Explosion Box

The first hybrid project I'm going to post is an explosion box. I found the instructions for a paper-scrapped one on several different sites. Then I just modified it to create my own! The quickpages that I used for mine are available as part of our July Collab at Brownie Scraps, and it's FREE with any purchase over $10.00. However, you can do this with papers or create your own quickpages.

The first thing I did was to slip my pictures into the quickpages. I decided to make this little box to give to both sets of grandparents who are coming this weekend for my son's baby blessing. He is my sixth baby and I wanted to do something a little special for them to remember! Plus, my mom lives quite a ways away and misses all her grandkids, but especially the new baby!

After putting the pictures in, I slid them on to a 12x12, 300 dpi screen so that I could print from there. Here is what they looked like when they were ready to send off for printing.



If you were going to print these at home on a regular printer, you would just put them on an 81/2 x 11 sheet, as many as will fit. As you can see, some are different sizes and I just moved them around to fit on the 2 pages. For me, I prefer to send out for printing. I get them done at Simply Scrapping for $1.99 per sheet, so for this project, it cost me $4.00 for all the pictures!

When I got them back, then I cut them out and organized them into the stacks. The outside of the box and the three layers.



Next, I used 4 sheets of matching cardstock. It doesn't have to be extra sturdy or anything because the photo paper helps to strenthen it!

I took the first sheet and cut a 4" square off of each corner of the sheet, so that it looked like this:



On the bottom of it, I put the four pictures. I would suggest that the four pages that go on the outside, that you actually cut 2 inches off the top, so you can attach it to the sides of your lid. I didn't do it this way, but will on my future ones, because I learned that the lid covers up half the picture. So, you can do it either way, but these pictures will show it with the pictures staying in tact.



Then I turned over the sheet and put the stack of four pictures which are the largest in size. They will be the same size as the ones on the outside. These make up the bottom layer:



For the next step, we will make the middle layer of the album/box. Cut 3/4 of an inch off of the top and side of the next piece of cardstock. Then cut out squares from the four corners that are 3.75" x 3.75" each. This will leave four squares around the middle square and they will be for the next layer of photos. I did this box by only doing one side of these last two sheets, but you can do both sides. Just do multiple pictures, journaling whatever, you would like for those.

Place that sheet on top of the one you just finished and glue the bottom square to the other one.



For the final layer, cut 1 1/2 inches off the top and side. Then cut 4 squares out of the corners in the size of 3.5x3.5. Attach the smallest stack of photos to these and glue the bottom of this to the top of the middle layer. Because they are each smaller, it will give you a cascading effect.

Last we're going to do the lid. With the lid, you don't cut anything, just score and fold the edges. Take the last sheet of cardstock and cut it down to an 8x8 inch sheet. Then score 2 inches around all four sides. This will give you a square on each corner. Pinch the corner and fold in and glue. Do this on all 4 sides. Your lid will look like this:



Attach the "Top" photo to this layer:



Fold up the edges of your box and put the lid on. It will hold it in place. You can wrap with ribbon and add any other embellishments you want.

Here it is all done: