POLICE BOX Teapot Box

This impressive POLICE BOX Teapot Box seemed like the obvious next step after designing my Red Telephone Teapot Box. Again, it took a bit of trial and error to work it all out, but I'm so pleased with how it looks 💙

I created my first POLICE BOX teapot box back in 2014. Back then, I cut everything out by hand, including all of the little panel pieces and signs, which proved to be quite fiddly to say the least!

Now, travelling forwards in time to 2024 (do you see what I did there?), I was able to cut my new version out using my lovely Cricut cutting machine 💙

The templates for this box are now available in my Etsy shop as SVG cut files, as well as printable PDF files if you prefer to cut out by hand.

To make one, you will need:

* POLICE BOX Teapot Box template (SVG and PDF available)

* Computer and printer to print the PDF templates and instructions

* Digital cutting machine

* Double-sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)

* Thin acetate (and vellum is optional)

* White glossy photo quality paper

* Craft glue

* Double-sided tape / red liner tape

If you are not using a cutting machine you will also need:

* Craft knife / scissors

* Scoring tool

* Ruler

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the teapot box, and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : You can choose to have either blue or white window frames, but if you use white cardstock, then you will need to colour the outer edges of the frame first with dark blue ink (I used a Sharpie for mine). This is so that the edges don't show once the box is assembled.

TIP 2 :  You can choose to have either vellum or acetate for the window panes, depending on how you want your box to look and whether you want to be able to see inside it. If you use vellum, you should be able to attach them to the window frames using glue, but for acetate you will need to use strong double-sided / red liner tape.

TIP 3 : Assemble the six side panels and attach them in place before assembling the teapot. It's much easier to line the windows up whilst it's flat.

TIP 4 : The top of the lid needs to be flat, so apply a little glue around the curved tops and press them down to create a little cut-out circle. Using a round pencil in the hole will help the lid to retain its shape whilst doing this.

TIP 5 : Wrap the thin acetate strip around a pen (a Sharpie is the perfect size for this) and seal it with clear sticky tape. The thin blue strips can then be attached using double-sided / red liner tape.

It's a definite improvement to the first one that I made and, whilst it was still a little time-consuming, I am really pleased with how it has turned out. It will hold a good amount of sweet treats (sadly it's not bigger on the inside 😉) and can be kept on display afterwards.

But, wait, there's more ...

The small circle in the lid is just large enough for the 'flame' part of a battery operated tealight to fit through from underneath. Not all battery operated tealights will fit in the hole, but quite a few will. If you can't find one that fits well, simply put a couple of lights in the base and the top will still light up. You can then display it on a shelf or a windowsill.

It's just another little detail that makes this teapot box extra special 💙

Happy crafting!

Suzanne