More teapot delights!

Here are some more of the Teapot Treats gift boxes I have made recently. They are all individual, all unique and all totally crafted by hand (no cutting machines or punches used here!)

Mmm ... lemon biscuits!

With this next one, I experimented with a new flower design for the lid. I feel it's far more realistic, and in keeping with the patterned cardstock I used.

 A close up of the new paper flower design on the lid:

Autumn's arrival

It's my favourite time of year; venturing out for walks in the woodland, admiring the changing colours of the leaves ... so I decided to create an Autumn-inspired teapot gift box. Using papers from Papercraft Inspirations magazine (issue 91) I love the way it all fits together with a woodland theme. The leafy flower on top of the lid incorporates some curled paper twigs, and fallen leaves line the grassy base.

All it needs now is to be filled with deliciously tempting ginger biscuits.

Teapot Box

I have always had a passion for teapots, so it was inevitable that one day I would combine my interests and create a box in the shape of a teapot.

Teapots come in all different shapes and sizes, but I wanted to create a classic design, an instantly recognisable form for my box. I had a hexagonal shape in mind, and so I set to work, sketching how my teapot should look before designing a simple template. After a bit of trial and error, it wasn't long before I was holding my very own teapot box.

I love the simplicity of this design, and the endless possibilities for decoration and embellishment.

With a removable lid, it can be filled to the brim with delicious treats - chocolates, candies, biscuits, teabags ... An ideal gift for any tea-lover!

Small beginnings

I was about six-years old when I was first introduced to the fabulously addictive world of box-making. At school, my teacher handed me a piece of paper - nothing fancy, just a piece of lined paper - and as I began to follow her simple instructions, I witnessed a thing of beauty emerging right before me.

There is something truly fascinating about papercrafting, and even now, I still get that same sense of satisfaction every time I make a box. And so, all these years later, I feel it's only right that the first box I show here is that first one I made (well, not the actual one, but following the same template).

Yes! Just as I remember it!

OK, so here's how you can make one yourself. It doesn't really matter what size paper you use, but the larger the size the thicker your paper will need to be. Just experiment with it, and have fun!

Here I used a 5 x 7 inch piece of paper. Start by folding it in half like this:

Next, fold the top and bottom edges to the middle crease.

At each corner, fold in to leave a space of approx 1/4 inch.

Crease the sides...

...then fold the top flap up and the bottom flap down.

Finally, square the corners by pushing each one out.

And there it is!

I made another one out of pink paper and attached a simple handle, turning my box into a basket. I disguised the joins on either side with paper punched flowers, and filled it with delicious treats!

Boxes, boxes, boxes

Crafting makes me happy. I've always said that. From a very early age I was always creating things out of scrap paper, bits of old material, odd buttons and cardboard packaging - whatever I could find around the house. It was amazing some of the things I used to make... It wasn't long, however, before my passion for boxes emerged, and a love of paper crafting ensued.