Cardboard box

Cut out pieces for the cardboard box

• Cut out the double-ridged cardboard into 10 pieces as shown. NB: The pieces should be cut at right angles.

• Cut out 5 pieces for the box:
  • 3 pieces 20cm x 20cm (1 square for the bottom and 2 squares for the incoming sides)
  • 2 pieces 21.4cm x 20cm (for the outgoing sides)

• Cut out 5 pieces for the cover:

  • 1 piece 22cm x 22cm (for the top)

  • 2 pieces  22cm x 4cm (for the incoming sides)

  • 2 pieces 23.4 cm x 4 cm (for the outgoing sides)

Assemble everything to make the cardboard box:

• Use the glue gun.

NB: It doesn't take very long for the glue to dry, so you have to put everything together very quickly before the glue cools and hardens.

NB: You need to leave the glue gun to heat up for at least 10 minutes before using it.

Make the cardboard box lid

• Take the 22cm x 22cm piece (the top of the lid).

• Put a line of glue along its edge.

• Attach a 22cm x 4cm piece at a right angle.Hold it in place for a few seconds.

• Attach the other 22cm x 4cm piece on the opposite side.

• Turn the lid 90 degrees.

• Put a line of glue on the edge. 

• Attach a 23.4cm x 4cm piece.

• Do the same on the opposite side.

• Hold in place for a few seconds.

Make the cardboard box:

• Take a 20cm x 20cm piece (the bottom of the box) and put a line of glue along one of the edges.

• Attach another 20cm x 20cm piece at a right angle. Hold in place for a few seconds.

• Then attach another 20cm x 20cm piece on the opposite side.

• Lie the box on its side and put a line of glue along its edge.

• Attach a 20cm x 21.4cm piece.

• Turn the structure over and attach the last 20cm x 21.4cm piece.

• Close the box to see if the lid fits on properly. It's normal for the lid to be a bit loose.

 Smooth the cardboard box:

•  Smooth all the edges of the box and the lid, in order to get rid of all possible uneven angles.

• Turn the box over and then smooth the underneath of the box.

• Smooth the angles at each corner.

• Check, by running your hand along it, that each side of the box is even.

Reinforce the angles of the cardboard box:

• Start with the 4 corners on the base of the box.

• Turn the box over and cut a piece of adhesive tape measuring about 7-8cm.

• Dampen the adhesive tape by passing a damp sponge over it.

• Put the piece of adhesive on the corner to cover it.

• Hold onto the free part and make a cut with some scissors along an edge in order to fold the adhesive tape.

• Fold and attach the adhesive tape.

• Continue to do the same thing for the other 3 corners.

• Turn over the box and stick adhesive tape to the corners at the top of the box.

• Cut out a piece of adhesive tape measuring 7-8cm.

• Dampen it and attach it to the corner to cover it. This time you have to make 2 cuts to cover the corner: one on the inside of the box and one on the outside.

• Turn the box and attach the adhesive tape. Smooth well.

• Proceed to do the same thing for the 3 other angles.

Strengthen the edges of the cardboard box:

Your goal is to cover all the edges, both inside and outside, with adhesive tape.

• Cut out a piece of tape about 17cm long.

• Dampen it and stick it to one side of an edge to cover it. NB: To get a clear edge, use the corner to line up folding the tape all the way down the edge.

• Fold and smooth the adhesive tape.

• Continue to do the same thing for all the edges of the box, including the inside of the box. 

• Then move on to the lid. Cover all the corners and then all the edges with adhesive tape, on the outside and the inside of the lid.

Cover up the markings on the cardboard box:

• Stick the strips of paper directly onto the cardboard you're working on.

NB: you're trying to cover up the inscriptions you've written on the box with these paper strips, so it's better if they are light colors (otherwise you can see them because of the transparancy of the paper!).

• Cut out strips of adhesive paper, dampen them and stick them on the box over what you've written so that the box is all the same colour.

Outside of the cardboard box:

Objective: Decorate the box with strips of paper cut from your decorative paper.

• Measure the height of the box (around 20cm).

• Cut from your scrap paper, strips of different sizes, that are 24cm in length (20cm for the height of the box and 4cm for folds). Use a ruler and a cutter for this.

Decoration of the cardboard box:

• Prepare the wallpaper paste in a container, following the instructions on the packaging.

• Leave the paste for a bit.

• Put some on the first strip of paper.

• Put a generous amount of wallpaper paste on the reserve side of the paper that you are going to stick to the box, using a brush. This action makes the paper softer and thus easier to fold into place on the box.

• Gently take the strip of paper and put it on the box to cover it. Remember he wet paper is delicate, so fold it into shape with great care.

• On the base of the box, make a cut in the paper that is in line with the corner edge, so that the strip of paper can fold easily around it.

• At the top of the box, to be able to fold the paper onto the inside of the box, make a couple of diagonal cuts and then fold.

• Continue to stick different strips of paper around the box, alternating the colours and the patterns.

• Once you have finished your box, all the visible folds should be on the inside,as shown in the photo.

• Stick piece of adhesive tape on the folds of the paper on the inside of the box to secure them in place.

• For the underneath of the box, you have 2 choices:

  • You can choose to do nothing to the cardboard underneath and simply have your pieces of adhesive tape from before on it.

  • You can cover the underneath with a square piece of paper, cut to the size of the box. If you do this, cut out a square of paper 3mm² less than the box, so that it is not too big.

Decorate the lid of the cardboard box:

• Decorate the lid in the same way as you did for the box.

• Cover the top of the lid with strips of different colours.

• Cover the edges with paper of the same colour with about 1cm extra to fold under the lide.

NB: Secure the folds of paper to the underneath of the lid using pieces of adhesive tape.

Varnish the cardboard box:

• Varnish the box to protect it from tears:

  • After leaving the box to dry completely overnight, use a paintbrush to apply a couple of coats of aquarethane sealer, allowing it to dry in between putting each coat on the box.