Shark Explosion Box!

My grandnephew, Landon, is turning 8 on Friday.  His current love is sharks and so I made him a special Explosion Box card for his birthday!

Here it is all closed up and innocent looking 

 (accept for that ominous looking shark!)

Then you take off the cover and the box sides 'explode' open and the shark and whale wiggle on their acetate strips that hold them up!  I added the acetate tags to the whale and shark stickers, folding the acetate strips on the bottom edge, attaching that folded edge to the center square with glue.

I also added glue to the bottom of the layered flora sticker between them - the sticker is 3 layers so it held enough glue to allow it to stand up by itself when the glue dried.  I used Tombow glue which dries quickly.

I decorated each sqaure of the sides of the box as well.  

The sentiments in the punched circles are from Salt Air Sentiments by PTI

I used a Numbers Die set from PTI for the 8 -  I stamped 'Landon is' using small alphabet stamps from Karen Foster (retired) and layered it over the 8.

The white coral on this panel is from Reef Builder Die set from PTI.

 All of the stickers came from a Michaels Recollections Sticker set.  They turned out to be the perfect scale for my little Explosion Box!

Here are the measurements I used for the box and cover to create this 2 1/2" square "Explosion Box".

You can make any size box just by changing the measurements.

The Box:  

cut a square 7 1/8" x 7 1/8".  

Score at 2 3/8" and 4 3/4" on one edge, turn the panel and score that edge at 2 3/8" x 4 3/4" - that creates a grid of 9 squares.    

Cut off the squares in the corners.  

(You can trim these cut out corner squares and layer them onto the panels inside your box before decorating.) 

Decorate the panels and center square however you wish.

The Cover: 

Cut a square 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Score 1" on all sides,  

Cut in 1" on one side of each corner - being sure there is a tab left on the end of each edge of the cover.  Fold the cover edges down and adhere the tabs to the sides to form the cover. 

When everything is done -  fold up the 4 sides and fit the cover over the top!

I used watercolor paper for my box and cover.  Coloring it by smooshing the panels into Ranger Distress Inks spritzed with water.  I used Twisted Cintron, Mermaid Lagoon and Hickory Smoke, doing one color at a time and drying in between colors.

I think Landon will be surprised with this little Shark Explosion Box when he opens the cover and sees what is inside!