Teddy Bo & Co: Teddy Bo Top Tips Thursday

Did you see Karen's wonderful box on the Teddy Bo Tuesday post a couple of days ago?

We're lucky that she has been "encouraged" in time honoured tower tradition - involving lots of fermented vegetables - to write a tutorial for us all.

The bonus of this box is that you don't need any glue to keep it together. We're not so keen on glue here as it attracts camel hair very nicely and anyone falling asleep at the table risks getting a Cuthbert beard - not all that flattering although it does give a bit of authenticity to some of the girls entering various Olympic field events :0)

So here's Karen's box with the addition of a little gifty to put in it.

Furry Hugs

Debbie & The Gang

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Glueless Box Tutorial

Using Fairy D TB_Prom Pencil Sketch.
Design Paper used (printed straight onto card) is from my SWALK Cd-Rom 2.
Card used for box is Smooth Printable Card - you can use any lightweight card for this. If your card is much thicker than 160 - 180gsm it may tear on you.
Ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons - my pink ones are from the "Jam Pot" bag.
Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

FIRSTLY - print out your backing paper directly onto your two sheets of card stock. Now take ONE of your sheets and trim off from ONE short edge and ONE long edge only, a half centimetre from each.

This slightly smaller sheet will form your box base.
The following steps you will do exactly the same for your base and lid…
Gently bend/fold your card towards the middle lengthways, without creasing or scoring. When you have the long edges lined up, make a crease at the top and bottom of your card – so that you can easily see where the centre line of your card is.

Now fold your card so that each long edge meets in the centre at the creases you just made. Burnish with your score tool.

I lifted one of the edges slightly in the middle so you could see more clearly where they meet in the middle.

Once you have burnished your creases with your score tool, open your card back out flat again.

Now do exactly the same thing with your short edges, but this time, keep your card folded once you have burnished your folds, don’t open out flat again.

Next – using the following pictures 3 and 4 as a guide – I want you to fold your corners into triangles, from the crease lines that are already there. If you look at the picture – my score tool is showing you where your previous crease line should be.

If you look at your card – it’s easier than it sounds.

Can you see how i’m making my triangles?
Don’t forget to burnish all of your folds/creases with your score tool. You need all of your folds very sharp.

Do this with all four corners like so.

Remember to burnish with your score tool when you're done.

Now fold the two remaining long edges back over on themselves, back towards the triangles. Burnish with your score tool.

Now put your fingers inside and gently open out your box.

You also need to pinch the side and bottom creases with your finger and thumb to re-difine your folds a little now that you are done.

TOP TIP!

If you find that your sides are “bowing” out a little – simply pinch inwards (gently) the top edges whilst re-creasing all of the folds with finger and thumb. This will solve the problem instantly for you! :0)

Now repeat with your second sheet - add your ribbon to the lid - then topper and decorations of your choice - and voila!

Your famous, Krafty Karen's totally glueless box is complete! Smiles.

To match my gift box, I designed my own necklace too - out of some beads I already had, stretch wire, and my own, hand done, paper beads.

As a bonus to this tutorial here is a quick step by step for how you too can create your own paper beads. :0)

Step one - you need to print out your chosen backing paper (in this case I used the same as I had used for my box.)
Step two - cut out long triangles that taper to a fine point (see picture below.) Mine measured 4inches long and 0.75 inches at their widest point.

Step three - Laying them face down, spread (lightly) with pva glue at the top and the bottom, then using a cocktail stick for ease of use start to roll them from the widest point to the thinnest.