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Card in a Box Valentine Pop Up

how to make a card in a box

I've seen these card in a box pop ups all over the place lately. There are a couple videos showing how to make box cards, but I don't have the patience to watch videos. I like to see a diagram.

The boxes I've seen use two internal struts to hold the design elements in place, and the struts are adhered after the box is constructed. I substituted one boxlike internal strut, and changed the construction process to adhere the strut before the box is put together.

How to make a Card in a Box Pop Up Card

Download files: PDF, DXF, SVG (revised 2018) (how to use my SVG files in Cricut Design Space), Silhouette Studio

or draw and cut from diagram below (oops, left out the width of the box glue tab--it's 1/2").

Files download for free; pay what you wish for the tutorial and to support this site. Suggested contribution for this project is $1.00.




Cut on black lines, score on red lines.

card in a box



Construct the box strut by curling the strut strip around and meeting the two ends. Apply adhesive to glue tab. Match crease of glue tab to the other end of the strip. Collapse the rectangular box, flat.
This picture shows a square box, but the technique is the same.

card in a box alternate assembly method

Prepare to adhere the strut to the card.

The strut is first attached to the card quarter that will form the left side of the box. (This is the second section from the right. )

 I like my strut a little closer to the back of the card than the front, so I measured and marked 1" from the left crease line of the section. However, with this glue method it is not necessary to measure! You can just eyeball it.

With the rectangle flattened as shown, spread adhesive on the 1" square of the strut.

card in a box gluing


Flip the strut over and glue to the card, lining up the top of the strut with the horizontal crease of the card.

card in a box struts


Spread adhesive on the other 1" square, and close the left-hand section of the card. The strut will automatically "find its own place" and be glued in the correct position.

card in a box assembly


Fold in the far right-hand section of the card and spread adhesive on the glue tab. Open the left-hand section a little bit and slip the glue tab under it.

card in a box

card in a box glue sequence
how to make a card in a box


You are assured that the card will fold flat, because it is folded flat!

card in a box flattened

Open the card and add embellishments as desired. Mine is a valentine.
card in a box completedcard in a box open
Extreme Cards and Papercrafting: pop up cards, movable and mechanical cards, digital crafts and unusual papercrafts.