How to Make a Greeting Card Gift Box

Recycle those beautiful holiday or all-occasion cards into special gift boxes that can be used year-round.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Greeting Cards
• Elmer's Glues Or Hot Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Pencils

1. Cut along fold of card, making two halves.

2. Trim a half-inch off one side and end of one of the card's halves.

3. Flip the card halves over so that the printed sides are facedown. Then, with a ruler, draw diagonal lines between opposite corners of each card half, making a large X.

4. Fold in both sides until they meet in the center and crease.

5. Fold in each end until they meet in the center and crease.

6. Unfold the card halves to expose each X.

7. Start at each corner and cut along the X until you reach the new fold lines.

8. Fold sides to the inside.

9. Fold end points to the inside.

10. Fold ends over side points.

11. Glue corners.

Tips & Warnings

• The half of card you trimmed will be the bottom of your box.
• Older children can use a hot glue gun for quicker dry time.

[suziescrapper]

on 12/30/2008 I am such a visual person, wish these instructions came with pictures. I know, duh! But that's how I am.

[jpjfsmama]

on 12/19/2008 Acutally, this works just fine with any shape card. I've made them two years in a row. You'll just have to do some trimming, after you make the box, on the short edges of a rectangular box. Also, I found that trimming the bottom half by 1/8" instead of 1/2" did make for the best fit.

[HelloKit]

on 12/17/2008 First of all this only works on a perfectly square card, or one that has been trimmed to square. Geometrically it cannot work on a card that isn't square. Second, 1/2" is too much to cut off the bottom half; it ends up way too loose. My guess is you should only take off 1/8" to 1/4". And yes, cutting along the fold on two opposite sides, rather than along the X, makes for much neater corners.

on 9/4/2006 Find the best part of a greeting card front that you want to use for a box top. The center of your picture will be the top of the box. Cut your card into a square with the best part of the picture in the center from all directions. Mark the back of the card with an X from one corner to it's opposite corner. Take one corner of your card and fold it to the center of the X, and do the same on the other side. Now take one folded piece and do the same; folding it again to the center. Do this to the opposite side. Now unfold the card and do the same to the other 2 corners that you didn't do yet. When you have done all 4 sides, unfold again and on 2 opposite sides only cut along the center most edge folds up to the center square folds.do this for 4 cuts. Fold the 2 uncut sides back in the original half and fold up at the center fold to make a side to the box. You will have 2 pointy edges that you will tuck under the cut side. Then you take the cut side and fold at the folds making sides and going over the pieces sticking out from the first sides. When you have done the 2 opposite sides, they will meet in the center of the underside of the top of the box. tape or put sticker to seal. For the underside 1/2 of the box cut this square 1/4 inch smaller on 2 adjoining sides. Then repeat instructions. You will now have a nice box for a gift. Plain card stock can be used for the bottoms if you don't have any backs to your cards, or if they had too much writing on them to look nice. I learned how to do these at an Extension Homemakers meeting and have since made hundreds.