Coffin Box Tutorial (using Box #2 die)

You can make this darling (oops, I mean creepy!) box very easily with your Big Shot, the Box #2 Bigz XL die

Download the PDF pattern for the box lid for FREE HERE.

First, run some card stock through your Big Shot with the Box #2 die. You can use a piece of 5-1/2" x 11" card stock, so you can get away with using letter sized card stock, or you can go ahead and cut down from a 12" x 12" sheet if that's what you have. I think the Soft Suede textured card stock is great for this, and you can get 8-1/2" x 11" textured card stock in the In Color Textured Card Stock Assortment, if you don't want to buy full 12" x 12" sheets.

Stampin' Up! also has an awesome Woodgrain background stamp you can stamp over the surface of your card stock before you run it through the Big Shot if you'd like that effect! (the woodgrain image will stamp more clearly on smooth card stock than textured)

Once your box has been run through the Big Shot, you'll want to trim the box down a tad. I use the Tabletop Cutter and line up a straight edge of the box, with the edge of the silver cutting plate on my cutter. See the picture below for a visual. This takes about 5/8" off the height of the box, but this does not have to be exact. The main thing is to cut a straight line parallel to the top edge of your box. [Remember, as you go through this tutorial, click on any image to see it larger!]

TIMESAVER TIP: you can leave your Box #2 intact, and just assemble the box and proceed with cutting out the lid shape(s) and decorating, if you don't mind a taller coffin. I personally think the shorter version is a little more lifelike...or should I say, deathlike?

After you trim the box down, you'll be left with the box piece, and the lid part (see picture below).

Assemble the box part, then reattach the lid and side flaps. The easiest way to put the lid and side flaps on, is to cut the lid plus one side flap away from the rest of the lid. You adhere the lid and side flap inside the box. Then, adhere the remaining single side flap to the other side of the box. To make it fit well, you'll probably want to trim just a tad off the side flap. See the pictures below for a visual step-by-step.

TIMESAVER TIP: If you don't want to trim pieces of Sticky Strip to assemble your boxes, consider using SNAIL. Liberally cover both surfaces to be adhered, with SNAIL, and burnish pieces together firmly from the inside of the project with your Bone Folder. That way, the adhesive sticks to the adhesive, giving a stronger bond.

When the box is finished, set it aside and take up the coffin lid pattern sheet you downloaded from the link at the top of this post. The pattern is set up to print ON THE BACK of a full 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of Designer Series Paper or card stock, to give you 5 sets of layered lids for ease in making multiples. (If you print on two different colored or patterned sheets, you can alternate box lids and layers to get 10 coffin lids with contrasting layers--5 will have one sheet as the coffin lid, and on the other 5 that sheet will make the lid layer.) Or, you can just print out and trace one of each pattern onto card stock or chipboard to use as a template to trace around time and time again.

Either way you go, you'll need to cut out a coffin lid, and a coordinating smaller layer (if you want one). Because the sides of the lid are straight, you can trim them out with a straight edge cutter like the Paper Trimmer, or Tabletop Cutter, to get a very clean look.

Designer Series Paper (DSP) is great for the smaller layer, and you can use the Stampin' Up! Perfect Details Texturz Plate with your Big Shot on either DSP or regular card stock, and rub some ink over the dry embossed pattern with a Stampin' Sponge, to give a regular piece of card stock some really fun depth!

Adhere the coffin lid to the box top, being careful to center the lid over the box. This is most easily done by lying the coffin lid flat on your workspace, FACE DOWN. Place adhesive of the back of the coffin lid, only the area where it will adhere to the box lid, as shown below. Then, put your adhesive on the top of box lid (you can open up the lid of the box to lie it flat on your workspace if that's easier). Close the box lid, and lower the closed box down onto the adhesive on the back of the coffin lid. ONLY VERY LIGHTLY touch the pieces together, to attach them just enough to hold the pieces in place so you can turn the box over to be sure the coffin lid is where you want it. If not, gently peel back and reposition the lid.

When all is positioned well, open the lid of the box and burnish the box lid down onto the coffin lid to adhere permanently. See picture below. I like to adhere the coffin lid to the box top first, before adding any layers onto the top of the coffin lid, because it makes the burnishing so much easier and more effective.

Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals are excellent adhesive choices for any layers you want to add to the lid, because they stick well without applying a lot of pressure, or burnishing.

The Modern Label Punch is used to make the handles on the side of the coffin. There are two on each side of the box, so you'll need 4 punched tags total. I like to stamp the tag from the Favorite Things stamp set, and then punch that out with the Modern Label Punch. You can adhere your handles with brads if you like that look, but Mini Glue Dots are just the right size for adhering the tags directly to the box.

TIMESAVER TIP: If you're making tons of these for a party, especially for children (who may not appreciate the extra effort!) consider leaving the handles off altogether. Or, use Designer Series Paper or stamped card stock to wrap around the coffin, as I've done below, using the Halloween Frights stamp set.

You can load these with whatever treats you want, but candy corn and pumpkins are pretty cute. You can also fit 8 Hershey® Nuggets in the coffin, as you can see below. Leave the Nuggets plain, or stamp return address labels seasonally to wrap around each individual Nugget. Designer Series Paper is also a simple, festive touch!

DESIGN NOTES: If you aren't into coffins or Halloween, you can still use the Box #2 Die to make cute treat boxes for other occasions. I'll show you later how you can make these boxes with Christmas Trees or ornaments on top, and you can use them again for Valentine's Day with hearts on top, and even make a bunny for the lid to use the box for Easter. The Box #2 Bigz XL Die is a must-have!!!

Order your spooky supplies online anytime with a debit or credit card at my ONLINE STORE!

Mention this Coffin Box Tutorial within 24 hours of your online order during the month of October 2009, and receive a FREE Stampin' Write Marker in the color of your choice! Please email me with any questions, or leave a comment and I will answer your question in a comment reply.

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator
Colorado Springs, CO
http://kimberley.stampinup.net
procrastistamper@gmail.com