Creation Station: Holiday Happenings

ETA: Oops! I missed the deadline to hook up with the blog hop due to illness. A list of the design team's projects is at the end of this post.

How can it be December already?! Does the holiday season sneak up on you every year like it does for me? First it's Halloween--did I buy candy? Then it's Thanksgiving--who's coming over? What will I be making? And then we're sliding into Christmas--what do the kids want? Have I done my Christmas cards? (Yes, they're ALL made--over 100 of them. Are they signed, sealed, and delivered? Of course not!!) 

One of the things I like to do for the holidays is make little gifts for my officemates. We all hang stockings outside our cubicles and get little goodies throughout the month of December. I thought I was done with that since I retired at the end of July--but (what was I thinking?!) I've gone back to work part-time to the same office to work on a special project. So I'm needing a few little goodies to spread the holiday cheer.

I found the perfect inspiration from Barbara Reed, the Wexford Stamper. She's my Stampin' Up sideline and she is the QUEEN of box-making. She is really and truly amazing! You should give her a follow on her blog and on You Tube.

Today I present to you a forest of candy-filled Christmas tree boxes!

Aren't they just the cutest?! You can make your own by following my tutorial. I used Shaded Spruce Card Stock, Glittered Organdy Ribbon, and Festive Pearls. To make the zig-zagged stitching pieces, I used the Stitched Rectangles Dies.

Mono Multipurpose Liquid Glue is your friend for putting these together!

There's a clever secret to opening these boxes to get to the goodies inside without ripping open the box: slide the bow up the hanger and then you can open the side of the box.

Since I missed linking up with the Creation Station Design Team's blogs, I've posted their links below. You can start on any one of these blogs and hop around this month's projects.

Denita Wright-Smee

@denitawrightsmee

Sara Nell Langland

@saranell7710

Elizabeth Price

@seeinginkspots

Mikaela Titheridge

@thecraftyoinkpen

Barb Pfeffer

@justbstamping

Yvonne Spikmans-Van Bruggen

@thecreativeteapot

Sara Levin

@theartfulinker

I hope you have the happiest holiday and an excellent new year! (I'm @kkstamps on Instagram)

tams# 76967

Product List

Shaded Spruce 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146981] $9.25	White 3/8'' (1 Cm) Glittered Organdy Ribbon [156408] $8.50	Festive Pearls [159963] $7.00	Festive Pearls [159963] $7.00
Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820] $35.00	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $4.00	Simply Scored [122334] $30.00	Paper Snips [103579] $11.00

Christmas Tree Box Tutorial

1. Cut cardstock to 10-1/2" by 7". 

2. Score the long side a 3/4", 4", 6-1/2", and 9-3/4".

3. Score the short size at 3" and 4". Score at 2-1/2" down to the second horizontal score line; score at 4-1/2" down to the second horizontal score line. Turn cardstock 180 degrees and score at 2-1/2" and 4-1/2".

4. Mark 5-1/4" inches on the long side. Use a ruler to draw a diagonal line to the score line. (See pattern)

5. Cut the tabs for the box as shown.

6. Cut the box sides and tree shape as shown.

7. Cut the other four corners of the pattern, so that you have just the box parts remaining. Save the larger pieces of cardstock for a later step.

8. Use your bone folder to crease all score lines. Add liquid glue to two flap, as shown.

9. Fold the side of the box up and adhere to the sides of the tree. A bit of the flaps will extend passed the tree. Snip these off.

10. Fold the other side of the box in to form the tree. Punch a hold in the flaps at the top of the tree. This will be where you insert the ribbon hanger.

11. Cut about 12" of ribbon and thread through both holes in the flaps and tie in a knot at the top. Cut another 12" of ribbon and tie a bow around the hanger. (See sample box) The bow slides up the ribbon hanger to allow the box to be opened to retrieve the candy. The bow also helps hold the box closed.

12. Use a Stitched Rectangle Die to cut 4 rectangles from your reserved card stock pieces.

13. Use liquid glue to adhere these strips to the front of the tree in a crisscross pattern, as shown.

14. Once the glue sets a little, turn the box over and snip off the overhanging pieces.