Free Hybrid Photo Box with Tutorial

Yay! I can finally show you the project I made for the December 2008 issue of the DST Insider . Every member (even the free memberships) of digishoptalk.com can download the free monthly ezine – so if you aren’t signed up already, I highly recommend it! You will join over 18,000 members who already have access to everything the DST Insider has to offer. This month’s issue is of course exploding with Christmas craft ideas – HYBRID HEAVEN !!! I have a few projects in there, plus this free project download created with papers from my Christmas Heart kit.

Update: Since this was a free download from the 2008 issue (no longer available) I have uploaded the link for you:

Link Expired, Sorry! *Click Here for the Free Printable Photo Box Download Page*

The project is a little paper box which opens up to reveal tiny scrapbook pages . You can place single photos on the pages or size-down your favorite digital scrapbook pages to put on there. You can also easily turn this box into a Christmas tree ornament like I did in the example below. What fun !

Credits: Free printable project by Jess Gordon, flowers and gems by Prima.

Hybrid Photo Box Tutorial

Photo Box – Outside

This is the outside of the box, it just needs to be printed. If you print it first, before getting started on the box inside it will have a chance to dry before you print the opposite side.

IMPORTANT: Before printing, be sure to select “printable area: center” in your page set up (wording may be different depending on your printer), so the edges will line up when you print the other side. Do not cut this shape out until you have printed the other side of the page!

Tips: for best results, print on double-sided, matte photo paper. To save ink and paper, you can draw a white box over the text on this and other pages before printing, using your photo editing software.

Making the Inside Pages

Step 1 – Open the .psd file called “JG_Hybrid_Photo_Box_Layers.psd” in your photo-editing software. These are the photo pages. Place photos or tiny layouts resized to 2”x2” behind the frames in the spaces indicated. Turn off the text layers before printing. You can make as many or as few of these layers as you like – two color options are available .  They look best if the images are all facing toward the center.

Step 2- Print all of your pages. If you use double-sided, matte photo paper, you can print on both sides – just make sure to choose “center” in your printer settings so that the pages line up properly, and do not cut the shape out until you have printed the other side of the page!! If you decide to print on both sides, at least one set of pages should be printed on the opposite side of the striped outside layer.

Step 3 – Cut out all of your pieces. Fold each page upward to create a box shape.

Step 4 – For multiple pages, attach each new page layer to the one below with a bit of adhesive around the center.

Making the Photo Box Lid

Print, cut out. Cut along solid lines, fold along dotted lines. Adhere the little flaps at the corners to the insides of the box edges using tape or any other adhesive. Note: If you plan to make the box into a Christmas tree ornament, you may want to punch holes in the centers before folding.

Christmas Ornament Variation

Follow steps 1-3, except punch a hole in the center of the lid and all pages before folding. If you have multiple pages, adhere them at the centers, carefully lining up each hole. Thread a looped piece of ribbon, yarn, string, etc through the box base and lid, allowing enough room so that you can lift the lid easily without removing it from the loop, then knot at the bottom of the box.

There you have it! I hope you get a chance to make one of these – I really love how mine came out . Remember, this project is a free download as part of this month’s DST Insider !

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