Step right up, step right up! It’s time to try your luck at the Miss Mandee Midway Games. Today I have a carnival shaker box that is sure to bring out your inner child and make you crave a stick of pink cotton candy.
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When I first set out to create this design, I wasn’t at all sure what I wanted to do. The only thing I really knew was that I wanted to make something that incorporated balloon animals. Growing up, my little sister learned how to tie balloon animals as a hobby. I had forgotten about that little talent of hers until recently when she entranced my kiddos by making them some fun balloon animals during Easter.
Because of that experience, I wrote down “balloon animals” in my inspiration notebook. So, without anything else to go off of, I eventually came up with this.
Watch a short video of me putting this project together on Instagram.
Carnival Shaker Box
Materials
- Cardstock
- Dura-Lar Film
- Hot Glue
- Precision Craft Glue or a Glue Stick
- Filler Beads
- Lollipop Sticks
- Foam Tape optional
- Decorative Ribbon optional
- Bone Folder optional
- A Cutting Machine or X-ACTO knife
- My Free Template
Instructions
- Use your cutting machine or X-ACTO knife, along with my template, to cut out all of your carnival shaker box pieces.Note: If you are using the SVG files that includes the score lines, don’t forget to set them as such in Cricut Design Space and attach them to their shapes before sending them through your cutting machine. I used a lime green color to mark the score lines, so hopefully that helps! If you’re having trouble with the score lines, check out this video.
Prep Work
- Layer the decorative panels on the outside of your main box pieces, like so.Then, attach the box pieces together, gluing the little tabs inside and creating a hole/frame in the front of the box.
- Next, layer together the balloon animals, tickets, and lollipop pieces.Note: I did include a couple of extra layers for some of these. For the ones with an extra layer, I attached them together with foam tape in order to give them a little more dimension than the others.Attach lollipop sticks to the back of the lollipop designs.Attach one of the balloon animals to the pink backing wall with foam tape (this wall will go in the interior of the box later and support the filler beads).
Assembling the Box Structure
- Fold along all of the score lines. Then, attach the bottom tabs of the right and left sides to the base. Do not attach the back side just yet.Then, fold your Dura-lar film piece. Use the places where the tabs meet as a guide if the score lines didn’t show up very well (which they didn’t for me).Add some glue around the interior of the window section of your box and insert the Dura-lar film.
- Take your pink backing wall and fold each of the tabs outward. Carefully attach the bottom and sides to the inside of your box, lining it up with the edges of the window. Don’t attach the top portion just yet.Fill your shaker window with beads or other filler. Then, seal the top of the backing piece.
- With everything else in place, attach the back of the box to the base and to the opposite side.Fold the top portion like a milk carton. Fill your box with goodies and glue the top closed.
Finishing Touches
- Attach the rest of your decorative pieces around your box, wherever you’d like. Your festive carnival box is complete!
Notes
View the full-size tutorial photos below.
Supplies
- Cardstock
- Dura-Lar Film
- Hot Glue
- Precision Craft Glue or a Glue Stick
- Filler Beads
- Lollipop Sticks
- Foam Tape (optional)
- Decorative Ribbon (optional)
- Bone Folder (optional)
- A Cutting Machine or X-ACTO knife
- My Free Template
How to Make It
1. Use your cutting machine or X-ACTO knife, along with my template, to cut out all of your carnival shaker box pieces.
Note: If you are using the SVG files that includes the score lines, don’t forget to set them as such in Cricut Design Space and attach them to their shapes before sending them through your cutting machine. I used a lime green color to mark the score lines, so hopefully that helps! If you’re having trouble with the score lines, check out this video.
Prep Work
2. Layer the decorative panels on the outside of your main box pieces, like so.
Then, attach the box pieces together, gluing the little tabs inside and creating a hole/frame in the front of the box.
3. Next, layer together the balloon animals, tickets, and lollipop pieces.
Note: I did include a couple of extra layers for some of these. For the ones with an extra layer, I attached them together with foam tape in order to give them a little more dimension than the others.
Attach lollipop sticks to the back of the lollipop designs.
Attach one of the balloon animals to the pink backing wall with foam tape (this wall will go in the interior of the box later and support the filler beads).
Assembling the Box Structure
4. Fold along all of the score lines. Then, attach the bottom tabs of the right and left sides to the base. Do not attach the back side just yet.
Then, fold your Dura-lar film piece. Use the places where the tabs meet as a guide if the score lines didn’t show up very well (which they didn’t for me).
Add some glue around the interior of the window section of your box and insert the Dura-lar film.
5. Take your pink backing wall and fold each of the tabs outward. Carefully attach the bottom and sides to the inside of your box, lining it up with the edges of the window. Don’t attach the top portion just yet.
Fill your shaker window with beads or other filler. Then, seal the top of the backing piece.
6. With everything else in place, attach the back of the box to the base and to the opposite side.
Fold the top portion like a milk carton. Fill your box with goodies and glue the top closed.
Finishing Touches
7. Attach the rest of your decorative pieces around your box, wherever you’d like. Your festive carnival box is complete!
Seriously, I can’t get over how cute and colorful this box is! I think that it captures the feeling of celebration and child-like joy that can be felt when you are at a carnival or theme park pretty well.
I use Adobe Illustrator for all my designs, and a Cricut Maker to bring my creations to life. For tips on creating fun paper cuts like this one, see the FAQ section on my website. Also, be sure to check out the other fun freebies available on my blog!
Enjoy making this carnival shaker box for someone special! And, as always, be sure to share your finished results with me on Instagram.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through my links to make a purchase, you are supporting this blog and the hard work that goes into providing free, quality designs.
Mandee is a professional graphic designer, amateur bird watcher, and rollercoaster enthusiast. She is a wife to hardworking high school teacher and mommy to three adorable little humans. She fell in love with graphic design when she started working on a comedy website with a guy she met her freshman year of college. Design wasn’t the only thing she fell in love with, and they were married a year and a half later. She created Designs By Miss Mandee to be a place where she could merge her passion for design with her lifelong love of crafting. 4 Comments on Carnival Shaker Box – Gift Box Cut File
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auntie em
May 11, 2023 at 7:43 am (3 weeks ago)This is so adorable and I love how you have included the fun ‘extras’ like the balloons, lollys and tickets. Your designs are always so fun and creative. Thank you! 🙂
Mandee
May 11, 2023 at 11:33 am (3 weeks ago)Aww, thank you Auntie Em! I’m so glad you like all the little details in this one. 😊
Helen J Roberts
May 11, 2023 at 5:46 pm (3 weeks ago)I love the way your brain works! You are so creative and innovative with your files. Thank you for sharing this one.
zidane
May 13, 2023 at 9:44 pm (3 weeks ago)thank you for the article