Make a Wrapped Candy Box

EASY, PEASY BOXES!

The simplest thing to design is a box... or a bow. What size box do you need and what do you want it to look like? I'm going to make a 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" box with end flap decorations to look like a wrapped piece of candy. I think that will be plenty big enough for gifting mixed candy and treats that I want to give.

I draw out two sides putting the pieces side by side length wise and add a glue tab of 1/2". I can glue two together from just one pattern piece for my complete box. No need to draw out all four sides. I want my end flaps to taper in and be about 1-1/2" in length. I always do a pattern and prototype to make sure everything fits together right and then I make adjustments. So I draw out the end pieces that will come to a point. 

I know I want to put a window in the front of my box and I want the gathered end look to be flat on the front and back. The other two side pieces on each end will just stay folded in when the ribbon ends are tied. I decide it will look nicer if the edges of those are folded inward, and it will add a little strength to the flap so candy won't easily push it out.

My scrapbook paper on some of these is just printed one sided so I painted the fan back pieces with acrylic paint. It doesn't matter on the inside of the box because it's going to be filled anyway. You don't have to do this but double sided prints do look better if you have them.

I decided to make the "gathered" ends fold like a fan so this is what I came up with. You can cut the edge scalloped, jagged or with decorative and edge scissors if you want to switch them up. You can also use some of your old school punches to make them fancy.

TIPS

Simple containers are not new and mine are not unique. I've seen some pretty cute cookie boxes at the Dollar Tree this year and you can save your expensive pretty paper for other things. I think they were two for a buck and a half. A search on google for 'box and bow free templates' will pull up all kinds of resources. You will see that many, many designs have been around for quite a while. Anyone can draw them up because they are so easy. But if you want a shortcut just use my pattern, cut it out of heavy card and go!

"Simple should be free - not expensive and over complicated!"

Just make a cardboard template, trace and cut out as many as you need! This is how we did it before the fancy expensive dies came out. This is old school - on a budget - grandma - common sense stuff. And you really don't need a die set to cut out a simple shape, now do you?

The free pattern is in the templates section. Go get it!