Matchbox Suitcase Bon Voyage Gift

Enclose a small gift in the matchbox drawer. Bon voyage!

Graduated sizes!

Choice of tags.

A quick-make for the summer hols. Matchboxes are irresistibly cute - and so easy to  make. These matchboxes are in fancy dress to look like miniature suitcases. A fun alternative to a bon voyage card for travelling friends. Enclose a small gift - sweets, souvenir dosh. Up to you.

Free downloads plus a tutorial follow. There's a .pdf because this project is simple enough to make by hand.

MatchboxSuitcase.svg
MatchboxSuitcase.pdf 

Matchbox Suitcase Tut

1. Above, suitcase pieces cut out and folded. Left to right: matchbox drawer, matchbox wrap, suitcase handle (top), suitcase straps. Choose a fun print for the wrap or go for leather-look textured paper.

2. Pic above shows the outside of  the matchbox drawer. Double-sided tape is applied to the tabs. (Alternatively, it is OK to glue the tabs.)

3. Pic above shows the inside of the matchbox drawer, with tape on the
side flaps.

4. To assemble the drawer, stick each side tab to the adjacent side.

5. To complete the matchbox drawer, fold the side flaps to the inside. Like so:

6. Now for the wrap. If you inspect the wrap pattern piece, you will see that one end flap is a smidge wider than the other (shown by arrow). This is the flap which you glue on the outside. Like so:

7. Next, glue the inside of the handle together. 

8. Apply d/s tape to the top of the handle flaps.

9. Insert the handle into the slot in the suitcase strap piece. 

 Then join the suitcase strap piece to make a loop. Like so:

The completed suitcase straps form a cage which is slipped over the matchbox.

10. To complete the matchox suitcase, simply slide the straps over the matchbox. Ease the straps on and move them to the centre of the matchbox. Tie on the tags for the finishing touch. Good to go!

Above, my primitive photo-editing skills. I'll get there eventually. Patience!

To open the drawer, just push gently from the opposite side. You can add a pull tab if you wish (given on the template).

Thanks to Leah for taking the big pics and to Michael for photographing the how-tos on a very hot day.

Mini Magazine Rack Tutorial

Desktop caddies: sized for postcards or Artist Trading Cards.

Side view - so you can see the different styles.

Another style.

Interchangeable pieces so you can choose a style to suit!

No-frills version.

I like to shuffle through my museum postcards for inspiration before I start a project, so I though it would be handy to have a desktop caddy for them. These reto-look mini-magazine racks can be sized to fit either postcards or ATCs. They're also handy for gift presentation. In fact, you can make them up in quantity quickly - so they make good party favours, maybe for a housewarming.

I've got downloads for cutting files and .pdfs, followed by a tutorial.
MagRackBodyandSidesStyle1.svg 
MagRackDividerStyle1.svg 
MagRackBodyandSidesStyle2.svg 
MagRackStyle2Handles.svg

MagRackBodySidesStyle1.pdf
MagRackDividerStyle1.pdf
MagRackBodyStyle2.pdf 
MagRackStyle2Handles.pdf 

The magazine rack template given is for the Artist Trading Card size. Enlarge the templates by 140% for the postcard-size mag rack.

Now for the tut:
Style 1 Mini Magazine Rack

1. Above, Style 1 pattern pieces cut out and folded. I marked the fold lines with my Martha Stewart Mini Scoring Board (and the accompanying bone folder) - the compact size is very handy.

2. I'm using d/s tape to demo the mag rack. When you make it up for real, you can use tacky glue (more economical). Anyhoo, here are the pieces prepped and ready for assembly.

3. Here, the divider is joined at the top, and the sides have been joined to the base.

4. Joining the sides.

5. Smooth down the long edge flaps. The mag rack base is finished. Looks a bit like a baby's cot!

6. This pic shows the divider and the mag rack base assembled.

7. To complete the mini mag rack, slide the divider into the base. Remember to stick down the base flaps - essential! Also stick the side flaps of the divider onto side flaps of the base. That's it for Style 1.

Style 2 Mini Magazine Rack

1. Pattern pieces cut and scored. (There's also another style of handle provided - not shown here - without the grab hole - but the assembly method is the same.)

2. Pieces taped and ready to go. If you are using textured paper, think about which side needs to be glued.

3. Base with sides attached.

4. The sides have been joined. Now fold under the long flaps.

5. The handle and base, ready to be assembled. Note how the handle sides are spread open.

6. Attaching the first handle side. Align the edges of the handle sides with the mag rack base side. Repeat for other side of handle. All done!

7. The finished mini mag rack, style 2. As previously mentioned, the other style 2 handle is attached in a similar manner. There's no handle hole. There's a grip instead. Wrap it around the handle.

Above, a pic of the Style 2 Mag Rack with the other handle style (narrower, no cut-out - but with a grip wrap).

Remember those newspaper taxis that cruised London a few years ago - or Cosmo Kramer's coffee table book from Seinfeld? Well, above is a mini magazine rack made out of newspaper... (more or less)

Stuff I used: American Crafts Cardstock is an ideal weight for this project. 

Thanks to Leah for taking the main pics even though she was pushed with deadlines, and to Michael for taking the how-tos.

Book Review: All Things Paper, by Ann Martin

All Things Paper

By Ann Martin

Tuttle Publishing, 2013

Paperback, £14.99

You know how you still read papery books even though you have a Kindle? Each has its place, right? Well, this delightful new title is like that. All Things Paper – the book is an outgrowth of All Things Paper – the blog. I wouldn’t want to do without either one.

Ann Martin’s blog is a cornucopia of papercrafts from around the world. It’s a place to discover new techniques and appreciate the ingenuity and skill of papercrafters and paper artistes. (Ann is a quiller herself. It is on her blog that I first saw the fantastic new trend which combines quilling with typography.) All Things Paper – the book  captures the spirit of the blog. The spotlight is on the talented contributors, each  represented by a  project in their area of papercraft expertise. 

The book has the warmth and buzz of an open studio/workshop day. There’s a capsule bio of each contributor. Then a step-by-step project (20 of them).  Each project is photographed by the contributor – logistically necessary to keep costs down – you couldn’t exactly fly everyone in from around the globe for an in-house photoshoot. This practical measure, which might have resulted in a patchwork of projects, has actually been an enabler. Each contributor takes the brief very seriously and does an ace can-do job. There are plenty of tips, extension ideas, and insightful asides.

Like Ann’s blog, you find techniques in the book that you have not seen elsewhere. For example, Linda Thalmann’s gossamer beaded Fine Paper Yarn Necklace (I’m familiar with paper cord, but paper thread of the fineness used here is new to me); or Benjamin John Coleman’s Loosely Braided Makigami Pendant, which is made with a sort of sophisticated version of pâpier-maché.  There are also a couple of exceedingly clever recycled projects – Richela Fabian Morgan’s Everyday Tote Bag, which is constructed from brown bag handles (lovely texture, and on trend with kraft paper), and Alison Patrick’s Phone Book Letter Holder, which has a jumbo quilling vibe.

At the end of the book, there’s an Artist Gallery and Directory – so you can check out the contributors' blogs, websites, and/or on-line shops after your book browse.

Note: I won my copy of All Things Paper – the book, in the worldwide book giveaway on Ann’s blog. Thanks so much, Ann – for the blog, and the book.

Visit All Things Paper: http://www.allthingspaper.net/