Step by Step Guide - How to make the Note Card Folder Box

People seemed to like the little card folder box I posted yesterday. Some said they were able to make it easily from the diagram and others had some questions and wanted more directions. As I promised, I made some more folder boxes today and took photos to show the steps.

This really is a quick and simple project and if you do these assembly line style you can make a lot of them in a short time.

First you need a sheet of 12 x 12 heavy cardstock. I used a textured Bazzill paper.

You need to make the cuts shown in the diagram (reposted here to make it simpler for you).



First cut off a 2 inch strip and cut it into two six inch by 2 inch pieces. (By cutting this first you will avoid accidentally cutting off the 1/2 inch strip first and making the remaining 2 inch strip too short to get two six inch pieces - don't ask me how I know this!)

Then cut a one inch strip and cut it into two six inch pieces - one will be used for the box and one goes to your scrap box to use in another project.

Finally, cut 1/2 inch from the remaining 9 x 12 inch piece of paper resulting in a 9 x 11 1/2 inch piece of paper. The extra 9 x 1/2 inch piece also goes to the scrap box.

This photo shows the cut pieces.



This photo shows the two pieces you will not use to make the box off to the right.



Take the 2 inch by 6 inch pieces and score them at 1/2 inch from the long side.



Use a corner rounder to round the corners furthest from the score line of each of these pieces



Then fold along the score line. I use a ScorPal and the recommendation is that you fold toward the "mountain" or "bump" so be sure to score the paper with the textured (right) side facing up.



Set these two pieces aside for now.

On the 11 1/2 inch top and bottom, score at one inch and one and 1/2 inch from the edge on both top and bottom.



Below you can see the full sheet after this step



Next take the 9 x 11 1/2 inch piece of paper and score it 1/2 inch from the 9 inch edge on both sides. Then position the paper at the 1/4 inch mark on the ScorPal and score at the 5 1/2 inch mark on each side. This score line is 4 3/4 inch from the 1/2 inch score line if you are not using a ScorPal and produces a one inch center spine for the box folder.



Once you have made all of these scores fold the paper toward the "bump" starting from the center score lines and working your way outward in each direction. The more textured side (right side) will be on the outside of the box.



Top and bottom folds above, side folds below




When the entire piece is scored and folded it will look like this.



Next, use a good pair of scissors to cut away the corners and the area in the center of the top and bottom right up to the scored lines as shown.



It is a bit awkward to cut away the center pieces and it helps to fold the flap that will remain under to get a good line for cutting.



Now, use the corner rounder to round the corners of the top and bottom flaps nearest to the center or spine of the box.



It is a little tricky to fit the corner rounder in these spots but it will work.

Now you will have a paper that looks like this, and you are ready to assemble the folder.



Use a strong adhesive on the 1/2 inch side flap of the larger piece. (I used my new tape gun which has a fairly aggressive adhesive perfect for making boxes).



Then take the side flaps and carefully align them with the 1/2 inch scored sides and folded areas overlapping - be sure that you have the textured side facing in the correct direction.



You will now have something that looks like this.



Almost finished! Now apply strong adhesive to the wrong side of the side flap, being careful not to go beyond one inch from the top or bottom edge and stopping at the first score line. If you sit the paper on the ScorPal you can use the scoring lines as a guide to the show the one inch available for adhesive. You do not want any adhesive to be exposed on the inside which could stick to the cards or envelopes.



Fold the top and bottom flaps in toward the center and bring the side flap over, carefully lining up the corner to be sure that it is squared off neatly. (You can get your fingers inside to help make this square corner).



Repeat the process on the opposite side

You now have a finished box folder and can use it as is or add a closure.



If you want to attach a ribbon for a closure, cut a piece of ribbon approximately 30-32 inches long (this is probably a bit more than you need but different ribbons vary and you can trim the ends to suit once the bow is tied).

Measure a point about 12 inches from one end of the ribbon and apply a bit of adhesive.





Use the ruler to center the ribbon at the 3 inch mark and attach the ribbon to the spine.





Then, to secure the ribbon and make the spine more sturdy, apply several lines of adhesive to the length of the 1 x 6 inch strip (be sure that you apply it on the "wrong," less textured side).



Stand the folder on the side and carefully attach the strip of paper over the ribbon making sure that the all of the edges are even.



Turn the box over and use your bone folder to burnish the spine and insure that the strip is well adhered.



Then tie the ribbon on the top of the box.



There are unlimited ways in which you can decorate this folder box. You can add an embossed piece of card stock, some decorative paper, an initial, any suitably sized cut from your Cricut - the list is endless. You could also try using an edge punch along the inside flaps. Here are a few photos of random things that were nearby on my scrap table to get you inspired (some may not be in the colors I would ultimately choose - just some ideas).















I was able to make four of these boxes quite quickly tonight (once I stopped taking a photo at each step of the process!) and the contents of these boxes will be revealed here very soon - maybe even tomorrow!



Have fun with these - it is very nice to have your cards and their packaging totally coordinated (and to think - if I had found a spare box around the house yesterday, I would not have needed to come up with an alternative!).