Equipment: Pre cut Shaker Box and Acetate – available from www.tiptoptoppers.co.uk ruler, small scissors, pencil, craft knife, card stock, background card / paper, glue, double sided tape, gems and sequins (for shaking)
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
1. Cut small thin strips of double sided tape and add to the window edge of the inside of the shaker box so the acetate can be added which stops the contents of the box from falling out! You could use glue but you may get some overspill after attaching the acetate window which looks unsightly and messy. Plus, if you use glue, you must allow for drying time.
2. Once the acetate window has been added, turn over the flat shaker box and add double sided tape to the edges as shown. I have removed the tiny little flaps from the top edge of the box as I find them too fiddly to use! Do not take off the double sided tape backing just yet.
3. Turn the box over so you are looking at the inside. Attach a small random selection of gems and sequins or beads etc to the back of the box. Take care not to add anything too close to the edges as it will be partly obscured by the edge of the window. By attaching some of the decoration to the inside of the box, it will show that the box does have something in it, as sometimes the contents will fall to the bottom and will not be seen!
4. Now unpeel the backing from the tape and stick the sides together – take care when doing this as it’s not always easy to unstick them! I find it easier to push the little middle flaps in first and then bring the untaped sides to meet the taped sides. Press together gently without crushing the box. The top edge of the box will stay open and you can then drop in the rest of your gems, sequins and beads. Add double sided tape to the top edge of the box and seal it shut. Your box is now complete!
5. For the card background I have printed two complementary sheets from a colour collection from the Funky Seasons CD by www.funkyhand.com I have also used a slightly larger square cut from silver card to create a layered effect behind the shaker box.
6. The backing papers have been printed onto A4 white card and I’ve cut the white border edges off so I know how much card I actually have to use. I use a scalpel or craft knife and a ruler to do this – scissors have a tendency to wander a little and I need straight crisp lines.
7. A small section of the wording backing paper has been cut and layered onto the front of the bold striped card, leaving a thin white edge for effect.
8. I made three similar cards from the two sheets of backing paper and still had some left over!
This tutorial will also be available shortly to download from www.tiptoptoppers.co.uk
