width as the card front. I’ve outlined the dark red card with a gold marker pen, but a gold ink pad would work as well.

 

12 – Attach the stamped image at an angle onto the dark red card with double sided tape or glue. Turn the card over and secure some coordinating green fibre to the back with a piece of tape and wind the fibre around the card. Repeat with the other length of card.

 

13 – Take the card front and attach some ribbon with a thin piece of double sided tape down the right hand side. Attach the cards with fibres with foam pads, then attach the other stamped images. Put aside for now.

 

14 – Next is to cut out the aperture in the box. Print out the resized star template from the freebie shape template section onto card. Cut out. Take the printed front part of the box and turn over. Draw around the star template in pencil and cut out with a ruler and craft knife.

 

15 – Apply double sided tape around the star cut out as shown. Take a piece of acetate, I put mine through the printer and printed the same background paper design. Attach the acetate to the box.

 

16 – Stick some sticky backed fibre around the star aperture – peel offs would also work well.

 

17 – Lay out the three parts of the box-card as shown. I am going to attach the part that will be the card on the front of the box first. Apply double sided tape along the flap on the card and attach to the flap on the box back.

 

18 – This picture shows the hinge from the card front attached to the box back.

 

19 – This picture shows the card from the top once closed. Open up the card again, you will now have two pieces to form the box.

 

20 – Place double sided tape to the long flap on the box front (the part of the box with the aperture on it). Stick this flap to the box back.

 

21 – Next put tape and glue as shown on the box back. Then carefully make up your box. I found it easier to use a ruler to poke down the part formed box to stick some of the flaps.

 

22 – Finally put some Hi Tack glue along the seam as shown and hold together.

 

23 – Have fun trying different techniques with your stamping and have fun making your boxes to put small gifts, sweeties, socks, ties, panties and pet treats in.

©2007 Dawn Corner