Stampin’ UP! Lots to Love Cube Box

Good morning Everyone! I am supposed to go to a meeting, but waiting to see if the roads are good enough for me to venture out. We had between 5-6″ of snow yesterday. Lots of accidents. Since we haven’t had a lot of snow thus far this year, I think people forgot how to drive in it.  Last I heard was that there were 6 highway fatalities and several people left critically injured. Me? I stay home when it is bad. Not worth my life or someone else’s just to go somewhere, even to work.

I saw this Jan B video on You Tube a couple days ago and just had to try making these adorable boxes. Jan is a Stampin’ Up demonstrator from the UK. The boxes are a smidge over 3″ with a heart shaped acrylic window. I plan to make 14 of these and fill them with homemade cookies and maybe some valentine candy for the little people in my life. So far, I have 5 done. Well, not TOTALLY done. I still have to punch the hole in the lid and run the ribbon or whatever in some of them, so I am only showing my first attempt today, and pieces of a second one. Perhaps I will show the rest in a later blog post.

Here is the link to Jan B’s video. Jan B  She explains everything very well, so I will not attempt to do more than give you the basics. However, the video is about 50 minutes long, so just FYI! That said, if a picture is worth a thousand words, I am not sure how many words it would take to describe the video! Hence, the link and my rather brief description.

You will need the Lots to Love Box Framelits that is bundled with the Sure Do Love You stamp set in the Occasions Catalog. Also some card stock, Designer Series Paper, Clear Acrylic Sheets, a Big Shot and a hole punch. I also used my Simply Scored Scoring Tool and Bone folder. Oh, yes, and some twine or ribbon.

card stock-Cut 4 pieces at 4-1/2″ x 6-3/4″ from which you will cut 4 box pieces. You can get 2 pieces from one sheet of card stock and some scraps. Use the scraps to cut 2  large hearts from the Lots to Love Box Framelits.

card stock-cut 1 piece 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″ for the base and a piece of DSP 2-3/4″ x 2-3/4″  and adhere these together. Set aside.

Cut a DSP 12″ strip 1-3/4″ wide, or 2-6″ strips that wide. This is for the decorating the lid flaps.

From your chosen DSP cut 4 squares at 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″

Place the cut out box pieces horizontally, with the squared end at the left, on the Simply  Scored tool and score at 1-7/8″.

On 2 pieces trim off the little tabs. Also, trim off the scored sides below the 1-7/8″ score line. Angle trim the edges below the 1-7/8″ score line.

It will look like this:

On the other 2 pieces trim off both long edges along the score line. Angle cut the sides below the 1-7/8″ score line. It will look like this:

NOW! Deep breath. Jan did these separately, but it worked better for me to cut both at the same time. Your choice. Center a 2-7/8″ DSP square on the square part of one of the narrow card stock box pieces as shown above. I did not do the best job of centering this piece in the example above. Center the large heart die on this and die cut. Either use temporary tape to hold things in place or use a magnetic platform. Save these hearts. You will use the card stock one on the box.

Carefully fold on all the score lines on all the box pieces EXCEPT the top one that forms the lid. (There are 2 score lines at the top, only fold the bottom one, the one that makes the square below) Use bone folder to crease.

On the back side of the DSP apply Liquid Glue around the heart and around the edges of the square. Stay at least 1/8″ away from the heart opening so it won’t squish onto the acrylic. After placing the acrylic on the cutout DSP, apply glue to the acrylic in the same manner and adhere to the card stock cut out, lining up the hearts perfectly.

On the other three box pieces, liquid glue the other 3 2-7/8″ squares. To these adhere a card stock large heart centered with a small heart cut from DSP.

Lay out the pieces as pictured. Starting with the piece at left, apply liquid glue to the right side tab and adhere the window piece to this. Proceed left to right in the same manner.

Turn the flat box over and fold in the right hand piece as one panel, fold the left piece over and glue these together. Your box is starting to look like a box.

On the bottom, fold in two opposing sides, then the other two sides. Liquid glue in place. Press together from the inside to assure a good bond. Now, liquid glue the set aside base piece to the bottom. You now have a box with 4 curved tabs on top.

Jan’s video explains about making a template, but you will need to cut another box shape from something you probably won’t use for a project and keep it for the next box project. This will become the template for where to punch the hole for the ribbon. You will also trace around this to make another template from which you will cut your 1-3/4″ DSP strip(s) into 4 curved tabs. These will finish decorating the lid flaps.

Punch the holes, thread the ribbon and Woo-Hoo, you have a lovely box! I think these are too cute for words. Enjoy!

If you do not have a demonstrator, you may order from me by clicking on the Order online picture of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at right.

The DSP I used is from the 6″ paper pack of last year’s valentine paper, now retired. If you use a directional paper, just be careful to have all pieces running the correct way. I did not do this on my first box, the one pictured above. It is MUCH easier to use an all-over pattern as shown in the construction photos.

You do not have to cut the window, nor do you need to add the hearts to the sides. Use your own creativity to make these boxes the way YOU want to make them. I plan to change them up in the future.

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