The Christmas Tree Base/Box Tutorial

Hello again!

I apologize for cutting the Christmas tree tutorial short last night, but I had to turn off my computer. Severe storms were all around us, but our area was missed and that is good news! So, it is another day and I am here again with the Christmas tree base/gift box and presents part of the tutorial.

Due to my distraction last night while posting, because of the constant TV storm warnings and photos of tunnel sightings and golf ball size hail, I managed to forget a detail which I will now try to cover in today's post! :<} The base of the tree is also the lid of the gift box it sits on. So continuing my project, I traced the gift box lid template and the gift box template onto SU Real Red CS and cut them out. Then I cut the slot in the center of the gift box lid where the tree trunk will be inserted, folded on all the score lines on both the gift box lid and the gift box and set them aside.

At this point I was ready to assemble the gift box lid. First I folded the small triangular tabs at the bottom score lines and glued them to the bottom side section next to them - until all 6 tabs had been glued in place. See photo below.

(For those of you who have the SU Matchbox die, this step is the same as when you put the sides of the matchbox together).

Then I folded the upper side sections of the lid down over the bottom sections that had been glued to the tabs and my gift box lid was assembled. This created a double thickness edge for the gift box lid walls. See photos below.

(I also forgot to mention in yesterday's post that the tree trunk template has a tab extending from the bottom of the trunk (the trunk is scored at a half way mark on the trunk - top end tree trunk, bottom end tab - and folded upwards after it is inserted into the lid so it can be glued to the underside of the box lid).

When the tree trunk section of the Christmas tree was inserted into the slot of the gift box lid, I pushed it down until the base of the trunk was even with the top of the lid and the tabs were under the lid top. I then folded he tabs upwards towards the bottom of the lid. I divided the trunk tab into 2 sections of 5-trunks each side and made certain that each side of 5 were glued together. I then glued one of the two 5-trunks thick tabs to one side of the slot on the underside of the top of the box lid and the other 5- trunk thick tab to the other side of the slot. I hope this makes sense. Hopefully the photos will explain. :<} I then put the tree/lid aside.

With the Christmas tree and the gift box lid together, I was ready to assemble the gift box. This was done in the same manner as the gift box lid. First I folded the small tabs at the bottom side score lines and glued them to the bottom side sections next to them - until all 6 tabs had been glued in place.

(Once again, those of you who have the SU Matchbox die, this step is the same as when you put the sides of the matchbox together).

Then I folded the upper edge sections down over the bottom sections with the glued tabs and glued in place and I had my gift box completed! As it had in the gift box lid, this created a double thickness edge for the gift box walls. See photo below. (I hate to admit it, but this is the same photo of the gift box lid - as I was photographing this stage of the Christmas Tree Magic Box while dog sitting with Brandy, so guess I missed that one. But the assembly is the same so if you can pretend for a moment that this is the gift box, only with taller sides, that will help! :<}

My Christmas tree/gift box lid and the gift box were now complete. I set the gift box lid, with the previously attached tree, on top of the completed gift box and it was done! I had a Christmas tree sitting on/and attached to a gift box! At this point in time all I could think of was Cool! :<}

It was now time to make the 3 presents to be placed under the Christmas tree! Must not forget Christmas presents! :<} The following photos show how the present templates were scored, folded and glued.
















The photos are pretty self explanatory I think, but here are the directions.

I used SU Summer Sun, Brilliant Blue and Certainly Celery CS for the presents. As in the tree template, when I marked the back of each of the 10 tree templates, I now marked the base of each of the 3 present templates to insure that each present was glued onto the gift box lid properly. If any of the presents were to be glued on its side it would not fit in the space under the tree.

I folded all 4 sides at the score lines and glued a tab to the side next to it, as I had done for the assembly of the gift box and the lid. I folded 3 sides towards the inside of the present and glued the base down onto them. (The 4th side is the top of the present and has an extra edge attached to it}. Then I turned the box over and folded down the top of the box, tucked in the folded edge and my first present was assembled! I then repeated this process to assemble the remaining 2 boxes.

As a last step, I placed the 3 presents under the Christmas tree and glued them to the gift box lid/tree base. I put the corners of the presents under tree branches to sort of 'anchor' them, as that would help to stabalize both the presents and the Christmas tree.















I was finally ready to decorate my Christmas tree, gift box and presents and glue this project onto the center of my Magic Box and then begin to decorate the inside of the Magic Box itself. I had already decorated the top of the Magic Box so that part was done. When I was finished with the inside of the Magic Box - the flowers are what took me hours to make - it was ready to photograph.

You have the option to put this project inside a Magic Box as I did, an Explosion Box or you may want to try to make one of the lovely display boxes that come with this great pattern! I think I may do that sometime in the future to display a project I have in mind! I ordered some beautiful paper flowers from Card Carousel in my last order from them and I think it will be a stunning project that will deserve a display box so it can be kept out in the open! :<} I am making this project for myself!

I truly hope that you enjoyed this tutorial. I can tell you it takes a long time to make one of these - and it is hours of work! :<} I was only half done with this posting today, when I had to leave for an eye appointment and after returning home I could see even less than when I left, but I was determined to FINISH this tutorial TODAY, so I have been typing this half blind and it is SLOW going :<} So here it is, warts and all as they say. :<} I absolutely canNOT make corrections one more time!

Thank You! to all of you who sent such kind comments and asked for directions on how I made this project! I hope that I did not let you down and that you enjoyed my journey!

Take care. I will be back again tomorrow with a new post - but not another tutorial again for awhile I think - or maybe just a short one! :<}

Barbara Diane