We have our granddaughter, Leighton’s birthday coming up shortly. Once again, we plan to give her cash for her present. We hope this little fairy explosion gift box will make it a special birthday.
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So, I found this Fairy Tale pad of cardstock on Amazon and ordered it. This pad of paper doesn’t include fairies. It includes decorative pages that make a nice background.
We R Memory Keepers Explosion Board Jig
This is the same inexpensive jig for creating exploding boxes by We R Memory Keepers that I used for Sophie’s box. This set gives you all the dimensions and lets you easily create boxes and lids in 7 nesting sizes along with a scoring tool. It also includes a variety of heart templates giving you more options.
Exploding Gift Box
When you first open up the directions, it may look a little overwhelming. It is a lot simpler than it first appears. The directions are included in English, Spanish, French, and German.
Explosion Gift Box Supplies Needed
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- Fairy Tale pad of cardstock
- We R Memory Keepers Explosion Board
- Paper Cutter
- Tacky Glue or Double-sided tape
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Sharp scissors
- Vintage Fairy Stickers
Where to Find Fairy Graphics?
- There are some cute fairies by Elen, Lemon Co. Designs, and Kukai Art to print and cut out on the Cricut Design Space. You can see some of them in the picture above.
- You can find, download free, and print vintage fairies on one of my favorite websites, The Graphics Fairy.
- In this post, I use vintage fairy stickers from Amazon. They are adorable!
- Do you have some old greeting cards that have fairies on them? Those might work, too.
Cutting The Paper for the Exploding Box
The first thing you need to do is choose which cardstock papers you want to use. This cardstock is double-sided. Then, lay the papers out in the order you would like them from large to small. Also, choose which side of the paper you want to use for the lid and which for the box.
The next thing you need to do is decide what size your largest box will be. Using the We R Memory Keepers explosion board, the largest you can make is a 4-inch square with 12″ x 12″ cardstock.
First, use the Explosion Board chart to determine the size to cut each of your papers. Although this allows you to make 7 different sizes, you can choose to make fewer. I’m eliminating the smallest box and only making 6 boxes for this project.
You can use the paper cutter to measure and cut the different papers. To keep things straight in my head, I use a pencil to lightly mark the box and lid measurements on each of the papers. Then, use the paper cutter to cut each to size. If the pencil mark is visible at all, use an eraser to erase it.
Scoring The Papers
Then, place one of the cut paper squares in the corner of the Explosion Board. Start by scoring the vertical line at the box size indicator. Then, score the diagonal line just to the vertical line! It’s just that easy!
Rotate the paper 90° counterclockwise and repeat scoring the vertical and diagonal lines for the remaining three sides.
Place the heart template in one corner, centering on the scored lines—Trace around the top of the heart. Then, with sharp scissors, cut around the rounded tops.
Fold the hearts to the inside on the scored diagonal lines. When creasing the boxes, crease on one side. Then, flip the box cutout to the opposite side and crease each of the creases in the opposite direction. You want the box sides to fall easily. This loosens the sides and lets them fall more freely. Use the scoring tool to press over the fold lines and set this layer to the side. Repeat for each of the box sizes.
The Exploding Gift Box Lids
Using the Lid Chart included, select the lid size you’ll need for each box, and then, cut the decorative paper to the coordinating paper size.
Crease And Fold the Lines
Place the paper in the corner and score the vertical line at the “Lid Indicator”. Then, score the diagonal line down to the vertical line.
Once again, rotate the paper counterclockwise and repeat this step for each of the remaining sides.
Glue The Lid Corners
Then, fold on the scored lines. Use the scoring tool to press and rub the edges of the folds.
Fold the score lines inside or outside. It’s your choice. I like the tabs on the inside. Then, glue the tabs. I first glue the flaps together on the inside of the diagonal. Next, dot some glue on one side of the flap. Use a toothpick to spread the glue. Note that I glue the flaps on just two opposite sides of the lid. Paper clips are handy for holding the flaps while the glue dries.
Tacky Glue securely glues the corners together. You can use double-sided tape, but I use trusty Tacky Glue. I think it makes a sturdier lid.
While looking for some paper butterfly ephemera, I came across a container with leftover quilled flowers from the flip-top box I made last spring. These are perfect to add to the largest lid!
Add Hearts to Each of The Box Layers
If you remember the sides of Sophie’s boxes weren’t falling dramatically enough. After considering different options, the idea of using a heart cutout to hold a quarter at the top of each flap came to mind. The box we’re making has hearts in the corners. We’re just repeating the heart shape.
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This Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, That’s Amore is the perfect size for holding a quarter.
Once again, I decided to add the hearts to the outside of the boxes. The lids will cover most of the heart and only the tips will show. I considered moving them lower but then, the boxes will probably not open as well.
Time to Decorate
At this point, you may want to decorate the boxes. It will be easier to decorate before assembling. If we’ve done this right, the boxes will fall open as the lids lift. You can decide whether to decorate the inside, the outside, or both!
Gluing The Exploding Gift Box Together
Lay the largest layer out on a hard surface. Apply glue to the bottom of layer 2 and place it in the center square of the largest layer. You’ll probably want to put the lid on the box when you are gluing it to the bottom of the next larger box. It’s easier than trying to hold all four sides. It makes it easier to center the base, too.
After positioning each box, remove the lid, and firmly press the bottom to ensure the glue adheres. I placed a heavy book over each layer for a couple of minutes. Repeat until you have glued all of the boxes.
Next, place quarters in each of the hearts at the top of each of the boxes. Then, place your money gift or surprise in the smallest box, place the lid on it, fold up the remaining boxes, and place the lids on each of them.
Tie A Ribbon on Your Exploding Gift Box!
A ribbon bow that unties easily and remains in one piece is the perfect last detail. Don’t know how to tie this ribbon bow? You can find easy step-by-step directions ◄ here.
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Be Social!
This is adorable! I have to do this with my girls!!! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome, Jackie! My granddaughters love these boxes. Thank you for visiting and have fun crafting!