Happy Birthday Balloons Box Card

Here's a fun and surprisingly quick-to-assemble

box card to delight your next birthday celebrant!

Measures approx. 4.5" x 4.5" when folded flat,

but opens to be approx. 2.25" wide x 2.25" deep.

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A box front base panel   B box side base panels

C box back base panel

D front bridge with balloon & star accents

E middle bridge with balloon & star accents

F front bridge with balloon & star accents

G front panel accent with overlay, word cutouts

H side panel overlays

I back panel accent

2. Prepare the base panels by bending 

side tabs and flaps back.

Lay out the box base panels in order

(shown here l to r: side, front, side, back)

overlap straight side edge over adjacent

side tab perforation line, and join into one panel.

3. Position and attach accent panels to sides

and back, accent with overlay and word cutouts

on front panel.

NOTE these are all attached to the face side

of the base panel (which means that the

backside of the bae panel will show as the

outside panels of the box once assembled.

4. Form the base panel into a tube to bring the

remaining (back here) straight side edge

to overlap the opposite tab perf line,

and glue in place.

NOTE that it is possible, when joining this

final side seam, to press the tube flat

and apply pressure along the seam being

joined.

5. Prepare the bridge panels by

gluing the accent shapes onto the front

offset extensions, and bending

the side flaps back to perpendicular.

NOTE that the bridges may include an order

number cut in the right tab margin:

#1 is front bridge, #2 is middle, #3 is back.

6. Open the box base to cube form,

and bend the front, side flaps down

and out of the way.

Apply glue to the face side tabs of

bridge #3, then insert in to the box cavity,

position at the one-quarter position

forward from the back,

and attach tabs to inside side surfaces.

Make sure that the top of the side edge of bridge

lines up at the side flap perforation line angle,

that the bridge is parallel to the base back panel

and perpendicular to the bottom of the box.

7. As soon as the back bridge is in place

but before the glue has cured completely,

fold the card into its flat position and apply

finger pressure through the layers

along the area where each bridge tab is

attaching to help the bridge "self adjust".

This will ensure that the card WILL lay flat

for inserting into an envelope (or storing).

NOTE: perform this "adjusting" step

after each bridge is positioned and attached.

8. Position and attach the middle bridge (#2)

in front of the back bridge,

at the halfway point between box cavity

front and back.

9. Position and attach the front bridge (#1)

at the one-quarter from the front of the cavity

position.

Here is the completed box card

in its open, display form.