You know when you are crafting and things just don’t work out and it takes you a few tries to get it right EVEN THOUGH you’ve done it a million times? Well this was one of those times. Now don’t let that make you feel like you can’t make these. Because they are a simple as pie, I was just having an off day. And these really are as simple as pie, like the pie you buy from the store and don’t have to make.
Even though it took me a couple tries, they are so worth it! AND I figured out my mistakes so as we go I’ll also tell you what not to do and what helped me.
Don’t they look awesome?
Well let me show you how you can make some awesome boxes too!
How to make the box
Supplies:
Pencil
Plastic mechanical pencil for scoring or something similar
Ruler
8½ x 8½ inch piece of paper for the box
2¾ x 2¾ inch piece of paper for the lid
Glue (I used a hot glue gun, but something like Elmer’s glue would work too)
Optional: ribbons, bows, whatever to decorate the box afterward
First you’ll want to start with a square piece of paper. Mine is 8½ x 8½ inches. The thicker the paper the more stable your box will be. I started out with a piece of copy paper just to see how it would work out. It worked great but it makes for a flimsy box.
Start with the side that you want to be on the INSIDE of the box. Then I measured 3 inches in from the side, then marked a line. I usually make a 3 inch mark on the bottom half of the paper, then one of the top half, also 3 inches. I then connect the two marks, making a line. Do this on all 4 sides.
You should then have something that looks like this. I didn’t realize marks on polka dots wouldn’t show up as well when I took a picture, so I went over them with a line tool on my computer. Now you can see them better. Essentially we’ve divided the paper up into 9 sections. The middle should be a 2×2 square, this will be the base of the square.
Now we are going to add a couple more lines. Each corner square we are going to divide in two triangles. Just like we are going to be cutting off the corners (because we are). If we start with the top right, small square, we will draw a line from the top left, diagonally down to the bottom right, again staying within that small square.
For the bottom left square we will make the same line. Draw from the top left to the bottom right.
Then for the top left square and the bottom right square we will draw the opposite-
draw a line starting at the bottom left and go up to the top right.
Here is what we are looking for. I made it a bit larger so you can see better.
Now snip of those corners using the lines that you just made.
Now here is where I was having trouble the first time I started. Since I am using a thicker paper it didn’t fold so nice. To help with that, I recommend scoring the paper, it will fold much easier and the lines will be crisper. Scoring is basically making a dent or a slight crease in the paper where you want to fold it before you fold it.
I do have a nice little tool for scoring but of course I couldn’t find it. So I used a mechanical pencil WITHOUT the led. I didn’t want to make any more lead marks so I took the lead out. I wanted just the small plastic part. If you have a mechanical pencil that has a metal tip, it might work but just make sure not to scratch the paper.
Next I scored the paper on the lines that we already made, this is where we will be folding and I want nice clean straight folds. I lined up the rules again on the lines, then I ran the plastic part of the pencil along the ruler side. I made sure I pressed firmly so that there would me a crease where I put the pencil.
Once I scored the 4 lines, BEFORE I folded, I erased the lines. I found out once I folded it was hard to get in the creases to get ALL the markings erased. But at this step you no longer need the lines because the score marks are there.
Now begin folding on all of the score lines, you should have 4 folds.
Take your time and make straight nice folds. Work with the paper. The first few attempts I made, I was trying to be quick and in turn my folds looked sloppy and then the end box doesn’t look as nice.
After you are done folding you should have something that looks like this…
Now here is the trickiest step. And it really isn’t that tricky, it is just tricky for me to explain.
Fold one side over, where you have already made a crease, like I show you in the first picture, holding a finger in the middle of the triangle shape.
Next, you’ll lift up the top part of the paper and put the two folds together. I marked the folds in the second picture, line those two up so they are right next to each other, side by side.
Now you should have something like this. This will be creating the first corner to your box. The first picture is what the outside will look like, and the second picture is what the inside will look like. You will want to crease the paper on the inside where you can fold it flat. It will create a triangle that pops out from the corner.
You will continue folding each corner just like this until all corner are folded. When you let go you should have something like this.
PERFECT! You are now done with the box part. Now on to the lid, which is done the exact same way but involves a little glue.
How to make the lid!
Again we will start with a square. My square is 2¾ x 2¾ inches, including the ¼ inch lip for the lid.
If you are making a different size box here is the math to how I got the number for the lid. IF you are making the same size, skip the next little paragraph.
(Here is how I did the math: We know that the base/bottom of the box we just made is 2×2 inches, but I want the lid to be just slightly bigger than the box so that it’ll fit on top, I added 1/8 of an inch all the way around. So the base square of my lid will me 2¼x2¼ inches. The one forth came from the fact that I wanted 1/8 extra all the way around, so I had to add it twice since there are two sides when measuring across the square. I then wanted the lip of the lid to come down ¼ of an inch on each side. So again since there are two sides I add ¼ twice, which is ½. So the square base plus the lip is 2¾ x 2¾ inches. OR Take the base square size from the box, add ¼ to make it fit, then add however big you want the lip x2)
Next we are going to measure ¼ inch in, on all the sides. I then marked the corners as well.
The next few steps are JUST LIKE THE BOX.
I combined a few steps so there aren’t a zillion pictures on this post. If a step seems confusing refer back to the box if you need some extra details.
I then cut off the corners, and scored the paper where the lines were. (I forgot to erase my marks here! Oops!)
Then I began folding
Now the tricky corners again! Fold the corners in to make a triangle, and putting the two outside creases together.
Crease the little triangle on the inside.
Finish doing it to all the corners.
Now comes the glue part
First you’ll add a little dab on glue on the inside of the lid right next to the corner triangle you just made. (I used hot glue but elmers glue would work too). Then press the triangle down on top of it.
It should look like this… Then I added a little more glue right on top of the paper that I just glued down. Now bring up the paper with the new glue and hold until the glue has set.
You should now have a nice clean corner. Repeat on the last 3 corners. And you’re done with the lid!
Putting them together
The lid might seem a little tricky to get on the box but just be patient with it. Maybe try it first without adding anything inside the box. With both hands fold up the box again so all the sides come together, get it situated to that one hand can old most of it together. Then you can drop in your ornament or other little present.
You could add all sorts of things in there though. Candies. Cookies. Another homemade present. Homemade coupons… Oh the possibilities are endless.
Then pop on the lid. I found it easiest to add the lid one side at a time. Make sure one side has the box inside it, then the next side and then it just seems to slip right one.
Then you can add a ribbon or a bow or whatever else you want!
Then make some more! So many color choices and paper varieties.
And just because they are the perfect size for little fingers… I couldn’t resist.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kreativ-77 
