Dabbles

Dabbles Pattern Revisited: 

3 from 1 Gift Box (set 1)

Welcome to a new series! The great thing about patterns (compared to kits) is that you can create a million things from the one set of instructions, you can just take on the information you need to create something pretty neat thats suits your purpose! So in the 'revisited' series I will be revisiting and rejigging some of the Dabbles patterns to show you what else can be done.

So it’s nearly Valentines day, and although I’m a V-day scrooge, I can recognise that it’s nice to give something special to that someone special. So I thought it would be suitable for me to re-visit and re-jig the ‘Petalled Sleeve’ gift box from the 3 from 1 gift box (set 1) pattern, for those who wanted to add a pinch of love to their gifts packaging.

The finished size of the petalled sleeve gift box in the original pattern is 7.9cm (w) x 5cm(d) x 3.8cm(h) (3.1”(w) x 2”(d) x 1.4”(h)), great for jewellery or a handful of lollies, but I want something a little bigger and more dramatic!

See how I did it after the jump.

You will need:

• Access to a photocopier

• Dabbles 3 from 1 gift box (set 1) pattern

• Tracing paper

• Double sided tape, ruler, scalpel & cutting mat

• 3 Coloured markers

• 9 split pins

• Grey lead pencil 

• 1 piece of light blue A2 card 210gsm 59.4cm x 42cm (23.4” x 16.5”) 

• 2 pieces of A3 card 210 gsm 29.7cm x 42cm (16.5” x 11.7”) one light blue, the other dark grey 

• 2 pieces of white tissue paper 8cm x 32cm or 3.1” x 12.5”

• 16 pieces of tissue paper 6cm x 24cm (2.3” x 9.4”) in colours: 2 x white, 4 x purple, 4 x red, 2 x pink and 4 x light blue. If choosing your own colours, please note, one flower requires 2 tissue paper pieces

• Silver glitter glue (not pictured)

How to make a large gift box:

1. Using a photocopier, make a copy of the template page (from the Dabbles pattern) but adjust the settings so that the A4 page will be rescaled to fit onto A3 (141%).

2. Fold the newly printed A3 page in half. Photocopy each side but again, adjust the settings so that each A4 page will be rescaled to fit onto A3.

3. Match the sides of the two (most recent) A3 pieces and tape together. Hint & Tip: Trace over the template lines with different coloured markers using the original as a guide, it will help when you’re transferring each design to tracing paper.

4. Transfer the Box Base, Box Lid and Sleeve onto tracing paper (you may need to tape the tracing paper pieces together to get the size you need).

5. Transfer the Box Base template to the A2 card piece. Transfer the Box Lid and Sleeve template to the A3 card pieces (Lid to the light blue, Sleeve to the dark grey). Cut along the solid, score along the dotted lines of each component. Erase any drawn lines.

6. Fold up the Box Base and lid following the ‘how to make the gift box’ section of the 3-from-1 gift box pattern. Assemble the sleeve as shown in the same instruction sheet.

So now it’s almost ready to be filled with sweet nothings but first we need to decorate the sleeve with little flowers.

Make the tissue paper flowers:

1. Using a photocopier, make a copy of the template page (from the Dabbles pattern) but adjust the settings so the design will print at 70%.

2. Transfer two Flower templates onto tracing paper – one from the original pattern and the other, from the scaled down version.

3. Fold each piece of tissue paper in half and half again, (fold vertically so the height of shorter edge doesn’t change) transfer (the fitting) Flower template and cut out. One complete flower requires 8 single flower shapes. H&T: To save time, layer 2 (folded) tissue paper sheets (the dimensions must match though) on top of each other before folding up.

4. Scrunch up each flower piece into a tight ball, unscrunch and thread onto the split ring (at the middle).

5. Add the flowers one at time by creating a small incision into the Sleeve piece with the scalpel. Starting with the large flower, thread the split pin through the incision and secure. Scrunch the petals up towards the split pin for volume (and also to hide the head of the split pin).

6. Outline some of the petals with glitter glue and allow to dry.

Done! Now fill the box with your gift, slide the decorated sleeve over the top and wait for the love and praise to come rolling in.