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.

Happy Birthday I-Beam Display

Display this dimensional message 

at the birthday celebration. 

Composed of built up welded blocky 

'HAPPY' letters shape, with optional individual letter overlays, 

and a two-layer 'birthday' cursive word cut on front. 

Self "stand" is created with fold-together I-beam flanges 

with narrow side tabs that slide through 

slot back layer into an interior channel layer. 

Finished size is approx. 11.5" wide x 4" tall x 1" deep. 

ASSEMBLY:  1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A HAPPY word main shape (5)
B HAPPY individual letter overlays
C 'birthday' overlay (2)
D HAPPY channel shape (2)
E HAPPY slot shape
F tall I beam (4)    G short I beam

2. Glue the 5 main letter shapes together into a unified

stack, taking care to match up ALL cut edges as

precisely as possible.

HINT (here and throughout): 

Apply adhesive to one letter or section of one letter

at a time ONLY, then position, adjust that section,

before moving on to apply adhesive to the next section, etc.

Use a flat weight to help the assembly stay flat

while it dried after each layer is completed.

3. Glue the 2 channel shapes together,

taking care to line up all cut edges as precisely

as possible, taking particular care at the edges

near the channel cutouts so that the channels

do not narrow at all.

4. Attach the channel stack to the backside
of the main letter shape stack, continuing
precise edge alignment as before.
5. Position and attach the slot shape layer
to the backside of the stack, as precisely
as possible.

6. Position and attach each of the individual overlay

letters onto the front of the assembly.

7. Attach the "birthday" shapes together precisely.

9. Position the "birthday" stack overlay onto the

front of the HAPPY stack, and glue 

together the surfaces that touch.

10. Prepare the I-beam shape by bending back

at the center-most two perforation lines,

forward at the next two perforation lines,

and forward at the edge tab lines.

11. Apply glue to the center section . . .

. . . then bend the next sections to lay flat

over the center section, and apply pressure

until the surfaces are attached securely.

12. Apply glue to one side of the assembly's

next sections, then press the sections together.

13. Assist the I beam to take it's precise
final shape by pressing and pinching the 'L' angle
all along.
Bend the inner edge tab flanges outward as shown.

This is how the I-beam should look finished.

14. Position the top shaped end of the I-beam to align

with the slot on the back of one letter, slide upward

until the flange tabs fit under the slot layer

and slide into the channel layer space.

Continue to ease and slide upward until I-beam

is fully installed, with bottom beam edge and

main letter stack edges lined up.

Repeat for the other tall and short I-beams.

This is a view from the top of the assembly

to show the I-beams in place . . .

. . . and from the back.

Completed project: