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Ok valentines day is fast approaching so Pages from the Heart has been a little occupied, but I wanted to sqeeze in another quick tutorial before Valentines day arives. Last tutorial showed even the guys how to make paper roses I now want to show you all (guys included), how you can make a simple gift box in which you can proudly present your hand crafted paper rose on Valentines Day, made from items you have lying around the house (probably in the blue bin). I Also decided I should treat you to a tutorial on a handmade Valentine Card (may as well complete the set ) where I will teach you a couple of simple paper filigree (quilling the art of paper rolling) techniques that require no previous experience and no special tools, but that will be in a later post
Gift box Tutorial Supply list
Two cardboard boxes one slightly longer and wider than the other
Paint
paper
paint brush
wooden kebab skewers
scissors
scotch tape
white glue
paper clamps/big paper clips/clothes pegs
left over gift wrap
Or download Tutorial plus my free patterned decorative papers
3 pattern choices and 2 gift tags are included
PATTERNS SHOWN AT FOOT OF PAGE
I measured my rose I needed a box roughly 8in long by 2.5 in wide and 3in deep to allow for decorative packaging (tissue paper, cellophane, shredded paper)
If you’re using one of my rose paper patterns and the box you are making is similarly sized to mine which it should be, unless you made a very long or very short stemmed rose from the paper rose tutorial. You will need to print out 3 sheets of the patterned print.
Personally I always like to cover my boxes in card stock as it strengthens the box somewhat ,I can be a little heavy handed with the glue sometimes and on card stock it doesn’t matter too much, card makes for a smoother finish and covers any vivid colors on the original box design, but regular printing paper will work just fine ,if you are worried that colors from the box may show through ,you can always give the box a quick coat of white paint (don’t go using your expensive craft paints a dollar store variety will do just as well.)
As you will most likely be retrieving your boxes from the recycling by blue bin diving your are likely to have a ripped ragged end on at least one of your boxes. After completing this tutorial you will find yourself requesting that members of your family open all boxes with much greater care……not that they will pay any attention to you if they are anything like my family, so you may as well learn now, how to repair them.
In my case I got a little lucky one of my boxes was opened by moi, so ends only needed to be re stuck with glue or tape. But Larger box was obviously opened by some ravenously hungry, ,just got in from school ,too lazy to make a real meal,can’t wait till dinner, so I’ll have popcorn teenager, needed some attention.
How to make good damaged ends of boxes is all included as part of the tutorial ,that you can either download and print along with the decorative papers ,or follow along on line as the tutorial is posted in full
on “ Pages From The Heart main site” and save yourself the ink and 11 sheets of printing paper.
I always try my very best (though often unsuccessfully ) to make the tutorial downloads as small as possible as not everyone has broadband, but not that small that they inadequately instruct you in the task they are supposedly teaching you , where the pictures are few and microscopic, when there are some, you will not find me guilty of that, if there is a point that needs reinforcing with an image you will see one,and it will be in full color.
I hate those tutorials who in an effort to save your colored ink (I guess) when you download them ,all the images are in grey scale, that very poorly depicts the task at hand .
These are a few of the reasons I always post a full run through of each tutorial on the pages main site .
Also many people own laptops these days (I don’t, I really don’t care for them) and can follow the steps online without even downloading the tutorial, by strategic placement of craft table and laptop.
But the tutorials I hate most of all are those that employ specialized craft tools which they do not make you aware of up front and don’t offer a common everyday substitute for it,these tutorials often assume previous knowledge and don’t explain little known craft and technical terms that they use, you are left often baffled and in the dark as to what they mean, unless you want to go and research the term or technique somewhere else on line ,which not only defeats the object of the tutorial but in my case I usually end up being side tracked onto something else altogether.
Another reason I post all my tutorials in full on pages main site is that here I can add in little extra points and tips and perhaps an extra picture ,just to clarify a certain point a little better . Stuff that on the whole 95% of the people following the tutorial won’t need and will find obvious and even superfluous , in most cases its the excess info I’ve edited out of the downloadable tut to make it smaller.
But if you ever feel you need a point clarifying better, first checkout the online version you might find exactly what your missing there.
If not email me I won’t bite (well not after 8am anyway) see contact page.( I think I should perhaps post this last paragraph on pages main tut download page together with an outline of planned future tutorials of which there is quite a list with more in the pipeline so look for that list there soon)
It’s always worth your while to give the online version a quick once over just in case there’s extra or
subsequent info or additional patterns or design pieces as that is where I will post them.
If you haven’t seen the Paper Rose Tutorial see this post for further info
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
i think it’s just wonderful of you to share all your beautiful tutorials..ty so much..you are so talented..loves ya Gail