Here are all the requirements you will need to produce this faux configuration box.
Materials
8” x 8” Square Canvas (£1 from Home Bargain store)
Hot glue gun or strong wet glue
Patterned paper- Prima Moulin Rouge and Crate paper restoration collections
Moulin Rouge Chipboard embellishment
Moulin Rouge glass pebbles
http://www.bubblyfunk.co.uk/dies-c-548_550.htmlJournaling pen
Chipboard or mount board
Maya road mini butterflies
Maya road mini houses
Tando creative chipboard banner
Vintage lace
Velvet ribbon
Canvas alphabets
Faux scrabble alphabet tiles
Basic grey alphabet stickers
Buttons
Chipboard hearts
Instructions
This project will take around 3 hours to complete from start to finish. All measurements are approx. I have 3 canvases here, bought at the same time and not one of them measures the same. We will be using the reverse of the canvas for this project.
Start by lining the sides of the canvas. My sides measured 5” 5/8 x 1” 3/8 so I cut four pieces of chipboard this size. Take your hot glue gun and carefully glue the first piece in. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces. As you add each piece you will begin to overlap chipboard, so you may need to slice of a little edge as you go, (I labelled each piece and matching side as I went along).
Next its time to make the inner frame that will form the little cubby holes. I cut another 4 pieces of chipboard measuring 5” 5/8 x 1” 3/8. In each piece I cut a half notch at 1” 6/8 from one end and the same on the other end. These notches allow all four pieces to slot together.
Don’t worry about wonky/ scruffy lines at this point as it will be hidden later. Offer up the grid to the canvas. You may need to slice a little bit off to get the grid into the canvas. Once into the canvas, secure with a little hot glue. Mine was so snug it didn’t need any extra glue.
Next cut two more chipboard pieces measuring 5” 4/8 x 1” 3/8. Glue into a roof shape and attach to the canvas. Glue a piece of cardstock to the back of the roof space and trim off the excess.
And that is the construction of the box complete. Don’t panic that it looks scruffy as it will all be hidden later.
Take some paint, I used black, and cover the whole thing. Don’t water down the paint as the chipboard will begin to warp and bend.
Once all the paint is dry, use the tissue tape to hide those rough lines. Begin by placing the tape horizontally across the lines. Snip at the cross points and stick down. Repeat with the vertical lines.
Once all the taping is done, we can hide all the ugliness with pretty paper. Start with the side panels. Measure them and cut your paper just slightly smaller. Ink all the edges with stazon and attach. Repeat with the roof pieces.
For the front panel, cut a square the same size and carefully cut an aperture out of the middle. I used a piece of Prima Moulin Rouge that had a nice lady on it so placed that on my aperture area. Get this piece ready but don’t attach just yet.
Next its time to line the cubby holes. Measure each cubby hole, length and height. Add 3” to these measurements and draw out a corresponding square. Score 1 ½” all around. Cut out the corner squares and fold. Arrange them to get a random look and insert into the cubby holes. Again mine was snug so I didn’t need additional glue. Don’t worry if the corners don’t meet either as you will hide later.
Now add the front cover you made previously. I made decorative eaves from another patterned paper and added them along side a Prima flower.
Cut two thin pieces of chipboard to make roof edges and paint them black. At the same time paint the Tando banner.
Take some PP and cut triangles slightly smaller than the banner. Attach to the banner. Use a pencil to curl the edges. Make another set of triangles, slightly smaller again and attach and curl.
Attach the banner across the roof space.
And that is your faux configuration box complete.
You can decorate it to your own theme. I went with a family theme. Below is an image of each individual box to give you a few ideas. Gather a selection of ephemera related to your theme. I printed little 1” x 1” photo’s of the family and stuck them into each box before adding bits all around.
Once all your boxes are filled, decorate the outside. I added velvet ribbon, vintage lace and some Prima chipboard embellishments and flowers.
To finish, I die cut some leaves and attached to the top flower on the roof, before adding my title made from hearts, faux scrabble alpha’s, alpha stickers, buttons and butterflies.
And there you go, a completed faux configuration box. I hope you will have a go, its not as complicated as it looks, I promise. It’s a nice one to potter around with.
TFL
Sarah
