Papercrafting takes many, many different forms and this beautiful tea bag folded box is the perfect way to show off your skills. This lovely box will have many uses – from containing your jewellery to somewhere to put your crafting trinkets. It would even make a great box for tea bags!
The paper folded lid is not difficult to make following the diagrams at the end of the project.
You will need:
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Round Papier Mache Box - 5” diameter
Decorative Paper (Sue used Archaic 6”x6” paper pad from Basic Grey)
Coloured Wire
Star Punch
PVA Glue
To make:
Cut twelve 3” (8cm) squares of paper. Sue used three different patterned papers from the paper pad.
Fold each square according to the fold diagram provided at the end of this project and then glue the twelve diamond shapes together as shown to give a dome that should fit onto the box lid with the points overhanging the sides.
Cut a circle of paper to fit onto the top of the lid and glue it in place. Add strips of the same or a different paper around the edges of the lid.
Punch several stars from scraps of the patterned papers. Cut lengths of wire and then glue two stars back to back trapping a length of wire between them.
Poke the ends of the wires through the point of the dome and use sticky tape to secure the ends inside the dome. Make the wires different lengths so the stars are at different heights.
Wrap an extra length of wire around the point of the dome and twist the ends into spirals
Glue the dome to the box lid.
Cover the sides of the box itself with strips of different patterned papers.
Note: Change the size of the squares used to make smaller or bigger domes to fit onto smaller or bigger boxes. The domes will also fit onto square, hexagonal and even heart shaped boxes. Or why not try adding one to a tin?
Diagram for Making the Box Top
1. Fold each square in half diagonally. Open out. Fold the left side of the apper into the centre from the top. Fold the right side of the paper into the centre from the bottom.
2. Your paper will now look like this. This time fold the left side of the paper into the centre from the bottom and the right side from the top.
3. This will give you an elongated diamond. Turn the paper over.
4. Apply glue to the bottom right of each folded piece and glue all twelve pieces together.
5. When all twelve are glued together, glue the last piece to the first piece.
6. This will cause the pieces to come up into a dome. Fold each point back on itself, indicated by the line, to give the areas where the dome will be attached to the box.
Japanese Lace Paper Set
1. Fold each square in half diagonally. Open out. Fold the left side of the apper into the centre from the top. Fold the right side of the paper into the centre from the bottom. 
2. Your paper will now look like this. This time fold the left side of the paper into the centre from the bottom and the right side from the top. 
3. This will give you an elongated diamond. Turn the paper over. 
4. Apply glue to the bottom right of each folded piece and glue all twelve pieces together. 
5. When all twelve are glued together, glue the last piece to the first piece. 
6. This will cause the pieces to come up into a dome. Fold each point back on itself, indicated by the line, to give the areas where the dome will be attached to the box. 
