Create a money box from card and decorate to inspire saving for your goals
As it's the start of a new year, we often make resolutions or our thoughts just turn to having a great year. So why not make a money box to save for a particular event or occasion or maybe just for a rainy day? You could give the money box away as a gift with a few coins in to start the recipient off on their savings for something particular.
I've made mine to remind me of the summer and my love of going to the beach, having ice creams and cups of tea. I'm going to save my odd pennies for trips to the beach :)
I've used the Bakers Box Thinlits die set by Stampin Up as it can be tied at the top so you can get your coins out just by un-tying the ribbon. However if you have a different type of box die such as a milk carton, I am sure you can adjust it in a similar way to create your money box. Like all my blog pages, I am hopping this will inspire you to use what you have. I have made a window in the back of the money box (by cutting out a rectangle and covering it with acetate) so you can see your collection growing, however you can ignore this and just have a solid money box if you would prefer.
The bakers box die doesn't make a tall enough box for what I needed. So I will show you how to cut the top and bottom of the die and therefore making the middle section bigger.
I've made mine out of patterned paper and then went on to decorate it further. You could make yours out of plain card and then embellish it. It can be adapted for so many occasions such as saving for a car, Christmas, rainy day or maybe as a gift for a new born child.
Follow the below link to find out how the money box was made
You will need
I've made mine out of patterned paper and then went on to decorate it further. You could make yours out of plain card and then embellish it. It can be adapted for so many occasions such as saving for a car, Christmas, rainy day or maybe as a gift for a new born child.
Follow the below link to find out how the money box was made
You will need
- Patterned or plain card (I used a sheet of 12x12 scrapbooking paper called 'Ice Cream Corner' by Stampin Up)
- Bakers Box Thinlits die by Stampin Up
- Black marker pen
- Guillotine with cutting and scoring blades
- Metal ruler and craft knife
- 40 cm of 1 cm wide ribbon
- Die cutting machine
- Rectangle die about 1 cm by 4 . 5 cm for the money slot (This can be cut with a craft knife instead)
- Rectangle die about 7 . 5 cm by 4 cm for window in back of money box (You can leave this out completely or cut with a craft knife instead)
- Acetate (needed to cover the window if you add one to your money box)
- Embellishments to decorate your money box if required
- Low tack tape
- Double sided tape
- Cut two rectangles of patterned or plain card for the main body of your money box both measuring 15 cm wide by 20cm tall
- You need to mark your bakers box die with marker pen as per the below photo. Your marks need to be at the same height on both sides of the die and it needs to be within the main box section of the die. I used my cutting mat to get the same height measurement by placing the bottom of the die along one of the grid lines
- Place the two rectangles of patterned card ontop of each other so both patterns are face up and if you have a print the print is the correct way up (This is so we can cut two box pieces at the same time). Place the bakers box die on the two rectangles so the left edge lines up with the left edge of the card and the top of the die lines up with the top of the card. Use a bit of low tack tape to hold the die to your card in the correct position. Put it on your die cutting plates so the mark on your die (made in step 2) lines up with the bottom edge of your cutting mat. The lower half of your die and card will not cut as it is hanging off the bottom of your die cutting plates. Run it all through your machine
- Now lay the die on the two pieces of card so the lower edge lines up with the lower edge of the card and the left edge of the die lines up with the left edge of the card. Hold it in place with some low tack tape. Put it onto your die cutting plates so the mark (made in step 2) is on the top edge of your cutting plate. Run it through your die cutting machine. You will now have cut the top half of the box and the bottom half of the box on both rectangles of card but a bit of a gap in the middle - this will be corrected over the next few steps.
- Use your metal ruler and craft knife to cut the left and right edges of each box part that wasn't cut by the die. Line the ruler up with the parts that were die cut and just cut with your knife
- Use the two hole die that came with the bakers box die set and cut in the top tab of each box part. Ensure it is central as per the below photo's
- Use the 1 cm by 4 . 5 cm rectangle die to cut the slot for your money in one of the box card sections as per the below photo. You need to place it about 1 cm above the second score line from the top of the box
- If you want a window in the back of your money box then use the larger rectangle die to cut out a window as per the below photo's in the other box card section. Cut a piece of acetate that is bigger than the window and stick it to the inside of the window
- Use your guillotine with scoring blade to score two sections of the each box section that was not scored when it was die cut out. I lined up the parts of the box that were scored by the die with the groove in my guillotine.
- Fold along each score line of both box sections. Then put some double sided tape down the left tab section of the box back (you can see this in the below photo as my double sided tape has a red liner)
- Join both box sections together where the red tape of the tabs are
- Add double sided tape to the tabs on the other box edge and join into a tube
- Fold in the base and glue in place
- I cut a piece of white card and a piece of patterned card, that matches the inside of my box, to 6 . 5 cm by 5 . 5 cm and glued the patterned piece on top of the white piece. I then glued the white piece to the inside bottom of my money box just to make the base stronger.
- Fold the top of the money box together, thread with ribbon and tie into a bow. That's your money box finished. You can add further embellishments to decorate your money box if you wish
Why not try some of my other new year activities such as the calendar notepad or a small tic-tac gift to brighten up someone's day. (Just click on the coloured names to be taken to the blog page where I can show you how to make them)
