Fantasy Butterfly Box by Emily M. Miller

See this article on Scrapbooking.com with more instructions on how to make this paper too!


I took a fun class a couple of weeks ago with Jill K. Berry, a great instructor at Art Unraveled. We made several boxes and cases and I wanted to share this basic origami box with you. You may already know how to make one.


Jill made hers with this neat beaded lid that opens easily, only I changed it a little to make the handle a stamped Fantasy Film butterfly. Enjoy!


Materials:
Cardstock: two square pieces – 10”, 2.75”
Bone folder
Matte board: 2 square pieces – 3” , 2.5”
Sharpie: black
Fantasy Film: 1509 Krista’s Eyes
Stamp pad: Permanent Ink, Black
Stamp: Butterfly
Iron set to med-high heat
Parchment paper
Designer Dries Clear Adhesive w/ metal tip attached
Ultrafine Opaque Glitter: #78 Slate, #66 Yellow
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil

Directions:
•Using the square 10” cardstock follow these instructions to make the bottom half of an origami square box:

http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/lesson16.html


Like the paper I used? Me too. It’s watercolor paper made by Jill Berry, if you get the chance to you have to take a class from her!

•If matte boards have white cord, blacken edges with sharpie. To create lid glue 2.75” cardstock square to top of 3” matte board and the 2.5” matte board to bottom.

•Ink butterfly stamp with black ink. Set stamp on table with inked rubber side up. Place three layers of film gently on stamp surface. Without moving the film, cover it with parchment paper. Press and iron for 3 seconds on the entire surface of stamp. Too much dwell time will burn the film. Peel film off stamp surface. Make 2 sets of butterflies.

•Cut closely around butterflies up to, but not the black lines. Leave one flat and crease other one at thorax and bend wings up.

•Glue flat butterfly to top of lid where desired. Put a small amount of glue onto bottom thorax of creased butterfly and let air dry for about 30 seconds before placing directly on top of flat butterfly. Glue weighted down for at least 20 minutes.

•Add glitter embellishments as desired and let dry!


I also added glitter to the back of my lid because it was white.

Note: These measurements and colors are just what I used. You can make yours any size you want, just start with a perfect square for the bottom of the box and then use the finished box as your guide to what size of lid to make.


I just had to share one more view so you can see how the film changes colors and sparkles in light. As you can see I should have ran my sharpie along the edge of my gold cardstock too! Opps!

NEW! Here are several smaller versions I wanted to share with you. Some have dragonflies, some have an origami lid and others have the butterflies askew instead of directly on top of each other. More Fun!