DIY Clutch Bridal Shower Favors

We’re reaching the final stretch of our DIY entries! All the entries are so amazing, it will be hard for the judges to pick the winners. As a sweet reminder, there is a lot at stake: first place will receive $500, second place will receive a $300 gift card to ModCloth and third place will receive a Silhouette Machine, a $299 value. Judges will be voting based on the following criteria: creativity, budget, originality and level of difficulty (or how easy it is for others to execute the project). To say that it will be hard for them to make a decision is a huge understatement.

Lauren made these bridal shower favor “clutch” boxes out of animal cracker boxes!

List of Materials:

– animal cracker box
– 1 ply poster board/chipboard (from Michaels or Joanns)
– metal-edge ruler & x-acto knife & pencil
– tacky glue & hot glue with gun
– lace ribbon (about 12-14” per box)
– cotton fabric in your color/pattern of choice
– flower template printed out on cardstock
– scissors
– spray starch
– steam iron
– scraps of contrasting fabric to use for flower backing and flower center
– candy, cookies, goodies to put inside!

Instructions:

Step 1. Disassemble an animal cracker box and lay flat on your 1 ply chipboard. Trace the box and then cut out with an x-acto knife. Cut the slits just like the real cracker box.

Step 2. Use a metal-edge ruler to fold the chipboard where necessary. If you would like to cover your box with patterned paper, do that now, using your box as a template and adhering with tacky glue. Then fold the box together and glue the bottom and side flaps with tacky glue.

Step 3. Using your x-acto knife, cut a ¼” slit on the small sides of the box.

Step 4. Cut about 12-14” of your lace ribbon. Insert each lace end into the slits. Use your x-acto knife to help you wedge in place, if necessary. Lace should be thick enough to stay in place without tying knots.

Step 5. Print out the flower template onto cardstock. Use an x-acto knife to cut out the templates.

Step 6. Trace two small flower templates and two large flower templates onto your fabric. Cut out the flowers with scissors.

Step 7. Place your flowers on an ironing board (or similar surface) and mist them with spray starch. After a few seconds, run an iron over the flowers a few times. The heat activates the spray and your flowers should become stiffer.

Step 8. Cut out each flower petal with scissors.

Step 9. With a small fold, pinch each petal to give it some depth. Use hot glue in the fold to maintain the shape. Repeat steps 11 and 12 with all the small and large petals.

Step 10. Glue five of the small petals back together again.

Step 11. Take the second set of five small petals and glue behind the first set to create depth. Repeat this with the two sets of large petals, so that you are slowly creating a blooming flower.

Step 12. Fold and adhere (with hot glue) a contrasting piece of fabric into the center of the flower. Using the same fabric, cut a small circle and adhere to the back of the flower. This fabric serves to cover your hot glue gun marks.

Step 13. Hot glue your flower to your box wherever you would like it.