Tutorial: Truffle Boxes

    Happy Valentine's Day! As I mentioned last week, I will be delivering valentines to my friends and labmates today. Since they will include the Valentine Petit Fours and the Sriracha Truffles I posted previously, I needed to come up with a way to package them. I looked up pricing for candy tins from various merchants, and I decided that someone with as little cash as I have should find a more economical solution. So, I made my own origami boxes with wrapping paper. The great thing about these boxes is you can customize their size and color, and they only cost a couple dollars. The creative possibilities abound!

Directions:
    Select a wrapping paper in your desired color and pattern. The paper folding will work best with a sturdy wrapping paper, while a shiny foil paper or clear plastic wrap will be tricky. If you can, get a wrapping paper with a 1-inch grid printed on the back, this will speed things up tremendously.
    These directions make a box that is approximately 3 inches square by 1.5 inches tall. If you wish to make a box of a different size, keep in mind that the dimensions of the box will be roughly 2.5 times smaller than the square you start out with. The square you use for the bottom of the box should also be a half inch smaller than the top square, so they will nest.

1.  For the top of the box, cut out an 8x8-inch square of wrapping paper and lay it "wrong" side  up.
     Cut out a 7.5x7.5-inch square for the bottom. You will have to make a "mountain fold" with the
     bottom piece, as shown, since the grid won't line up with the center of the paper.

 

2.  Fold the corners in to the center point of the square, following the lines of the grid. 

 

3.  Bring two edges together along the center line, then unfold.

 

4.  Repeat for the other side. 

5.  Pull out two opposite corners, as shown.

 6.  Bring one corner up 90 degrees to make the side of the box, and press the bottom edges in.

 7.  Fold the corner over and into the center of the box.

8.  Repeat on other side.

Once you have completed these steps for both squares, you have a lovely little box to put your treats in! Line with tissue paper, fill with treats, and finish off with curling ribbon.