Valentine Cut-Out Candy Box This box is printed on 110 lb. card stock. It has a cut out on the top with a piece of inkjet transparency glued inside. You can print any design all over the box top and bottom and then print your message on the inkjet transparency. We used a message hearts clipart and duplicated it to cover the page over the box template. We also added card stock separators inside the box so you can fill each section with a chocolate kiss or another candy or any little trinket you like! It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to use this adorable little box! And the template (see link below) is an easy one to work with! MATERIALS NEEDED 110 lb. index card stock (or the heaviest your printer will handle) One sheet of inkjet transparency Glue or glue stick Scissors Craft knife or oval/circle cutter Cutting mat or heavy cardboard Clipart INSTRUCTIONS 1) Click on the links for the box top and box base templates below. When the template opens, right click and select "Save Picture As…". Save the file to your hard drive and make certain you pick .gif or .bmp as the file format before saving. 2) Open a blank page in your graphics program and set it to landscape orientation. Place the box base graphic on the page and resize it to your desired size (remember those unprintable margins!) MAKE SURE YOU TAKE NOTE OF THE TEMPLATE DIMENSIONS! 3) Print the template and cut it out around the outside outline. 4) Starting from the right and left ends of the template, cut one side of the small triangles at the ends of the box sides down to the base line. This cut, when the box is folded, will give you a small triangular tab to glue to create the box shape. Score the rest of the grey lines. 5) Fold along the lines to get a good crease. Then flatten the box base out again and place it inside down on the table. Then place glue on the triangular tabs. Refold the box and adhere the tabs to the inside of the box sides. Press to get a good seal. 6) Open another page in your graphics program, again in landscape orientation, and place the box top template on this page. Make it the same size as the box base, but extend it from left to right by 1/10 of an inch. This will enable the top to fit over the box base easily. 7) Pick the clipart you want to use on your box and then duplicate it so that it covers the entire page. Print out a test sheet on plain paper. 8) Once you are satisfied with the layout of your box top, print it out on the card stock and cut out along the outside lines. Again, snip the small triangles and the ends but this time cut from the top and bottom instead of from the right and left sides. This will keep the glued tabs from "catching" on one another when you put the top on the box. 9) Place the cut out box top on your cutting mat or heavy cardboard and using a craft knife or an oval/circle cutter, cut out the oval shape on the top of the box. 10) Score all the grey lines and fold to get a good crease, but DO NOT ASSEMLE THE BOX TOP YET! 11) Using the box top template, remove the clipart from the design and put in the text that you want to show on the inkjet transparency. Resize and shape the text so that it fits inside the oval on the box top template. Print this on an inkjet transparency sheet, making sure that you are printing on the rougher side and have made the necessary adjustments to your printer. Print at BEST mode and set the paper for transparency. 12) Cut the transparency out around the grey lines outlining the largest rectangle (the actual top of the box top). It should now fit inside the box top once the top it is folded. Trim if necessary. 13) Flatten the box top that you printed in Step 8 and place it design side down. Using your glue or glue stick, place some adhesive on the inside part of the box top where you will glue the transparency. Make sure you get the glue close to the edges of the oval cut-out. 14) Place the transparency on the inside of the box top so that your text shows through the cut-out on the other side. Check the position and press in place. 15) Now you can assemble the box top. Glue the small triangular tabs as in Step 5. 16) You can add small separators to the inside of the box by cutting strips of card stock the same length and height as the box and snipping them about 2/3 of the way up at equal intervals along the strip. Then do the same with strips the same length and height as the smaller sides of the box. Slide them together at the snipped cut and place the separator inside the box. You will have small compartments into which you can place individual pieces of candy. If you want your separators sturdier, double up the paper and glue together before snipping. This design can be used for any holiday or any special occasion. It makes a great keepsake to remember a special day!