Gratitude Journal Box Tutorial

If you attended my October Card Buffet, or you saw my posting yesterday for the Blogging Friends Blog Hop, then you saw this –

It’s a nifty decorated box resembling an acorn.

But, when you open it, it’s whats inside that is the greatest part.

It’s a 15 page accordion style mini  journal. Enough space for 30 entries.

Here is how I made it. I took one of our Tiny Treat Boxes and removed the lid and flap portions.

I made a new lid out of Early Espresso measuring 4 x 4, scored at 7/8 on all four sides. I also cut an additional piece 2 x 2, with no score lines.

I took my scissors and made a hole in the center of the lid. Nothing fancy, ribbon will be threaded through it later. I also trimmed the lid portion. At this point I ran my original sample through the Big Shot with the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder.

After embossing, add Tear & Tape Adhesive to the box lid and the 2 x 2 square. (FYI, I have the Tear & Tape placed wrong in the picture.)

Make your lid.

Take a 4 inch piece of ribbon and run it through the hole. On the inside, tape it open.

Insert the 2 x 2 piece inside the top to secure the ribbon and finish it off neatly.

At this point you can decorate the lid however you’d like. (My sample here was not embossed.)

I added a few leaves and a punched sentiment all tied off with 1/8 gold ribbon.

For the accordion insert, I scored a whole sheet of card stock every 1 3/4. (You will end up with a 1/2 inch piece at the end that you use to secure each strip together.) Cut strips at 1 3/4.

I used 2 long strips, plus a small strip of 3 solid squares to make 15 squares, 30 entries.( Sorry, picture isn’t clear on the score lines.)

Accordion fold the strips. Adhere the three strips together on the 1/2 strip using Tear & Tape.

Decorate. I used the in color washi tape that was on the Weekly Deals a few weeks ago. It was perfect because there are 5 colors and 30 squares, each color repeats 3 times. I tore off about an inch so it could wrap from front to back.

I stamped ‘grateful’ and ‘thankful’ randomly on the front and back of the small squares.

It folds nicely into the box.

I am grateful for my wonderful, faithful customers and the lovely blogging ladies I’ve been sharing creative projects with for the past couple of months.

Questions, comments, compliments are always great to read!