In addition to being an origami enthusiast, I am also an avid scrapbooker and rubber stamper. One project that is quite popular in both of these areas is the exploding box card. An exploding box card is a paper box that holds a small gift such as a candle holder or a bracelet and unfolds when open to reveal a message. Unfortunately, most versions of this project I've seen are very elaborate and involve lots of measuring, cutting, and gluing.
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Make a Simplified Origami Exploding Box
Since I’m an impatient sort of person, I’ve devised a way to make a paper origami exploding box card using just two sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper. (You could use smaller origami paper if you wish, but the resulting box might not be big enough for the gift you wish to present.)
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Start the Box Lid
Begin this project by making your box lid. With the patterned side of your paper face down, fold it in half horizontally. Open it back up, then fold in half vertically. Open your paper again to reveal a folded cross in the middle. (In this photo, the pen lines are for demonstration purposes only.) Using your mountain folded lines as a guide, fold each corner in toward the middle of the paper.
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Start Your Card
After you've folded your box lid, it's time to create the card itself. Starting with the white side of the paper face up, fold your paper into thirds. Unfold. Fold into thirds once more, then unfold. When you're done, you'll have a grid with nine squares each measuring four inches. (You don't need to draw the pen marks on the paper, they are on this model just for demonstration purposes.)
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Decorate Your Card
Unfold your paper and decorate as desired. This example uses rubber stamps, but you could also decorate the paper with stickers, scrapbooking rub-ons, or copies of special photos. Feel free to be creative with this aspect of the project
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