Flower Garden Pop-Up Box Tutorial

Hello Stamping Friends,
To celebrate my Blog Makeover, I have a tutorial for you on how to make the Flower Garden Pop-Up Box.  Unfortunately I don't have a camera that I can do a Video, so it's a picture tutorial that I hope you will be able to follow.

You will need:

 1 x 9" x 8 1/2" Designer Series Paper or Plain Card

2 x 1" x 2 1/2" Designer Series Paper or Plain Card

1 x 1" x 3 1/2" Designer Series Paper or Plain Card

1 x On Board Sheet 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"

10" piece of Hat Elastic

I found the thin DSP to be a little fragile and easily damaged. I preferred to use the thicker sheets or thicker Plain card. Lay the 9" x 8 1/2" DSP  on your Simply Scoring Tool with the side you want to be inside facing up.   With the 9" side at the top score at 1", 3", 5" and 7".  Rotate the DSP to the left so the 1" Score line is at the Bottom and Score along the 8 1/2" side at 2", 4" and 6".

Fold all the score lines and sharpen with a bone folder. With the 9" edge facing you and the 1" strip running down the left side of you DSP, pencil the word 'TOP' in the left hand corner.  This helps to keep the project the right way up.  Use a Border Punch to punch across the 9" bottom edge.

 With project folded up along the 6" line (punched border trim is now above the 4" score line) lay a 1" ruler on the bottom edge with the inch marks at the top.  Starting from the right hand side of your DSP mark at 1/8", 3 7/8", 4 1/8", 7 7/8" and 8 1/8". Use your Crop-a-dile and the 1/16th Circle Punch to punch holes at these marks.  Be careful you don't make the 1/8" one too close to the edge.  I have reinforced the hole with some tape to make it a little stronger.

To prepare the On Board piece measure a 1" line from the bottom on the long edge.  On this line mark at 1/2" and 1" in from each end, punch the holes with your Crop-a-dile and then number them from 1 to 4.

Looking at the place where you wrote TOP cut away the top two sections  and bottom section on the 1" score line. 

Then cut from the top at the 3" fold line down to the 2" fold line.

Then cut from the top at the 5" fold line down to the 4" fold line.

Then cut from the top at the 7" fold line down to the 4" fold line.

To prepare the Tabs score and fold the 31/2" paper strip at 3/4", 1 1/4", 2 1/4" and 2 3/4". Then fold the strip in half lengthways so it is now 1/2" wide.  Tape the ends with Sticky Strip up to the first fold.

Score and fold the 2 1/2" paper strips at 1/2", 1". 1 1/2" and 2".  Then fold the strips in half lengthways so they are now 1/2" wide.  Tape ends with Sticky Strip up to the first fold.

 

With strips folded in at first and last folds, adhere the longest strip 1'' up from the folded base of the project, just above the punched holes, centred across the 3" vertical fold line. Place one of the 2 1/2" strips 1" up from the folded base across the 7" vertical fold line just above the punched holes.

 

Adhere the second 21/2" strip inside the 3 1/2" strip, you might need tweezers to put it in place.

It's about now that you need to decide if you are going to remove the two front flaps or leave them on.  I removed them on my box.

This is how your box will look if you leave the flaps on to post your card.

To make the spring mechanism thread the Hat Elastic through the holes each side of the 5" fold line.

Feed the piece of hat elastic coming up on the right hand side, down through the 4th hole and up through the 2nd hole on the On Board piece, leave this end of the elastic hanging. 

Feed the piece of hat elastic coming up on the left hand side up through the 3rd hole and down through the 1st hole.
 

The piece that went through the #1 hole now goes through the card base hole to the left.

 

You now need to place the 1" Tab Piece that is left inside the front fold. The Hat Eleastic now wraps back around to close the box  and is threaded through the front part of the box and meets up with the end that is hanging inside the box.

You now need to pull it firmly so it will spring back into shape, be careful you don't rip into the base edge and tie with a reef knot. I just tied two knots.  Trim the elastic ends. View from the base.

View from above. 

Now your box is made, you just need to fill it up adhering your bits and pieces to the tabs, sides of the box and spring mechanism. I found it easiest to prepare your bits and pieces, flowers leaves, numbers and sentiments and start attaching them at the back of the box and come to the front.  I used long handled tweezers and a paint brush to help put everything in place.   Check out my previous post here for some ideas.

I would love for you to become a Follower of my blog if you aren't already. Please leave a link in my Comments section if you make a  Flower Garden Pop-Up Box, I would love to see your creations. 

Hugs,