Magic Box

Here is a fun little box that looks like it has a seperate lid, but in reality, it is all one piece, and the "lid" closes like magic! One of my earlier posts on this blog was a smaller version of this box. This one is a little harder to make because the measurements are a little trickier, but it is still a fun project to make, and the box will be almost as big a hit as whatever you put in it!

Magic Box

Materials

• Paper and Cardstock
• HEAVY double-sided patterned paper of choice, 8" x 11 1/2" and small scrap for tag
• Stamps and Inks
• Stampendous Clear Stamps, Hot Rocketz, Happy Birthday stamp
• Distress Ink Pad, Dusty Concord
• Embellishments
• About 18" of 1/4" wide ribbon of choice
• Tools
• Crop-a-Dile (used as a hole punch through a lot of layers)
• Martha Stewart Score Tool or Scor-pal
• Adhesives
• Red-liner tape

Instructions

• With the rectangle of paper in landscape orientation, score at 2 3/4", 5 1/2", 8 1/4", and 11".
  (This is every 2 3/4" from the left edge.)
  The side of the paper you want for the lid should be face down.
  
  If you are using a Martha Stewart tool it is easy to score on these marks, since the board is grooved at every 1/8".
  It is a little trickier with the Scor-Pal, so I am going to walk you through each of the scores.
  
  First, put the edge of the paper at the 1/4" mark, then score at the 3" groove and the 8 1/2" groove.
  
  
  
  Move the edge of the paper back flush with the gutter on the left. Score at the 5 1/2" groove, and then at the 11" groove.
  
  
  
• Turn the paper to portrait orientation and score at 1 3/8", 2 3/4", 4 1/8", and 6 5/8".
  Again, these are easy to score on the Martha Stewart board, but a little trickier on the Scor-Pal; I'll walk you through them.
  
  Move the paper to the 5/8" mark and score at the 2" groove.
  
  
  
  Move the paper to the 1/4" mark and score at the 3" groove.
  
  
  
  Move the paper to the 7/8" mark and score at the 5" groove.
  
  
  
  Move the paper to the 3/8" mark and score at the 7" groove.
  
  
  
• Hold the paper in the landscape orientation so the three score lines are toward the top and the single score line is near the bottom, with the 1/2" tab to the right.
  
  Cut away the small bottom right rectangle (1/2" x 1 3/8")
  
  
  
  Reserve the cut-away piece... it will simplify some of the measurements that need to be made.
  Also cut from the bottom of the piece to the bottom horizontal score line along each of the other vertical score lines.
  
• Use the cut-away piece to measure and mark from the score lines inward on the middle of the top three scores (the four marks will be centered between the vertical score lines on the second horizontal score.)
  
  
  
  
• Mountain fold the second horizontal score line.
  Turn the paper 180° so that the fold is toward you.
  Use a straight edge to draw a diagonal line from the mark you made to the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines to the left of the mark.
  
  
  
  
  
• Cut along each of the diagonal lines, and cut a vertical line at the score lines from the fold, up to meet the diagonal line, removing a triangle.
  
  
  
  
  
• Cut off the 1/4" tab only where it is adjacent to the removed triangle.
  Open the piece (turn it so it will look like the diagram and the photo below.)
  
  
  
• Valley fold the second horizontal score line, and mountain fold on the score lines that will now be together right below it.
  
  
  
• Put red-liner tape on the outside of the longer 1/2" tab.
  
  
  Remove the liner.
• Mountain fold on each of the 5 vertical scores.
  Affix the edge of the first panel to the tab, forming a squared-tube with a partial lid.
  
  
  
• Mountain fold all of the bottom tabs.
  Apply red liner tape to the inside edges of two of the bottom tabs that are opposite each other.
  Remove the liner.
  Fold in the two tabs that do not have liner tape.
  Fold in the other two tabs to adhere them to the first two, forming the box bottom.
  
  
  
• Trim off a little triangle at the top and bottom of the 1/4" tab at the lid of the box.
  
  
  
• Place a little bit of red-liner tape on the outside edge of the tab (on the lid colored side.)
  Remove the liner tape.
  
  
  Press the edge of the lid onto the tab (don't get it too tight or the lid won't slide well.)
  
• The box is now formed. Here are photos of the top view, closed, the side view, also closed, and a side view, partially opened.
  
  
• Make a small tag out of the patterned paper, either free-hand or with a punch.
  Stamp "Happy Birthday" with dusty concord ink.
  
  
  
  
  Add a piece of ribbon through the hole in the tag.
  Attach the tag to the side of the lid with a 3-D dot.
  
• Tie a ribbon around the lid of the box.

Smiles,
Kathy