Sizzix Blog Hop: Die-cut gift boxes

Hi and happy Sunday!
And a warm welcome to my blog for Sizzix Festive Blog Hop Day 7!

This week Sizzix UK and US bloggers have shared with you inspirational project ideas for using dies from the beautiful Jen Long 'Winter Wishes' collection.

I made two Christmas themed gift boxes, using the lovely Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 7PK - Box, Pillow & Poinsettias. They were really simple to make, using the below supplies:

• Sizzix Big Shot machine with magnetic platform
• Sizzix transfer sheet in gold color
• craft cardstock
• leftover pieces of white and green cardstock
• seed beads
• sisal fibre 
• white acrylic paint and white gel pen
• brown ink and an ink blending tool (or cosmetic sponge)
• brayer
• little pieces of fabric grid
• glue

I started making the first Poinsettia gift box by die-cutting the box shape twice from simple craft cardstock. I glued the side pieces together and assembled the box for inking the edges and corners of the box with brown ink. For inking I used a special ink blending tool, but a cosmetic sponge would have worked well, too.
Once done I glued a piece of fabric grid on the box and painted the grid gently with white acrylic paint and a brayer.

For the poinsettia image I used a gold Sizzix Inksheet. I love the endless possibilities of the ink sheets as they turn the thin metal dies into stamps. So cool!

I first transferred the flower image on white cardstock, and then die-cut it using the poinsettia leaf die. For keepin the die still during cutting I placed the stamped image and the matching metal die on a magnetic platform. Then, using the same die, I cut the leaves from green cardstock.

Before layering the flower I gently folded the petals of the die-cut flower which gave the flower a nice 3D look. Under the flower there are some wrapped sisal fibres, and when the flower was glued on top, I finished the box by glueing some metal seed beads on the center of the poinsettia.
Done!

The second box was made in a similar way with die-cut box pieces glued together and edges inked. But before gluing the fabric grid on the box I splashed some white paint on the box front:

The little white flowers are actually the poinsettia center pieces, but they can very well be used without the large flower, too. Green leaves were cut from green cardstock.

Again I decorated the flowers with metal seed beads, and finished the box with gluing down some red berries i.e. wooden beads.

The little boxes are just perfect for wrapping hand made jewellery or other little Christmas gifts. And they are so simple and fun to make!

If you have not seen all of this week's tutorials here's the complete blog hop list for you:

Day #1: Monday 30^th – Anna Draicchio
Day #2: Tuesday 1^st – Laura Russell
Day #3: Wednesday 2^nd – Pete Hughes 

Day#4: Thursday 3^rd – Kylie Jenkins
Day #5: Friday 4^th --  Giovanna Mazzaro
Day #6: Saturday 5^th –  Jeanne Streiff
Day #7: Sunday 6^th – Elina Stromberg

Wishing you a wonderful day!
Hugs,