Tissue Box Card Tutorial & Paper Challenge

I finally did it!! Here's the tutorial for my tissue box card :)


1. Cut cardstock or dp 3" x 3 1/2"

2. Along both 3" ends, mark at 1 1/2". Along both 3 1/2" sides, mark 1/2" from top & bottom. If you're using dp, make marks on the back.

3. Line up marks on 3" end & 3 1/2" side and trim. Do this four times to create a hexagon as shown in the second photo.

4. Flip cardstock/dp to other side. Make a light dot with pencil 1" from top in the center (straight down from point).

5. Score from dot toward the other end.

6. Turn paper. Score from corner to dot on both sides (as shown in photos).

7. Punch hole to allow tissue to thread through.

8. Gently fold at scores to form into your tissue box. Thread tissue and add to your card base.

These are really simple to make, and I think they'd make anyone feel a touch better.

On a separate note, my blog buddy Siobhan has challenge all of us paper hoarders (affectionately called paper ho's) to not purchase any new paper until 100 projects have been completed using the paper we already own. It's scary to think how much paper I have (and still continue to buy), so this is definitely a challenge I HAVE to try. I may be cheating a bit, but I going to count all the projects I've completed since I bought my last bits of paper - unfortunately, this wasn't that long ago (July 28th). I'll keep you updated and please hold me to this....especially when new fall & winter matstacks will be coming out soon! Maybe I can make 100 projects by then....

Paper 'Ho - 19 down, 81 to go

Secret Gift Card Holder tutorial

Here are the steps I took in creating the secret gift card holder attached to the front of my birthday card.

Step 1:
Cut a strip of cardstock 3.5" x 11". Score along the 11" side at 3.5" and 7.5"


Step 2:
Flip cardstock over and score at 5.5"


Step 3:
Fold at the 5.5" score


Step 4:
Fold at the 3.5" score


and the 7.5" score. Remember the raised part of the score goes on the inside.


Your strip should look like this.


Step 5:
Run two strips of adhesive along the upper and lower edges between the 3.5" and 5.5" folds.


Step 6:
Adhere center section together as shown in photo.


Step 7:
Using gift card as a guide, mark edges of gift card in adhered section.


Step 8:
Using word window punch, punch out slot for gift card.

Mine required two punches.


Step 9:
Slide in gift card

and decorate!!

I added ribbon to secure the holder.

Apple Note Tote tutorial

Here's how I made the Apple shaped Note Tote. I used the apple image from MyGrafico's Yummy Fruits set. Remember, you can win this set this week (deadline 7/19) - check it out here

Please don't get swayed by the number of steps - it was quite easy; I just wanted to be as detailed as possible to make it easy for you to try on your own :)


Printing the apples & leaves:

1. Open up Microsoft Word
2. Change page borders to .5" on all sides (File>Page Setup)
3. Insert apple image from file
4. Double click on image, opening the Format Picture box
5. Click on the size tab and change size to height - 8" and width - 7.58"
6. Print one copy (I print using the photo setting on my ink jet printer's properties and then allow it to dry overnight or for several hours, if I'm coloring it) - I printed mine directly on colored cardstock
7. Click on the picture & make sure your Draw toolbar is on the screen (View>Toolbars>Drawing) [I'm using MS Word 2003, my toolbar is at the bottom of the screen]
8. Click on Draw [in bottom left corner] then highlight Rotate & Flip. Click on Flip Horizontally.
9. Print another copy.
10. Cut out both images.
11. If you're printing on colored cardstock and you'd like to pop out the leaves, crop the picture to just see the leaf. Copy and paste a few then print them out. This allows you to print just what you need rather than use up a bunch of paper and ink :) I printed 4 leaves - one to glue on each side & one to pop up on each side.

Construction:

1. Cut 2 strips of cardstock at 3" x 11" and another piece of cardstock at 4.5" x 8.5"



2. Score the 4.5" x 8.5" piece along the long side at 3" and 5.5"



3. Score the 3" x 11" strip at 2.5", 3.5", 4.5", 5.5", 6.5", 7.5", 8.5"



4. Flip strip over and score between previous scores at 3", 4", 5", 6", 7", 8"



5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 with the other strip of 3" x 11" cardstock.

6. Accordian fold scores on 3" x 11" strips.



7. Fold in scores on 4.5" x 8.5" piece of cardstock as shown in photo below.



8. Place sticky strip tape on each end of the 3" x 11" strips (see photo)



9. Remove plastic from tape strip and attach to one section of the 4.5" x 8.5" piece of cardstock as shown in photo. Be sure to line up edges with score lines.



10. Attach other end of 3" x 11" strip to the other side of the 4.5" x 8.5" piece.



11. Repeat steps 9 & 10 with the other 3" x 11" strip on the other end of the 4.5" x 8.5" piece.



12. To keep folded edges from bowing outward, lay box on one of the flat sides. Run tape runner along the outside accordian section on the bottom.



13. Press next section on top of the tape. Press for a strong bond.



14. Repeat steps 12 & 13 to the three other corners.

15. Next, run tape runner along the inside accordian section on the bottom.

16. Press next section on top of the tape. Press for a strong bond.

17. Repeat steps 15 & 16 to the three other corners.

18. Run tape runner along flat side of box and attach cut out apple w/popped up leaf. Repeat on other side.

Voila!