Memories Explosion Box

Trash to Treasure

Maroon and Gold… Rectangular envelope… Open it up and find separate inserts for mehndi, sangeet, and the wedding.
Does this sum up the standard Indian wedding card? 


Wedding invitations are totally out of control. Even a moderately priced invitation can cost as much as a twenty thousand rupees for a wedding with just 200 guests. The wedding has come and gone and the beautiful invitation cards which took days of planning design, colour and texture land in trash.

Last year, during diwali, I returned home to a pile of old invitation cards which were recovered from ‘Diwali ki safai’. I found my sister’s wedding card in the pile. My heart sank, I missed her. Also I did not want these cards to be thrown away. There were such amazing thoughts and efforts put into them, such beautifully carved textures and design, vibrant use of colours and entail a sea of memories. I decided to recycle them. 


I found the idea of an explosion box on pinterest. An explosion box looks like an ordinary gift box when it has its lid on. But when you take off the lid, the layers ‘explode’ to reveal photos, notes, keepsakes, mini-cards, decorative embellishments or even chocolates. (Disclaimer: There is no explosive or incinerator devices in this instructable. So please don’t be upset when the box does not actually explode. Thankyou ! 🙂 It is usually just paper boxes which are cunningly designed so that the sides cascade outwards when the lid is removed. It’s such a fun and innovative way to personalize a birthday gift, an anniversary gift or even for wedding favors. An explosion gift box looks complicated but it’s actually not that hard to construct. Learn how to make one. This tutorial has step by step instructions, so you will find it very easy to understand. Lets begin!

Step 1: Gather your supplies

• A1 sheets of any colour of your choice.

• Scissors, adhesive and other stationary

• Ribbon and other embellishments(optional)

Step 2: Skeleton of the box

You can decide how many layers you want for your project. For a three layered explosion box, you can follow these dimensions;

Draw straight lines to connect each marking so that you have 9 small squares on each of the layers.

Cut of the 4 corner pieces from each of the layer. It will look like a big plus sign. Stack these layers on top of each other (smallest on top) and stick their centers using double sided tape or adhesive. Fold along the lines (towards the center of the box) using a ruler or a scoring knife.

Step 3: The Lid

Start with a 6″ x 6″ square cutout. Lay it in front of you with the wrong side up. Measure 1.5” from each edge and draw creases using the scoring knife, so that you have a 3” square in the middle, and 3”x1.5” rectangles on each side and 1.5” squares in each corner. Draw a crease diagonally through each of the 1.5” squares. Fold each of the creases in toward the center of the lid. The diagonal crease need to be folded in toward the center also.

Use adhesive to glue the corners down towards the inside of the lid.

The lid is done!

Step 4: Assembly

Fold up all the sides of the box and put the lid on top to hold the layers in place. Voila! Your basic box is ready! Now comes the fun part – customizing the 12 surfaces available inside the box. Use your imagination and creative juices to decorate the box as per your choice.

I made this amazing explosion box entirely out of scrap paper, wedding cards, and two black A1 sheets. The total cost of this diy project was around eighteen rupees. The price at which amazon/flipkart sells such explosion box cards is rupees 600-1200 depending upon the size. Why spend so much when you can make your very own personalized explosion box at home and gift them to your loved ones.

If you liked this article like, share and subscribe! If you want me to make tutorials of each of the mini cards then comment below! 


Love Love,
Cheesecake!