Custom Bon-Bon Boxes
Instruction Sheet
The key thing to remember when creating a custom Bon-Bon Box is that we will be creating 9 squares of exactly the same
size. You can start with any size paper to apply these directions. I’ve started with a 12” x 12” sheet of scrapbook paper in
this example. You will want to be working on the box making portion of the Ultimate Crafter’s Companion tool and putting
your paper up against the side labeled “Box Lid”.
- Instructions by Gary Barbee
Getting Started
The first thing we’ll need to figure out is what size bon-bon box
you would like to create. The easiest box to make is a cube and
is, but as you get a little more experienced you can play around
with odd shaped boxes as an alternative.
Using these supplied instructions you can create explosion
boxes as small as a 1” cube all the way up to a 3 1/2” cube in
1/2” increments. We will be making a 2” cube bon-bon box in
this instruction example.
We will be using the “Box Lid” portion on the box making side
of the Ultimate Crafter’s Companion Tool. See picture to the
right. If you were to measure the spacing between each of
these lines, you would notice that they are exactly 1/2” from
each other and exactly 1/2” from the edge. This will be important to know as we decide which line to use when scoring our
box and matching lid. See example to the right. with measurements shown for each score line.
Okay, now that we have that under our belt, we can begin to
create our box.
Starting Cardstock Size
Now that you know what size box you want to create, here’s
how you figure out what size cardstock to start with. It’s really
quite easy.
To figure out the starting cardstock size just take the size box
you want to make and multiply this number by 3. So, if you
want to make a 2” cube box you would start with a piece of
cardstock that is 6” Square (2” x 3 = 6”). This is the size bonbon box we’ll be making today.
To simplify this even more I’ve made a chart to the right.
Finished Box Size Starting Cardstock Size
1”
3”
1 1/2”
2”
2 1/2”
3”
3 1/2’
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4 1/2”
6”
7 1/2”
9”
10 1/2”
Step 1
We will be making a 2” cube bon-bon box and are therefore starting with a piece of cardstock that is 6” Square. We determined this size by using our rule of tripling the measurement of our finished box size (2 inch x 3 = 6 inches).
Step 2
Since we are making a 2” cubed bon-bon box, we will now need to score our cardstock so
that we end up with 9 equal sections (2” per section).
To do this, line up your piece of cardstock up against the top of the board labeled “Box
Lid” and score using the 4th line down. The 4th line down is exactly 2” from the edge of
the board (1/2” x 4 = 2”). Score the same line on all 4 sides of your paper.
Step 3
Your piece of cardstock should now look exactly like the picture to the right, comprised of
9 sections, similar to a tic-tac-toe board.
Step 4
Score lines from each of the inside corners to the outside corners of your cardstock as
shown in 4A. Your finished piece should look like the finished picture in 4B.
Fold in each of the corners as shown in 4C.
Your finished bon-bon box should now look like the example in 4D.
4A
4B
4C
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4D
Step 5
To figure out the size of your lid, just measure the bottom of your box, which if done correctly should measure 2”. This means we will need to make a lid that ends up being 2”
square. You will also need to decide how far down you want your lid to hang. If you want
your lid to hang 1” down as in my example here, then you will need to add this to the size
cardstock you will need to start as well as a little extra room so your lid will fit properly
over the top of your box. I usually allow an extra 1/16” of an inch. Here’s a simple formula
for you to use when making a lid to fit a cube sized box.
(Size of your box base) + 1/16” + (depth of your lid x 2) = Starting Cardstock Size Square
Here’s what our formula looks like in action:
2” + 1/16” + (1” x 2”) = 4 1/16” Square
Step 6
Taking our 4 1/16” square piece of cardstock, we will now need to score the lines to
define the depth of our lid. Because we have already determined the depth of our lid in
figuring out what cardstock size to start with we know that it will be 1 inch deep.
Score the 2nd line down on the “Box Lid’ portion of the board on all 4 sides of your cardstock. We know it’s the 2nd line down because each line represents 1/2” in measurement and therefore 2 lines down equals 1 inch.
Step 7
Your piece of cardstock should now look like the example to the right.
Follow the rest of the directions in your instruction booklet to finish off your lid.
Once you’ve finished your lid you will fold in the sides of your box and put the lid over top.
Final Note
To make bon-bon boxes bigger than what I’ve detailed previously you will
still need to follow the basic rule of tripling the finished cube size of your
box (ie. To make a 4” cube box you need to start with a piece of cardstock
that is 12” Square (4 inches x 3 = 12 inches)). The next all important step is
to make sure that a scoreline exists on the board to score the dimension in
“Step 2” of these directions. In the case of a 4” box, you would use the line
labeled “Half-Fold 8x8” on the card making side of the board.
Here’s a chart for some additional sizes and the proper scoreline to use:
Box Size
Cardstock Size to Start Scoreline to use in Step 2
4” Cube
12” Square
5 1/2” Cube
16 1/2” Square
6’ Cube
18” Square
Half-Fold 8x8
cardmaking Side of board
Half-Fold US Letter
cardmaking Side of board
Half-Fold 12x12
cardmaking Side of board
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