Iron Craft 2016 Challenge #9--Photo Box

For Challenge #9, we were asked to make something that stores something else. This was right up my wheelhouse. I have shared boxes that I have made in the past so I decided to make another photo box. Although, few people have physical photos any more.

This box is the standard box to hold 5 by 7 photos. The book cloth is black cashmere silk and the marbled paper is from my collection.

Project 5--Final Insert Box

Last Insert Box

This is the final insert box that I will be sharing with you from the Bullets Over Broadway series. This is a special box because the brief that I received was that the person loved the color green. As I was going though my stash of papers, I realized that I don't have a lot of green materials. I personally don't have a lot of green in my wardrobe because it makes my olive skin look a little jaundiced.

When I was taking color theory classes, one of our first assignments was to go to our closet and find the most common color(s) and to then ask ourselves--Why do I have so much ______ (predominate color)?

Top View

Bottom View

The rest of the month will be dedicated to Valentine's Day boxes.

Project 4--Another Insert Box

This week's project is another insert box that was given to one of the actors from a previous show.  I have been under the weather lately with all of the weather changes here in NYC which has caused me to be a little behind in my blogging.

This is one of my favorite marbled papers that I have in my stash.

Top View

Side View

Project 3--Another Insert Box

Here is another Insert Box that I made for one of the cast members from my last show. This is one of my favorite marbled papers. Rather than the "pebbles" pattern, I decided to use the "flame" pattern. And of course, Orange is my favorite color.

Top View

Side View

Project 2--Another Insert Box

Box and Liner

This was another insert box that was given to one of the cast members of the show that just closed. The inserts for this box were smaller so these were designed to fit that size. The  paper is one of my favorite hand marbled papers.

Top View

Side View

I never really tire of making this boxes and they truly seem to be appreciated by those who receive them.

Project 1--Insert Box

Gift Box (top view)

This year's first project is a handmade box that will hold theater inserts. These are the inserts that are placed in the Playbills at a Broadway theater when an understudy goes on. These were gifts given to understudies and swings. The size of this box will hold standard half-sheets of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper (4.25 by 5.5 inches).

Step One: Assembling the top and bottom trays out of Binder's Board.

Step Two: Selecting the covering materials (Marbled papers and Canson paper)

Step Three: Covering the trays. Making the relief cuts.

Step Four: Top and Bottom trays covered.

Step Five: Covering the bottom and top liners (velvet paper covered matt board).

Top View

Side View

Christmas Box

Top View

The brief was for a Red Christmas Box. I hope that this fits the bill. The interior is 7" by 9" by 2" and is designed to hold a knit hat.

Interior with velvet paper inserts

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #12--Handmade Box (Project 24)

Box Lid and Bottom

For Iron Craft Challenge12, we were tasked with making something for "HIM." The problem is that I am a HIM which meant that I needed to make something for myself--which I am never very good at doing. I struggled with this challenge because I really didn't need anything.

I thought about sharing an organizing option for my bow tie collection but that wasn't very creative or appropriate. I then thought about my cuff links and how I am always looking for a matching set. I decided to create a shallow box to hold my cuff links. The box will be next to my key tray so I can put the cuff links in the box before sending my shirts to the dry cleaner.

The box is covered with a handmade paper that is infused with flower petals and leaves. Because the paper is so thick it became very difficult to use. Also, because the paper is handmade, there was pilling when turning in the corners. Overall, I am very happy with the way that it turned out.

Underside of Box Lid

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #2--Traveling Art/iPad Box (Project 4)

Closed box.

For Challenge #2 we were asked to make something to do with organization. In 2012, I made a clamshell box to hold my iPad. I talked about it here. The box was a result from a challenge from Kat to make a container for an iPad or electronic reader. After almost two years, the box was showing some wear and tear. Since it was only made of board and paper, I decided to redesign the construction.

Lately, I had been using it as a traveling case for my markers and envelopes so I could work on my 365 project while on the subway. It was sturdy and provided a great surface upon which to make my envelope doodles.

To update the box, I make it out of board and library book cloth so that it would withstand daily use. I made it a little bulkier so I could carry my markers, envelopes, and colored pencils. When I need to, I can still use it to carry my iPad and in the empty space I can place my reading glasses.

Open Box

The interiors of the box uses one of my favorite Japanese paper designs. I decided to be a little selfish since this project is for myself. I have used this paper sparingly because I will no longer be able to replace it once I have used it all. This was the last remnant and I decided to use it for this box.

iPad Holder

I am really happy with the way that this box turned out and it makes me smile every time that I use it. Opening it up to find my hidden surprises inside is a great way to start my morning commute.

Traveling art supplies

Box Making Tutorial--Part 4

Completed Project

The final step of finishing our box is to cover the exposed board on the interiors of the top and bottom trays. Of course, there is more than one way in which to do this. One way to cover these areas would be similar to covering the bottom of the box in the Wrap Around method. Simply cut a piece of decorative paper (either the same paper of a coordinating paper) slightly smaller than the dimensions of the tray. Glue it up and place it down (keeping in mind that the paper will stretch a little once wet). This is called a Glue In.

A different way to cover the exposed board is make a separate insert and glue it in. Take a piece of thin scrap board (I use museum quality matt board). Cut it to size (once again, slightly smaller than the tray size and allowing for the thickness of the covering material). Cover the boards with the material. Glue in place.

Dry measuring for size

 Glue the boards to the underside of the decorative paper.

Both boards glued to the decorative paper

Trim out the the boards for 3/4 inch turn ins and miter the corners.

Trimmed and mitered.

 Glue the turn ins to the underside of the boards.

Glued insert--bottom view

Glued insert--top view

Glue the insert in place. Be careful not to use excessive glue. Too much glue on the bottom can squish out along the sides of the tray and ruin the walls or the top side of the insert. Position the liner so that a small reveal of the original paper shows on the bottom tray.

Insert in placed and glued down

Let dry. Place a weight on the insert so that full contact can be made on all sides. Because my decorative paper is suede paper, I take a piece of extra board and place on top of the insert. If the decorative paper on the insert is delicate or can be easily marred, a weight will show impression marks. By using the extra layer cut to size, the weight will not mark the paper.

Weighted and ready to dry

Repeat the above steps for the second tray.

There are several reason that I like to use an insert rather than a Glue In. First, if there are any problem areas with your turn ins or mitered corners, the insert will hide them. Second, the inserts add a little heft to the box. Third, if you mess up the insert,  you can always redo it. If you mess up the glue in (the glued decorative paper option), then you can almost never recover the error and might ruin the whole box.

Note: If you mess up a glue in, one option is to repair it by adding an insert--LOL.

Box Making Tutorial--Part 3 (Continued)

Finished Top Tray

The second manner in which to cover a tray is the One Sheet (OS) method. In this way, the top surface doesn't show any seams and offers an uninterrupted surface. The seams appear in the corners of tray.

ONE SHEET METHOD

Step One: Cut the decorative paper to size. The width of the paper should be measured as follows--the width of the tray, plus four times the height of the wall, plus 1 1/2 inches. For example, if the width of the top tray is 6 inches and your wall height is 1 1/2 inches. The width of your decorative paper would be 6 inches, plus 6 inches, plus 1 1/2 inches which totals 13 1/2 inches. The height of your decorative paper is the same process but substituting the height of your tray rather the the width.

Step Two: Mark the wrong side of your paper to find the location of your left wall and bottom wall of your tray. To find the location of your left wall, make a mark 3/4 inch from the left edge of your paper. From this mark, make another mark that is twice the width of your walls. For the above example, the first mark should be 3/4 inches from the left edge. From this mark, mark another 3 inches to the left. In other words, your final mark should be 3 3/4 inches from the left. Do the same for the bottom edge.

Registration markings

Step Three: Glue the bottom of the box onto the paper making sure that the bottom left hand corner is placed on your registration marks from Step Two. Make relief cuts and remove the excess paper in the corners.

Relief cuts and excess paper removed

 Step Four: Glue the paper to the short walls.

Short Walls glued

Step Five: Glue the long walls and make relief cuts. Repeat Steps 8 - 10 from the Wrap Around method discussed on Monday.

Relief cuts made

Completed interior of top tray/box lid

Finish top of top tray/box lid

As you can see from the last photo, the lid of the box has no seams showing and appears to be one interrupted surface which is the style that I prefer--especially for the exterior exposed surfaces.

The last step of the process will be to cover the exposed board in the interiors of both the top and bottom trays.

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #1--Leather Box

Finished Project--Top View

Happy New Year Iron Craft and Happy Third Anniversary. For the first challenge of the new year, we were asked to make an anniversary present for Kat and Susi using the tradition and modern gift guides--either leather (traditional) or crystal (modern). The guidelines were present here.

I decided to make a leather box to hold some of my loose postcards that I have acquired over the years. The paper covering is a thick embossed paper that is designed to simulate leather. The interiors are covered with a suede paper in a coordinating color.

Box Interior

Finished Project--Side View

I have been providing a step-by-step tutorial that shows each of the individual steps involved when making a handmade box. The series will continue on Thursday and will finish on Friday of this week.

Box Making Tutorial--Part 3

Finished Bottom Tray

The next step in building our box is to cover the trays with the materials we have chosen. I have decided to use this project for the first Iron Craft 2014 Challenge. I am using paper that simulates leather (leather being one of the themes of the challenge).

Similar to the two ways to build trays, there are two ways to cover them as well. The first manner I will call the Wrap Around (WA) method. The second manner I will call the One Sheet (OS) method. In the first way, you cut a piece of paper to wrap around your tray and then provide relief cuts so you can turn in the top and bottom edges. In the second method, you glue the tray directly to the paper and then make relief cuts to bring the paper along the sides and over the top.

WRAP AROUND METHOD:

Step One: Measure the circumference of your tray and add 3/4 inch. This will be the width of your decorative paper. The height of your paper will be the height of the wall times 2; to this measurement you add 1 1/2 inch. For example, the walls of my tray are 3 inches. Therefore the height of my decorative paper is 7 1/2 inches.

Step Two: Place your cut band of paper on a flat surface. Measure 3/4 inch from the left edge and mark it with a pencil (when using dark paper, I use a colored pencil). Along the bottom edge, make a mark 3/4 inch along the entire edge from left to right.

Decorative Paper marked

Step Three: Start gluing the box to the paper. Using PVA mixed with Methyl Cellulose (called Mix). Apply glue to the box and roll the box along the lines marked on the paper. With a long wall facing down, bring the paper over the left side of the box using the left edge marking. The 3/4 left edge should start on the left corner on the long wall.

Left Edge

Step Four: Continue gluing the box to the paper until you get to the end of the paper band. The paper should end before the corner where you started. The edge will disappear when glued and keep in mind that most papers will stretch once the glue is applied.

Dry fitting the final edge

Step Five: Once all walls have been glued to the paper, you need to the miter the corners on the bottom of the tray. Pinch two adjoining corners together and cut at a 45 degree angle. Repeat for all corners.

Mitered Corners (Tray bottom)

Step Six: Glue all four turn ins on the bottom of the box.

Turn Ins Glued (Tray bottom)

Step Seven: Make relief cuts to the paper on the top of the tray.

Relief Cuts for the top of the tray

Step Eight: Turn in the paper overlap into the inside corner of the tray. The overlap should cover the corner. The overlap is the only place where you have two thickness of paper.

Overlap turn in glued down.

Step Nine: Glue down the paper on the long edges. If you have made your relief cuts correctly, there should be a small piece of paper that covers the corners onto the adjacent wall. Use your bone folder to press the paper against the wall. Be careful not to puncture the paper along the side seams or the bottom seam.

Long Wall completed

Step Ten: Repeat Step Nine for the other long wall. The short walls should be glued down last and there should be no overlap onto the adjacent long walls.

Completed Bottom Tray Interior

Step Eleven: Cut a piece of paper that is slightly smaller than the dimensions of your bottom tray. Glue this piece to the bottom of the tray (the side with the mitered corners).

Bottom of the Bottom Tray

I have shown you this method because it is one of the most popular ways to cover boxes. The problem that I have with it is the way the covering piece shows on the shown surface. I normally use the second method for both top and bottom trays because there are no exposed seams on the top of the box. If you are careful or have a very busy pattern on the covering materials, this exposed seam really won't matter.

I have decided to show you this method and purposely used it for the bottom tray because these exposed seams would actually be on the bottom of the box (which really doesn't matter).