Tutorial - Pop-Up Cardboard Box Cards

The wow-factor for this card is on the inside... a box full of goodness that pops up when the card is opened. You can fill the box with images of whatever you think your recipient will like best. Cute kittens, flowers, candy canes, or in my case, a pug nosed pup! Just remember that your image needs to be no wider than the width of the box.

BOX TEMPLATE

1. Start with a standard card blank of any size and decorate the front as desired. I used patterned papers, a die cut sentiment and part of a cute little pug dog that will also appear inside my card. If you wish, you can also add patterned papers to the inside of the card to contrast with the little box.

INSIDE:

2. Trim a piece of cardstock to 7" x 13/4" for the main box piece. I've used kraft cardstock to simulate an actual packing carton, but you can use whatever cardstock suits your project. Trim a second piece of the same cardstock to 3" x 3/4" to hold your image.

3. Place the larger piece of cardstock horizontally on your score board and score at 13/4", 31/2" and 51/4". Turn it 90 degrees and score again at 1/2".

4. Now place the small piece of cardstock horizontally on your score board and score at 3/4", 11/2" and 21/4". Fold along all the score lines, pressing firmly.

5. Use a small pair of scissors to trim away the two, outer top panels of the bigger piece of cardstock. See the photo below and the template above for clarification.

6. Apply glue to one end of the small piece of cardstock and secure it to the end of the large piece of cardstock, making sure the edges are flush. I placed mine a little more toward the bottom, but you can centre it if you wish.

7. Fold the small piece of cardstock over and apply glue to the end panel.

8. Fold the large piece of cardstock over and press it into the glue.

9. Hold the cardstock so the open sides are to the right, and apply glue to the last panel. Secure the cardstock to the right hand side of the centre of your card, positioning the edges just to the right of the fold line. I placed mine toward the bottom of the card, but you can position it however you desire.

10. Apply glue to the left-hand side of the cardstock and close the card. Leave it for a few minutes to allow the glue to dry.

11. It was at this point that I noticed the corners of the box scrape along the paper when the card is being opened and closed, so I simply clipped away the corners with a small pair of scissors. You will need to do this to allow a smooth action for your card. (NOTE: The cut corners are included in the template diagram)

12. Secure your image to the small box on the inside using glue or tape. Position the image so that it peeks over the edge, then decorate the box as desired.

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Pop-Up Card

There's a fun pop-up element waiting inside this card!

I added three simple boxes, decorated with patterned paper and die cut images, that pop up when the card is opened. You can add as many boxes as you like, but be aware that adding extra cardstock will increase the bulk of your folded card.

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Tutorial - Pop-Up Twirl Cards

This card is definitely one the engineers among us will enjoy. The centre has a mechanism, created with a skewer and some clever folding and cutting, that rotates as the card is opened and closed. Adding a little image or sentiment panel results in a twirling decoration that will certainly surprise and delight whoever is lucky enough to receive it.

TEMPLATE

1. Start with two 4" x 6" card blanks. One will be the outer card, which you can set aside for now, and the other will hold the twirling mechanism.

2. Use a pencil and ruler to measure and mark the cutting lines on the folded edge of your card. Refer to the template above for measurements and placement.

3. Use scissors or a trimmer to cut along the four lines, beginning at the spine of the card and ensuring you cut through both layers. These will form the two pop-up sections in the centre of the card. 

4. OPTIONAL: Score between the ends of each cut line to ensure an accurate fold.

5. Refold the cards and make two 1/8" long cuts in each of the pop-up sections, keeping them as evenly apart as possible. See the photo below.

6. Open the card and push the pop-up sections out again so they stand away from the card blank. Use the tip of your finger to push the card between the two little nicks you made in the step above, then slide a skewer through both sections. See the photos below.

7. Remove the skewer and use a small hole punch to make two holes in the card. One hole should be about 1/4" from the spine of the card and a little above the lower pop-up section. The other hole should be about 1" from the side edge of the card and about the same height as the first hole.

8. Cut a 12" piece of string or twine. Thread one end through the first hole and secure on the back with glue and/or tape.

9. Replace the skewer. Wrap the string around the skewer two or three times and then thread the end down the second hole. Adjust the tension of the string until you can easily open and close the card, making the skewer spin in place. Trim excess string and secure on the back of the card with glue and/or tape.

10. Use a pair of snips or sturdy scissors to remove the excess length of skewer. If desired, glue a bead or button to either end of the skewer to prevent it sliding out of the card.

11. Decorate the inside of the card as desired. Keep the twirling embellishment to around 11/2" wide and no longer than the gap between the string and the top pop-up panel. Make sure the embellishment is able to twirl freely when the card is opened and closed.

12. Secure the card to the inside of the other card blank with glue or double-sided tape, taking care not to add any adhesive to the pop-up sections.

13. Decorate the front of the card and you're done!

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