teapot gift box – Esselle Crafts

My love of novelty teapots started when I first visited the old Cardew teapottery factory in Bovey Tracey, Devon. I was about twelve years old and was instantly captivated by all the intricate little details on the teapots and the extensive range of designs.

A view inside the gift shop of the old Cardew Teapottery in Bovey Tracey Devon

Intrigued by how they were made, I came away with my very own little teapot – this Victorian wash stand one cup design – and the behind the scenes booklet, which I studied at length.

A one cup novelty teapot designed to look like a Victorian wash stand with a small jug and bowl as the teapot lid

A booklet entitled The Cardew Teapot Collection

A page inside The Cardew Teapot Collection booklet showing a range of one cup novelty teapot designs

After subsequent visits to the pottery, my collection grew to include this tea chest design, the Welsh dresser and the Singer sewing machine – again, all one cup sizes.

A one cup novelty teapot designed to look like a wooden tea chest with a small teddy bear and newspapers as the teapot lid

A one cup novelty teapot designed to look like a dark wooden Welsh dresser with a small book and newspaper as the teapot lid

A one cup novelty teapot designed to look like a Singer sewing machine stand with a small black sewing machine as the teapot lid

I think it’s the vintage vibe that I’m drawn to with these teapot designs. They’re like a moment in history, captured in magnificent miniature detail. And speaking of miniatures, I still have my old ceramic tea set from when I was a child, still in its original packaging.

The box lid of a childs vintage ceramic tea set

A twelve piece childs vintage ceramic tea set consisting of four teacups four saucers a teapot with a lid a small milk jug and sugar bowl

Just look at that cute little teapot!

A small white ceramic teapot decorated with delicate summer flowers from a childs vintage tea set

Over the years, I often dreamt about making my own novelty teapots – not real ones that you could use for tea, but model ones that could be displayed on a shelf or in a shop window.

Fast forward to 2013, and that dream became a reality! Combining my love of teapots with my passion for papercraft, I was looking to create a small box in the style of a classic teapot design, an instantly recognisable form. I had a hexagonal shape in mind and it wasn’t long before I had created my very first teapot treat box!

A red papercraft teapot gift box decorated with white paper spots

At the time, there were no other teapot boxes like it anywhere and it soon became a hit. I had so many enquiries about it, asking whether there was a template available so that people could make their own versions. I set to work, creating the PDF template, which proved very popular, and then I converted it into an SVG cut file, which very quickly became my bestselling papercraft template!

A blue papercraft teapot gift box decorated with pink roses and white spots on the lid

A white papercraft tea set consisting of a teapot gift box paper teacup and saucer and tea plate all decorated with a pink rose design

I have never strayed far from my love of novelty teapots and now I have my very own range of novelty teapot gift box designs (21 to date), with many more residing on my to-do list, waiting patiently for their turn to shine!

Watch this space…

Suzanne

I recently updated my Teapot Favour Box template so that a larger sized box can be made on a 12″x 12″ cutting mat. To complement this, I have also updated my video assembly tutorial over on my YouTube channel.

Blue, vintage style teapot favour box designed and made by Esselle Crafts

With a removable lid, this adorable little teapot box can be filled to the brim with sweets or small treats and makes an ideal gift for any tea-lover! Perfect for birthday parties, wedding favours, Mother’s day gifts, tea parties and so much more!

Pink, vintage style teapot favour box designed and made by Esselle Crafts

To make a teapot box, you will need:

* Teapot Favour Box template (PDF and SVG available)
* Computer and printer to print the PDF template 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 new, updated video tutorial showing how to assemble the teapot box and be sure to follow the tips below.

TIP 1 : Glue the two base pieces together carefully so that the score lines match up.

TIP 2 : Starting from the left side, tuck each of the six lid flaps into one another, then glue the small tab to the inside to secure. Make sure that all of the corners meet evenly in the centre, then apply a tiny dot of glue to the centre to hold it all in position.

TIP 3 : After rolling the rose to the end, allow it to unroll slightly until you get the desired size. Then glue the end to the base of the rose and hold it in place until it dries. I find that using a pencil with a rubber on the end helps with this.