Looking for a customised ideas or gifts for your beloved someone? This gift will definitely fulfil all of your criteria in your checklist. Be it for valentine’s, anniversary, Father’s day gifts or simply as a surprise, the customised explosion box will certainly be a great gift for your special someone.
A customised explosion box is a box with compartments with surprise elements. The moment one opens it, it has many compartments and layers of cards and personalised elements. In fact, one could say that it is priceless since it is unique and one of its kind. It is a symbol of sincerity and authenticity, especially if one makes it himself or herself. With that said, let’s dive into the steps to craft your very own customised explosion box for your special someone.
Materials needed for Customised Explosion Box:
- Paper cutter
- Scissors
- 220 gsm vanguard paper
- Ribbons
- Coloured Papers
- Stickers
- Glue
- Ruler
- Photos/polaroids (Approximately 5cm x 7cm card size)
There are 3 distinct layers to creating your own customised explosion box – Base (outer layer), the middle layer and the top layer.
Start with the base of the box.(skeletal structure) In this context, we will be using a three-layer box. There are 2 inner layers and one outermost layer. Cut out the inner layers into a cross shape and the edges of the outermost layer into a heart shape. This is to prevent any gaps from showing when you close the box.
The recommended dimension for the outermost layer is 4 inches by 4 inches. Ensure that the dimensions of the inner layer are about 1 cm lesser than the outermost layer. The dimensions of the innermost layer are about 2 cm lesser as compared to the outermost layer.
Fold and test the shape of the box before applying glue to stick the 3 layers together.
Start filling up the compartments with your very own personalised messages. This includes your photos and other decorations, entirely up to your own creativity. Here are the steps to create your own infinity card in the customised explosion box:
Cut out 8 pieces of coloured paper (160-210 gsm) of 8cm by 4cm.
Next, fold along the lengths at 2cm from the edges of the paper. (refer to step 2 for a more accurate depiction)
Place 2 pieces of coloured paper side by side and glue the 4 corners. (refer to step 3 for a clearer image)
The following step is to place 2 more papers and stick them horizontally to form the next layer. (refer to step 4)
Repeat for the following steps.(Steps 5 & 6) Check out the video below for a full walkthrough.
And… you’re done with the infinity card!
After the infinity card comes the waterfall compartment. The following are the steps to creating the waterfall compartment:
Cut out a rectangle 18cm by 7cm from a hard vanguard paper (210 gsm). Take note that the vanguard paper needs to be firm and not flimsy. Next, cut out another rectangular strip at 12cm by 2cm.
Taking into account the size of the photos (7cm by 5cm), fold the rectangle in accordance with the dotted lines, at 6cm, 7cm and 8cm. (Refer to the above image for a clearer depiction).
Apply super glue alongside the pink area. Take note that the pink areas will be where the 4 photos are glued to.
The next step involves sticking the photos to the glue. Start off with sticking the photo lowest to the edge. (7cm x 5cm) This is followed by sticking the other 3 photos at 1cm intervals from the first photo.
After the 4 photos have been glued to the vanguard paper, fold the excess area backwards. Wrap the excess area around the top layer. This excess protrusion will be used as the “tab to pull” later on.
The next step involves the small 12cm by 2cm rectangular strip. Apply glue at 3.5 cm from both the edges of the strip. Insert the strip in between the folded vanguard paper and stick the sides (with glue) to the top layer.
And you’re done with the waterfall card! Check out the full effects here:
Stay tuned to part 2 for more ideas regarding the middle and top layers of the customised explosion box.
Last but not least, making the cover of the box. Cut a square shape using the vanguard paper. The dimensions are 8.2 inches by 8.2 inches. The 0.2 inches is to provide more allowance to allow the box to be closed nicely. Fold up the 4 sides of the square by 2 inches.
Glue the corners and tuck it into the inner layers of the box. The cover is done!
Tie a ribbon around the box to give an additional aesthetic appeal to the cover.
Woohoo! You’re done with your very own customised explosion box! If you need some fresh ideas for your box, check out our online art shop, or sign up for our art classes instead! In the meantime, stay tuned to our socials for the latest updates.
