Upcycled Greeting Cards: 3D Box Card Idea

11th Nov 202418th Feb 2025 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

I love upcycling. I love being able to turn something that would otherwise be thrown away into something else and giving it a whole new lease of life. Take this adorable owl pop-up box card for example!

Upcycled Owl Greeting Card, 3D Pop-Up Box Card

I created the card from used greeting cards, gift tags and other repurposed materials. This is the front of the original greeting card, and as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what I needed to do!

On the original card, the owl in the top right corner was already cut out and raised up on dimensional foam. I carefully removed the owl from the card with the foam still in tact, then carefully cut around the other five owls.

I then used red-liner tape on the back of those five owls to attach them to strips of repurposed acetate (food packaging).

For the box card, the main structure was originally an old book cover and the decorative panels were scraps from another project.

After carefully arranging the position of the owls, I attached them securely to the box card using red-liner tape. I then positioned the owl with the foam right at the back so that he’s looking down over the other owls.

I then cut out four shiny gold stars from a used gift tag and attached two of them to thinner strips of repurposed acetate. I placed one on each side, then glued another one to the back panel using several layers of scrap card to raise it up.

I just love how the owls seem to be looking at each other! They are such characters!

I glued a white panel to the back of the box card and left it blank so that it can be used for a handwritten message.

I then stamped a ‘hello’ sentiment onto a scrap of white card, cut it out in the shape of a cloud and attached it to the front panel using small scraps of card to create dimension. I also added the other gold star and a sparkly gold heart from another used greeting card to complete the design.

Here is the box card from the side, showing that it will fold flat for easy posting.

What do you think? It certainly has a truly unique, handmade quality about it, making it a beautiful one of a kind card!

Happy crafting!
Suzanne 🦉

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft

DIY Reusable Advent Calendar

7th Nov 202410th Nov 2024 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

Last year, I decided to make my own eco-friendly advent calendar! Although very time-consuming it was so worth the effort and it looks amazing! It can be reused year after year and can be filled with lots of different treats!

eco-friendly DIY reusable advent calendar

To make this advent calendar, I used:

festive patterned cardstock 230gsm / 85lb
festive patterned paper 90gsm / 33lb
thick card, such as grey board
strong tape, such as duct tape
brown wrapping paper
white cardstock 220gsm / 80lb
scissors / craft knife / paper trimmer
ruler
scoring board
craft glue
circular stitched die 4cm / 1.57″ diameter
Sizzix Big Shot Foldaway
used Christmas card embellishments

Here’s my video tutorial showing how I made it:

For the box lids, I cut out 24 pieces of patterned cardstock, each measuring 9.8 x 9.8cm / 3.85 x 3.85″ and scored them at 1cm and 2.5cm / 0.4″ and 1″ on all four sides.

For the box bases, I cut out 24 pieces of patterned cardstock, each measuring 14.5 x 14.5cm / 5.7 x 5.7″ and scored them at 1cm and 5cm / 0.4″ and 2″ on all four sides.

Next, I cut out two pieces of thick card, one for the front and one for the back, each measuring 17.5 x 24cm / 6.9 x 9.45″ and another piece for the spine, measuring 9cm x 24cm / 3.5 x 9.45″.

I used brown wrapping paper to cover the outside of the calendar and left approximately 2.5cm / 1″ around the outside. Then I cut another piece to cover the inside of the spine, measuring 23 x 13cm / 9 x 5″ and two pieces (one to cover the inside front and one to cover the inside back) measuring 23 x 16.5cm / 9 x 6.5″

I cut two decorative patterned paper panels for the front and back covers, each measuring 17 x 23.5cm / 6.7 x 9.25″ and another panel for the spine, measuring 8.5cm x 23.5cm / 3.35 x 9.25″.

I also cut a piece of patterned cardstock to cover the inside of the spine, measuring 8.5 x 23.5cm / 3.35 x 9.25″.

I typed the numbers 1 – 24 onto images of a woodgrain slice, printed them onto white cardstock, then cut them out using a circular stitched die 4cm / 1.57″ diameter.

Before I attached the boxes, I arranged them so that they were evenly spaced.

I then added three layers of scrap cardstock behind each of the numbers to give them more dimension. (Foam pads would work just as well, but, as you know, I don’t like to use them.)

Once it was all assembled, I decorated the calendar with embellishments I’d saved from used Christmas cards!

It really was such a worthwhile project to make and will undoubtedly be a talking point for many years to come! I hope I have now inspired you to make one of your own!

Happy crafting
Suzanne 🎄

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft · Upcycling Projects

DIY Upcycled Christmas Card Baubles

6th Nov 202418th Feb 2025 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to paper craft. I’m always keeping old greeting cards, packaging, envelopes and even used Advent calendars and Christmas crackers – anything made of paper or card that I might be able to reuse. I have a stack of old Christmas cards that I’ve been slowly going through, and a few years ago I created these super cute Christmas card baubles!

Upcycled Christmas Card Baubles as Hanging Decorations

Aren’t they fabulous!?

They are so easy to make, and the best thing is you can use any materials left over from Christmas to decorate them, including ribbon bows, sparkly gems, stickers, etc.

To make one, you will need:

used Christmas cards / old Advent calendar / glittery card crackers
circle punch (I used a 1.5″ scalloped edge craft punch)
pencil
ruler
scissors
strong craft glue
thread, string, ribbon or wool for hanging

Watch my video tutorial to see me making one, or simply follow the written instructions below:

To begin, you will need to cut (punch) out twenty circles from the card (I’m using an old Advent calendar for this one). You could also draw around something circular for this, but they all need to be exactly the same size.

Cut another circle from a scrap piece of paper and fold it in half. Fold it again into exact thirds and open it out. Draw a triangle where every other point meets, and cut this out (it should be an equilateral triangle).

Using this triangle as a template, fold each of the twenty card circles as shown below. You could fold them against the edge of a ruler to make this easier.

Next, arrange the twenty pieces so that you have five for the top section, ten for the middle section and five for the bottom section. Think about how each of the pieces will look once they are all put together. Try not to have two pieces the same colour next to each other, and think about which way up they will need to face.

Starting with the bottom section, glue two pieces together, matching the edges up neatly. Then glue three more pieces on so that they form a circle. You can use mini pegs here to help hold the pieces together if you need to.

Do the same with the top section, but be sure to leave one edge open.

Take a length of thread, string, ribbon or wool (I used the string from a Chrsitmas tree chocolate) and knot the ends together. Slide the knot between the two open edges of the top section and glue the edges together. Pull the thread tight and apply a little glue to the inside to keep it securely in place.

For the middle section, glue the ten pieces together to form a long line, then join the ends together to form a collar.

Glue the bottom section on, taking care to match up all of the edges (use pegs if you need to). Repeat with the top section and leave to dry.

And here it is! A super cute Christmas decoration ready for next Christmas!

I also created this little beauty using non-recyclable glittery Christmas cracker card 🙂

Upcycled Christmas Cracker Glitter Baubles as Hanging Decorations

What will you create one out of?

DIY Upcycled Christmas Greeting Card Baubles

Happy crafting and happy upcycling!
Suzanne

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft · Upcycling Projects

DIY Upcycled Hanging Star Decorations

4th Nov 202418th Feb 2025 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

Several years ago, I sorted through my huge pile of used Christmas cards, wondering what I could possibly do with them. Most of them had glitter on them and were donated to me because they couldn’t be recycled. So I started to think about ways to upcycle them. This led to new creations, including these fabulous hanging star decorations!

DIY Upcycled Christmas Card Hanging Star Decorations

I created a template (see below), which is about 7.5cm / 2.95″ high, and cut out as many as I could from the cards. Then I sorted them into groups of 5 and arranged them in the order that I wanted them to be. As they are double-sided, you will need 10 of this shape to complete one star decoration:

To make one, you will need:

used Christmas cards, greeting cards or card packaging
star template (see above)
pencil or pen
scissors or craft knife
ruler
scoring tool
strong, all purpose glue or double-sided tape
ribbon, string or thread

Here’s my video tutorial showing how to make the stars:

They really are a fabulous way of using up old Christmas cards. In fact, any type of greeting cards or card packaging can be reused to make these stars. They’re not just for Christmas!

DIY Upcycled Christmas Card Hanging Star Decoration

I still seem to have quite a large pile of used Christmas cards, so I will have a think as to what else I could make out of them!

Happy crafting and happy upcycling!
Suzanne 🌟

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft

Present Gift Card Holder

20th Oct 202430th Oct 2025 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to buy someone special as a gift, and so you opt for a gift card. But how can you elevate your choice of gift into something fun and memorable? By making your very own cute gift card holder, of course! 🎁

Paper Craft Present Gift Card Holder for Special Occasions

Disguised as a wrapped present, this interactive gift card holder is super easy to assemble and will undoubtedly bring an element of surprise to your gift recipient! 🎁

The templates for this gift card holder come as SVG cut files, and can be found in my Etsy shop.

Paper Craft Christmas Present Gift Card Holders for Special Occasions

To make one, you will need:

* Present Gift Card Holder template (available as an SVG cut file)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF instructions
* Digital cutting machine
* Double-sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
* Craft glue / double-sided tape
* Thin cord / string / thread for the optional gift tag

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the gift card holder, and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : Glue the long ribbon piece down the centre of the insert, making sure that the two hearts meet neatly at the top.

TIP 2 : Slide the insert into the holder, then glue the shorter ribbon piece down the centre, so that the ends join up with the other ribbon piece on the front and the back. You can then trim off any excess.

TIP 3 : Attach the two separate heart pieces to the larger heart using dimensional foam or scraps of layered cardstock (one on the front and one on the back).

There’s also an optional gift tag that you could stamp a sentiment onto and attach it behind the smaller heart.

Paper Craft Christmas Present Gift Card Holder for Special Occasions

And don’t think that they have to be just for Christmas, you can customize them for any occasion using any cardstock of your choice!

Once assembled, your cute little gift card holder is ready to go – it doesn’t need to be wrapped – and because it’s fairly flat, it can easily be popped into an envelope for posting! ✉️📮

Happy crafting!
Suzanne 🎁

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft · Favour Boxes · Teapot Favour Boxes

Santa Claus Teapot Box

4th Oct 202415th Jan 2025 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

It’s time for another teapot favour box design and, with Christmas fast approaching, I’ve created this one in the style of Santa Claus! 🎅🏻

Paper Craft Santa Claus Christmas Teapot Gift Box

Doesn’t he look jolly! With a big, textured beard and a festive hat that doubles up as the lid, you’re going to have such fun arranging his features and filling it with all sorts of delicious Christmas treats!

The templates come in both SVG and PDF format, making them accessible for a variety of crafting needs.

Paper Craft Santa Claus Christmas Teapot Gift Boxes

To make one, you will need:

* Santa Claus Teapot Box template (SVG and PDF available)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF templates and instructions
* Digital cutting machine
* Double-sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
* Craft glue / double-sided tape

If you are not using a cutting machine you will also need:
* Craft knife / scissors
* Scoring tool
* Ruler

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the teapot box, and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : Assemble the main teapot pieces first before adding any of the features.

TIP 2 : Once the lid is assembled, apply a small dot of glue to the centre to help it hold its position. The rose on top will cover this when it’s positioned correctly.

TIP 3 : Join the two white hat trim pieces together using one of the small tabs. This can then be glued to the lid by lining up the score line against one of the lid joins and wrapping it around the lid. You may need to trim off some excess at the end, depending on the weight of your cardstock.

TIP 4 : Join the two beard pieces together so that the one with the cut out design is on top and they both line up at the base. You can then attach the face panel to the back (lining up the top edge between the two corners) and add the features. I recommend curling up his moustache at the ends for added dimension!

TIP 5 : When attaching the face to the front of the teapot, carefully line it up along the top edge.

Once assembled, your little teapot box will hold eight of these Lindt chocolates, making it perfect for table favours and Christmas parties! 🎅🏻

But what will you fill your little Santa Claus teapot boxes with? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy crafting!
Suzanne 🎄

3D Papercraft Projects · Favour Boxes · Teapot Favour Boxes

POLICE BOX Teapot Box

28th Sep 202428th Sep 2024 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

This impressive POLICE BOX Teapot Box seemed like the obvious next step after designing my Red Telephone Teapot Box. Again, it took a bit of trial and error to work it all out, but I’m so pleased with how it looks 💙

Paper Craft Police Box Teapot Box Lantern for Gift Giving

I created my first POLICE BOX teapot box back in 2014. Back then, I cut everything out by hand, including all of the little panel pieces and signs, which proved to be quite fiddly to say the least!

Now, travelling forwards in time to 2024 (do you see what I did there?), I was able to cut my new version out using my lovely Cricut cutting machine 💙

The templates for this box are available in my Etsy shop as SVG cut files, as well as printable PDF files if you prefer to cut out by hand.

To make one, you will need:

* POLICE BOX Teapot Box template (SVG and PDF available)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF templates and instructions
* Digital cutting machine
* Double-sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
* Thin acetate (and vellum is optional)
* White glossy photo quality paper
* Craft glue
* Double-sided tape / red liner tape

If you are not using a cutting machine you will also need:

* Craft knife / scissors
* Scoring tool
* Ruler

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the teapot box, and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : You can choose to have either blue or white window frames, but if you use white cardstock, then you will need to colour the outer edges of the frame first with dark blue ink (I used a Sharpie for mine). This is so that the edges don’t show once the box is assembled.

TIP 2 : You can choose to have either vellum or acetate for the window panes, depending on how you want your box to look and whether you want to be able to see inside it. If you use vellum, you should be able to attach them to the window frames using glue, but for acetate you will need to use strong double-sided / red liner tape.

TIP 3 : Assemble the six side panels and attach them in place before assembling the teapot. It’s much easier to line the windows up whilst it’s flat.

TIP 4 : The top of the lid needs to be flat, so apply a little glue around the curved tops and press them down to create a little cut-out circle. Using a round pencil in the hole will help the lid to retain its shape whilst doing this.

TIP 5 : Wrap the thin acetate strip around a pen (a Sharpie is the perfect size for this) and seal it with clear sticky tape. The thin blue strips can then be attached using double-sided / red liner tape.

It’s a definite improvement to the first one that I made and, whilst it was still a little time-consuming, I am really pleased with how it has turned out. It will hold a good amount of sweet treats (sadly it’s not bigger on the inside 😉) and can be kept on display afterwards.

But, wait, there’s more …

The small circle in the lid is just large enough for the ‘flame’ part of a battery operated tealight to fit through from underneath. Not all battery operated tea lights will fit in the hole, but quite a few will. If you can’t find one that fits well, simply put a couple of lights in the base and the top will still light up. You can then display it on a shelf or a windowsill.

It’s just another little detail that makes this teapot box extra special 💙

Paper Craft TARDIS Police Box Teapot Box Lantern Blog Post

Happy crafting!
Suzanne

3D Papercraft Projects · Cricut Design Space · Favour Boxes · Graduation Gift Boxes

Pencil Favour Boxes

26th Aug 202430th Aug 2024 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

Easy to open, these super cute pencil favour boxes can be filled with sweets or small treats. Ideal for stationery addicts, teacher gifts, back to school gifts and so much more!

3D Paper Craft Pencil Favour Boxes for Gifting Small Treats

The template comes as an SVG cut file, as well as a plain black and white PDF if you prefer to cut out by hand. You can therefore choose your own colour scheme and easily resize it to suit your needs.

To make one, you will need:

* Pencil Favour Box template (SVG and PDF available)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF template and instructions
* Digital cutting machine
* Double sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
* Thinner card or paper for the pencil lead pieces (90-160gsm / 33-60lb recommended)
* Craft glue / double-sided tape

If you are not using a cutting machine, you will also need:

* Craft knife / scissors
* Scoring tool
* Ruler

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the box and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : This isn’t necessary, but I tried to follow the decorative pattern around the pencil by adding the panels in the same order that they had been cut out by my Cricut. I lined the panels up fairly closely like this in Design Space to try to keep as much of the pattern continuity as possible.

TIP 2 : Start with the shortest tab on the pencil point piece and glue it to the first section of the pencil. Make sure that the (red) curved edge is not stuck down.

TIP 3 : When gluing the two long tabs, interlock them and use a long pencil or pen to press against the join from the inside.

The pencil lead point and the lead circle on the end need to be cut out of thin card or paper. This will give it a nice smooth, flush finish. You can use a traditional pencil lead (dark grey) colour, or choose to make it a coloured pencil, matching the lead with the colour of the pencil box.

TIP 4 : Fold the lead point into shape before attaching it to the pencil, making sure the two edges join neatly without leaving a gap.

TIP 5 : Glue the lid insert to the underside of the lid, making sure that it is lined up centrally with an equal distance (approximately 1mm) around the outside.

TIP 6 : If needed, glue one or two small tabs of matching cardstock to the front of the lid insert to help hold the lid closed. The need for this varies depending on the thickness of the cardstock used.

This really is a fabulous little favour box, and I love how mixing up the colours and patterns recreates how real pencils look when they are together in a pencil case or pencil pot!

3D Paper Craft Pencil Favour Boxes Blog Post by Esselle Crafts

Happy crafting!
Suzanne

3D Papercraft Projects · Favour Boxes

Beach Hut Favour Boxes

19th Aug 202424th Aug 2024 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

Create a splash at your next summer beach event with these adorable little Beach Hut Favour Boxes! Perfect for summer holidays and beach themed parties, they are easy to assemble and can be filled to the brim with sweets or small treats.

Beach Hut Favour Boxes for Beach Theme Party Gifts

Whether you’re making them as gift boxes or as a whimsical touch to your home decor, they will instantly bring the carefree vibes of beach life to any setting and are sure to impress your guests!

The templates for these boxes are available on my Etsy shop and the easy to follow instructions provided make it quick and effortless to assemble them.

To make the boxes, you will need:

Beach Hut Box PDF templates (PDFs only)
Computer and printer to print the PDF templates
White photo paper or cardstock (matte 220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
Craft knife / scissors
Scoring tool
Ruler
Craft glue / double-sided tape

I have recently updated the templates to make them more cohesive with my brand and I have a NEW video tutorial showing how to assemble them:

TIP 1 : When gluing the first tab, make sure that the stripes line up by folding the piece flat.

TIP 2 : Before applying glue to the three base tabs, fold them all inwards to make it easier to assemble.

TIP 3 : When attaching the lid to the main piece, line the top of the box up carefully with the score line.

TIP 4 : The lid needs to be a tight fit, so hold it in place firmly when gluing the overlapping edges together.

TIP 5 : Make sure that the two finials and the door are aligned centrally.

These are such cute little boxes for gifting mini treats, so I hope that you are now inspired to create your own set of beach hut favour boxes!

Beach Hut Favour Boxes Blog Post by Esselle Crafts

Happy crafting!
Suzanne

3D Papercraft Projects · Christmas Papercraft · Favour Boxes · Teapot Favour Boxes

Christmas Tree Teapot Box

13th Aug 2024 EsselleCraftsLeave a comment

It’s time for another teapot favour box design and this time I’ve created one in the style of a Christmas Tree! 🎄

Paper Craft Christmas Tree Teapot Box for Gift Giving

Doesn’t it look amazing! With a shiny star on the top and lots of decorations to add on, you can really go to town with this design, using any colour scheme of your choice!

The templates come in both SVG and PDF format, making them accessible for a variety of crafting needs and the easy to follow instructions make it quick and effortless to assemble these novelty gift boxes.

To make one, you will need:

* Christmas Tree Teapot Box template (PDF and SVG available)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF templates and instructions
* Digital cutting machine
* Double-sided cardstock (220-250gsm / 80-92lb recommended)
* Craft glue / double-sided tape

If you are not using a cutting machine you will also need:
* Craft knife / scissors
* Scoring tool
* Ruler

Watch my video tutorial showing how to assemble the teapot box, and be sure to follow the tips below:

TIP 1 : Attach the six side pieces one at a time to the base, and don’t forget to leave the last side open.

TIP 2 : When attaching the handle, bend the last ‘branch’ towards you so you can line up the score line.

TIP 3 : When attaching the spout, carefully place it over the lower ‘branch’ to get it in the correct position.

TIP 4 : Once the lid is assembled, add a small dot of glue to the centre to hold its position. The star will cover this when it’s positioned correctly.

Once assembled, the little teapot box will hold eight of these Lindt chocolates, making it perfect for table favours and Christmas parties! 🎄

But what will you fill your little Christmas tree teapot boxes with? Let me know in the comments below!

Paper Craft Christmas Tree Teapot Box Blog Post

Happy crafting!
Suzanne 🎄