If you're not a card-player, make this box as a gift for a card-playing friend--or decorate if differently to suit your desires.
Materials:
papier-mache box with lid (ours is a four-inch square box)
cream or white acrylic paint
pre-sealer for painting box
craft knife
ruler
heart, spade, diamond, club and swirl rubber stamps
white sticker paper
red pigment ink pad
black pigment ink pad
heat tool
six black dice
scissors
Red Liner double-stick tape or glue gun and glue sticks
spray sealant
Steps:
1. Remove the lid from the box and cut each corner from the edge to the top of the lid (figure A).
2. Cut away two opposite sides of the lid (figure B).
3. Score along the two remaining sides of the lid with the craft knife (figure C). Be certain to cut through only one layer of the paper. This is to make it easier to fold the edge back. Don't cut all the way through.
4. With the now hinged side folded back flat, measure from the scored line to the middle of the box lid. It should be two inches if using a four-inch box.
5. Draw a pencil line from the top edge to the bottom edge of the lid, dividing it in half. These two edges are the ones from which you earlier removed the sides of the lid.
6. With the craft knife, cut the lid in half along the penciled line (figure D).
7. Line up the ruler along one cut edge and cut about 1/16 inch from one half of the lid (figure E). For whatever reason, this will make the lid fit better when everything is put back together.
8. Apply industrial strength double-sided tape or the adhesive of your choice along the inside edge of one of the flaps on one of the half lids (figure F). Then put the half lid back on the box (figure G).
9. Repeat on the other half lid along the other side of the box. Press firmly for a good bond. The two half lids should now fit as a top again (figure H).
10. Apply one coat of sealer to the entire box and lid.
11. Paint the box the color of your choice; ours is cream. If using real playing cards for decoration, pure white is best. Two coats will probably be needed.
12. Stamp several red hearts and diamonds on the sticker paper along with several black spades and clubs. Set with a heat tool and cut out.
13. When the paint on the box is dry, remove the liner paper from the cut images and place them around the box--but not to the lid (figure I).
14. Stamp the swirl stamp on each half of the lid of the box using black pigment ink. Heat set the image.
15. Apply spray sealant to the finished box
16. Use hot glue to affix four dice to the bottom of the box as feet and another to each half of the box lid for handles (figure J).
Note: If preferred, use playing cards along the sides of the box instead of the stamped cutouts. You might also use more card cutouts on the top instead of the stamped images.
Resources acrylic paint and pre-sealerDelta Technical Coatings Inc.
Website:
www.deltacrafts.com
ink pads - Tsukineko Inc.
Available in arts and craft and rubber stamp stores.
Tsukineko Inc.
Website:
www.tsukineko.com
double-sided adhesive tapeTape Systems Inc. (TSI)
(formerly ScottiCrafts)
Mt. Vernon, NY
Phone: 914-668-3700
Toll-Free: 800-331-6758
Website:
tapesys.com
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