Card In A Box Tutorial

It's been ages since I have shared a technique but I was making some "cards in a box" for my Mum and hubby's Mum for Mother's day and thought I would share the how too. These cards fold flat for posting and once open they become a small box with pop up central areas as per below.

                         What You Need

• A4 piece of card stock. I'm using white to  show you more easily what I am doing.
• Pencil. I'll use a black marker in the how too so it stands out more though.
• Rubber
• Ruler
• Craft knife
• Bone scorer (or use your ruler edge or rear of your craft knife)
• Glue or double sided tape
• Patterned paper or images and or stamps of your choice

                        How Too

1) Place A4 card in portrait position (smaller ends at top and bottom). Measure and mark a pencil dot at 7cm and 15 cm's at top and at bottom from the left hand side. (I'm using a black marker so you can see what I am doing)

Mark a dot at 7cms and 15cms at the top

repeat at the bottom

 2) Turn card so its in landscape position (short sides at left and right). Use ruler and craft knife and cut along from one 15cm marked dot to the other. Keep this cut off bit for use later.

 3) Have card where the 15cm line is cut off now at the bottom.  Measure and mark a dot along top and bottom at 7cm intervals so at 7cms, 14cms, 21cms and 28cms. There will be a small strip left over on the right side.

4) Use image as a guide and score all broken lines and cut all solid lines. That is cut down the 7cm areas and score the 8cm long areas and score the long central part form right to first 7cm centre line. Completely cut off the top right small section where I have written "cut".

Then taper the bottom right small part. This will be the tab to make the box.  It should now look like this

 5) Fold all scored 8cm areas along their edges and use bone folder to press the edges as you go. I find it easier to do this by turning the card to the back

6) Turn it back to right side and use bone folder to press each 7cm area down

7) Apply glue to the tab at bottom right.

8) Bring tab back and glue it to the rear left edge (behind the panel at left that has no score lines on it). You may find this easier to do by turning it over again and bringing the straight edge to the tab edge. Either way it should now be a box!

9) Use the part you cut off at step 2) and cut two strips that are 2cmx10.5cms long.

10) Measure and mark dots at 2cm and 9cm along top and bottom and then score across these to create a 2cm tab and a 1.5cm tab at either end.

 Bend one tab forward and one back to make a loose "Z" shape.

11) Apply glue to rear of 2cm tab and front of 1.5cm tab on both strips.

12) Place one strip in the box just near the top so tabs stick on the box wall. 

Gently "squish" the box to check the tab is in correct  position so once decorated the box can close Ok for posting.

 Adjust tab as needed and insert second tab behind this one in the same way. Aim for tabs to be at a third and 2 thirds spots in the box. It really doesn't have to be precise though.

Now rub off any pencil dots visible and decorate the box as desired....attach images, papers or stamps etc along the box strips. Use small images on front strip and larger on rear strip. Add a greeting behind your "card in a box".

Aren't these just cool? I'm itching to do a steampunk one :o)

hugs
Annette In Oz