Explosion Box- Step by Step How to with pictures

A few of you asked for this via comments on my blog and emails.  I LOVE that I can share some quick easy steps with you so you can make your own!!!  If you have other questions or suggestions on how I can do these better PLEASE let me know!



BASIC supplies
-- 4 pieces of double sided card stock.  3 must be 12x12 and one has to be 7 1/2x 7 1/2 or larger.
I highly recommend at least two pieces of "stronger" paper for the outsides.  I use Bazzil basics. 
-- Paper Trimmer
-- Scissors
-- Adhesive
-- Something to score the papers
Then you will want embellishments and other papers to dress up the "pages" in your box.

Cutting the layers

1. Set aside the piece you want to be the bottom outside of your box.
2. Cut one sheet to 11x11
3. Cut one sheet to 10x10
4. Cut one sheet to 7 1/2x 7 1/2 (this will be your box cover)
You should now have 4 sheets cut at different sizes.
 
Scoring the layers

1. Score the 12x12 sheet on all four sides at 4".

Be sure not to go all the way through the page.  That may seem like common sense, however, I manage to do it EVERY time.  IN fact, I just did it trying to prepare the one I am doing for these instructions!

What you end up with looks like a tic-tac-toe grid.

2. Score the 11x11 sheet on all four sides at 3 3/4" on each side.

3. Score the 10x10 sheet at 3 1/2 " on each side.

Cutting the 4 corners

1. On each of the 3 papers you have scored you are going to cut the four corners off.  I use my paper trimmer for this because I can't cut a straight line even if it has been scored.

The cover

1. Take your 7 1/2x 7 1/2sheet and score it at 1 3/4" inches all the way around.

2. Cut in on 2 sides only.  Cut opposite sides until the lines meet.  I have NO IDEA how to put this into words so check out the picture :)

3. Fold in those tabs and put a ton of adhesive on them then form it into a box.  Again, see the pics on this one.

Put your lid aside again.  If you used glue you can put some paper clips on it to make it all stick well.

Take your box layers back now.
1.  Take your smallest one and flip it upside down.  Apply adhesive to the center square only.

2.  Stick that layer onto the center layer.

3. Apply adhesive to the back side of your 11x11 piece, center only.

4.  Stick that middle layer to your outer layer.

YOUR BASIC BOX IS NOW DONE!!!!  You should be able to close up the box and stick the lid on it!

All you need to do now is decorate!

I am going to put how I am decorating this one here for you.  If you care to read it all ;)

I save all those squares I cut off.  I may reapply them in places while decorating.  Because I used all solids for my box layers this time I am using patterned paper for decoration.

1. Cut a bunch of squares to put on the box layers.  I cut at 3 3/4 (4 of them), 3 1/4 (8 of them), and 2 3/4 (8 of them)

2.  Adhere your squares to the cards.  I do front and back of each panel. (With the exception of the outside of the box.)  This sounds silly, but again I have made the mistake, always put your adhesive on the smaller of 2 pieces.

This step is when I realize that despite my best efforts nothing is straight.  I cure this issue with a chilled glass of Moscato.

After all this I put a tag in the middle and stamped it.  This is a thank you gift for someone who helps me out in my classroom.  I put a square on the panels and I am going to have my kids sign on the blank squares.

Thanks for checking out the directions.  Let me know if they work or don't work for you!

Challenges:
Color challenge, at least yellow, lavender, pale green, and rose at Claudia and Company
Thank you with tag Celebrate the Occasion

Explosion Box Album- Create A Critter

Well hello again!  I apologize in advance for being heavy in pics for this post.  This thing is hard to photograph!

Can you believe it is the end of March and I we got sent home today for a partial snow day!  I am no longer thinking all this white fluffy stuff is pretty!!!  I have been working on a SPRING project to help with the depressing and bleak weather.
My intention with this explosion box is to give it to my daughter with her birthday gift. Part of me wants to add more to the box and part of me wants to leave it as is.  Decisions decisions.

The animals are all cute with Create A Critter and so are the words in the center.  I used one of my punches for the edging on the cover of the box, I didn't like my first cover at all!  The paper is all from a K&Company pack... and I LOVE it!!!  My sister bought herself a Cricut. She had some questions on how to use the buttons on the top of it.  Well, I have a Gypsy so I have no clue how to navigate the buttons on the Expression.  So she came and hung out with me to learn how to use the buttons... and created me these critters!  You can check out her BRAND NEW blog at Crafty Gator.

 
The challenges:
At Linda's Creativity the guest designer has challenged us to use our punches.  At this point, I only own 1 border punch.  My husband got it for me for Christmas.  At the time I wondered what in the world I would do with it.  Well, I LOVE using it... who would have thought he knew better than me?  Don't tell him!!!!

Over at All Sorts Challenge she wants us to make gift boxes... how perfect is this as a gift box?  Just tuck a little gift card in or use the box as a gift!

At Creative Time For Me's Throwback Thursday Challenge she tempts us to use any older cartridge.

2 Sisters Challenge  this week is "Furry Friends"

This week it is any theme any colors at Paper Cutz Challenge

This is a birthday gift so I thought I would enter it into the birthday challenge at Fantabulous Cricut 

This is also 3D for the challenge at Delicious Doodles

I also saw a challenge out there to use Create A Critter... do you think I can find that now?!  The story of my life ;)

My first explosion box :)

Sorry for all the pics, this one is hard to photograph!!!!

I keep seeing all of these really cute explosion box things.  So, I figured what the heck why not try it out :)  Over at Cooking With Cricut they have a sswirls and twirls challenge going on so I thought this would be a fun way to do that!

To get started I watched a YouTube video.  That was definitely worth my time! I love how easy YouTube makes our life. 

One thing I learned for next time.  Use DOUBLE SIDED card stock for this project.  Trust me.  It would have saved me some money on Excederin.  Oh well, live and learn. 

Overall this was a fun project.  It is for a friend that is TRYING to recover from surgery but it is taking longer than expected.  Hopefully this will bring a little smile to her face.

Most of the paper I used for this is from the DCWV Garden Party Stack.  I did cut a few images on my Cricut to add to this.  I took butterflies from Paper Pups and Give a Hoot, the silhouettes are from A Child's year.  Oh the swirls are from Accent Essentials. The stamp is from Stampin' Up.  I don't do much with stamps so that is a skill I need to learn.

If you want some "how to" info let me know and I will show you where I learned.