Graduation Explosion Box

My CTMH upline, Deb Butler (The Scrapping Buckeye Babes) shared this cool graduation explosion box tutorial via email!

I made one this morning, and adjusted the lid and cap dimensions a bit, and here's how it turned out--all ready for a gift card inside for a special grad.

1. Use one piece of 12 x 12 inch CS; score at 4.75 and 7.25 both directions.

2. Cut on all scored lines that lead from the outer edge to the middle square. You will form a cross shape. Save your cut-out pieces.

3. Use a favorite B&T paper for the inside mats. Cut each 2.25 x 4.5 inches and adhere to the four inside sections. I used the black patterned B&T from Fanfare. (The grad's colors are black, white, and red.)

4. Make the gift card holder by folding a 6.5 x 4.5 inch piece of coordinating CS, scored on the 2.25 and 4.5 inch marks, to be folded into thirds.

5. Cut a piece of CS a size depending on the stamp you wish to use. Here I used "congrats" from the Celebrate the Everyday stamp set. I used white CS and inked the edges in Cranberry, then adhered it to the middle section of the gift holder.

6. Use the circle punch to notch the top of the gift holder. Score across the bottom of the gift holder piece, then adhere, and trim the flap so the two edges are "notched torward the center" so the flap doesn't show; adhere to the middle square of the box.

7.  Trim one of the squares you cut from the original CS piece to a 3.5 x 3.5 inch square. Score at the .5 inch mark along each side. Cut on the top flaps and the bottom flaps to the score line. Place adhesive on the outside of each "tab" and adhere each to the inside of the scored sides to form the "lid." (Hey, that B&T paper on the black VersaMat grid lines is makin' me a little DiZzY!!!) Keep scrolling ...

8.  Trim another scrap into a 3.5 x 3.5 inch square for the mortarboard's flat piece. Mark the middle, pierce with the paper piercer, and attach with a Big Brad.  I cut 5 strands of Sassy Strands 6 inches long, doubled them, created a tassle by tying them together, and then attached a short length of SS to attach around the Big Brad.

9. Add any embellishments you wish, such as the school's name or logo, the grad's name and date, or a printed photo or two.

10. Add a special gift card or cash and you're ready to GIVE this baby away!

Happy Graduation to all the grads out there!

Remember to click on my blog candy link (top right corner of my site) and enter to win some Close To My Heart products! I have even more items to add to the box ... some nice surprises!

I used:

CTMH products--Fanfare paper packet, Celebrate the Everyday stamp set, Cranberry Ink, Summer Carnival Sassy Strands, Big Black Brad

Other: ProvoCraft Alphabitties in Black, SRM AlphaSet in Red