Testing the Joyful Greetings Pop-Up Box Kit

The Details

Where did it come from

Quick Cards Made Easy Issue 159

When did I get it

8th November 2016

When did I try it

30th July 2017

First quick impression

In the packaging, the colours look quite traditional but the artwork quite modern. I tend to go for traditional design for Christmas or if modern something in less traditional colours like lilacs etc. Before opening it I would say this comes under the category of it may surprise me. There are items that I instinctively like the minute I see them and others I know before opening they are not my style, so as this kit comes somewhere in between I’m going to dive in and give them a go. (Confession time, as I am a bit short of time and spoons for this post I deliberately pulled out an item I could use quickly rather than doing my usual lucky dip in my huge crafting stash when I do not have a newly arrived magazine gift to test).

Making the boxes

The first job was to pop the pieces out which was fairly straightforward. Occasionally I had to use some small decoupage scissors just to free them but that is standard with most pre cut pieces.

The next part was the most fiddly, fixing the tabs to create the box then fixing the three tabs across the inside of each box.

I first tried doing this with Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue but I couldn’t get them to hold so then I got the Hot Glue Gun out and that did the trick but I struggled to get them stuck at the right angle with scarcely any wiggle time.

Once the boxes were created and the dividers in place it was time to cut the acetate up into different lengths to fasten the decorations onto the tabs. I found it easiest to cut them into strips, glue the strip to the decoration then work out how long it needed to be and use scissors to cut the strip to the right length.

When working with hot glue and acetate there is one big thing to bear in mind, it gets blooming hot! I have learnt this lesson before. My technique, therefore, was to apply the glue to the end of the acetate strip. Position this on the back of the decorative element and use the handle end of my retractable craft pick as a mini hammer – bingo it worked no burnt fingers. When I applied the glue to the other end I lined it up on the tab and used tweezers to push it closed.

The Verdict

Once I had completed two of the boxes I decided that I very much like these, however, rather than using them as pop up cards I will be using these as table top Christmas Decorations. Although they can be folded down I think they will be better kept just as they are in storage.

I have noticed that this edition of the magazine complete with this gift is still available to buy from Magsdirect if anyone would like to get the set themselves.

Once again this is one of those gifts that once all four of the boxes have been made it will be all finished and gone which is fantastic for my decluttering project. No decisions to make 🙂 If you don’t know what I am referring to you can read about my big craft decluttering project here.

Until next time,
Gentle Hugs,
Susan