Wine Bottle Gift Box Construction Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how I constructed the wine bottle gift box. This tutorial will cover how to make the chipboard box, but not how to decorate it. (To learn how I decorated it in Artisan paper, come join me at Custom Impressions. More info here.)

You will need:
2 - 12x12 pieces of medium weight chipboard. (I used black)
1 - 12x12 good quality cardstock to match your chipboard
Double sided tape (like scor or redline tape)
A ruler
A trimmer that will cut chip board
A bone folder or other scoring tool
Scissors that will cut chipboard
a pen or pencil

 

Cut your chipboard  into:

1 - 4" x 4" square

4 - 4" x 8" pieces

4 - 4" x 6" pieces

and 4 - 3 7/8" x 3" pieces.

Cut your card stock to:

4 - 1 1/2" x 8" pieces

4 - 1 1/2" x 4" pieces 

and 8 - 1 1/2" x 3" pieces.

Score all your strips in half (3/4")

And add double sided tape to both sides. (I used 1/2")

One tip I learned from Kathy Orta is to mitre the ends of your strips.

 Measure off an inch on the 3" side of the 3 7/8" x 3" piece. Adee tape to the 1" portion.

Connect the 3 7/8"" x 3" pieces to the 4" x  9" pieces. centering it so there is small over hang (1/16") on either side. Do this for all four and set aside. (These are the sides of the box.)

ON the 4" x 4" square place one of the 1 1/2" x 4" strips on each edge .

 

Add the extended 4" x 8" pieces to the 4" x 4". Attach on the 4" side with the 3 7/8" x 3" piece that was attached on the top "inside." Leave a small gap between the two pieces to allow the 4" x  8" piece to be held at a right angle.

When all four sides are attached it should look like above

Attach two of the 1 1/2" x 8" strips to one of the box sides.

(DO NOTnot place strip over the 3 7/8" x 3" attached piece.)

  

Attach the sides of the boxes to each other at right angles using the strips. When you are done you will have the base of the box with a lip at the top. I left the small pieces unattached so they can more easily fit inside the lid portion.

 

For the lid we need to cut a triangle at the top of the 4" x 6" pieces. Start by making a line at the halfway point (3") of the 6" side. Use your ruler and score tool to score into the chipboard here. it will hopefully make an nice indentation.  Also mark the middle (2") of one end of the 4" side. (I used white pen so you can clearly see the marks. You should probably use pencil so marks can be erased or are less noticeable.) I also drew a line from the middle (2") of the piece to the 3" midway line to form the triangle

 

Using my heavy duty scissors I cut along the line to make a triangle at the top of the 4" x 6" piece.  Using the edge of a table or other straight surface, gently fold the top of the triangle along the score line. It should fold approximately 45 degrees.

I then attached four of the 1  1/2" x 3" strips to the straight sides of the 4" x 6" pieces.

Attach the four lid pieces together side by side. Again, leave a small space so they can be held at right angles to each other.

When you attach the fourth strip it should connect the first and last lid pieces to make a "box" with all the triangles on the top folding towards each other.

With the remaining 1 1/2" x 3" pieces, Attach the triangles at to to form the pyramid at top. I found the best way was to attach two opposite sides then to attach the middle ones.

When all four triangles are attached your lid should look like this.

Now you can put your lid on. You may have to turn it to find best angle for a good fit. 

Below are some pictures of a couple different ways I have decorated the box. One is with Graphic 45 Le Cirque and the other is Graphic 45 Artisan Style.

 

 

Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015

As Spring approaches, it is once again that fun, amazing and ever so slightly nervous time that is the Graphic 45 Design team call.  This year I am excited to present five pieces that range from a prize winning ATC to a construction project that was inspired by 3D modelling technology.

Project One:
Steampunk & Gears themed ATC card.

This card features paper from Graphic 45's "Steampunk Spells" line, a stamp from "Steampunk Debutante" and brads from the Staples collection.  It was made for the Original Rubber Stamp Convention's ATC contest and won honorable mention. I choose to work with the theme "gears." For more info about the card and how it was made please check out my blog post about it.

ProjectTwo:

Gift Box for a Wine Bottle.

This began as a birthday gift. I wanted to make something original and fun. So I used G45 Le Cirque paper and matched it to a bottle of wine with a cute label.

When several of my friends and fellow scrappers commented on how much they liked the box, I decided to create a new one that I could teach. The second one features Artisan Style paper. The way the houses create a 3d effect on the peaked top looks almost surreal to me.

 

For more details about the box including class schedule, check out my blog post. To see a step by step tutorial on building this box, click here.

Project Three:
Mini Album featuring Couture & Typography papers.

This album was made as a gift for a friend who lives in Russia. I haven't seen her in several years and was very excited to make her a special gift. The album is based on Kathy Orta's "My Design Mini album" which features her hidden hinge system.

 I matted it with Couture and Typography papers. I felt like the colors and styles of these two lines not only reflect my friend's taste and personality, but also accentuate the beauty in each other. To see more about this album, please, see my blog entry.

Project Four:
Shadowbox Wall Hanging with Precious Memories Paper

I created this project as another gift for a friend who recently adopted.  I used the four panel shadow box, covered it with the Precious Memories paper and added flowers and butterflies.  To make many of the flowers, I used one of my current obsessions, the Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch. To see more about the shadow box click here.

 

Project Five:
Gramophone Box with Curtain Call Paper

I created this Gramophone with a hidden drawer using Curtain Call paper, chipboard and a few pieces of hardware. The original idea came to me when I learned I could used 3D modeling to create patterns to cut on my Eclips. This is how I made the speaker horn.

The piece can be used for storage or to house a mini album.  I really enjoy how the Curtain Call paper worked with the gramophone theme. Especially how it brought out the whimsey and fun while still highlighting the theme of music. To learn more about how I made this piece check out my blog post about it.

Final Thoughts:
Hopefully you have enjoyed my submissions as much as I have enjoyed making them. This year I tried to make some projects that tested my ability to construct, work with themes and to teach what I have learned to others. And in doing so, I think I have learned and grown as a papercrafting artist.

Thank you for your consideration.
Laurel