Barn Exploding Box and Tutorial!

Well, my Dad's 68th birthday is coming up and I wanted to do something really fun yet special.  So I went all out for this!  I made him and exploding box that looks like a barn!  I love how this turned out!  My Dad was raised on a dairy farm and so when I was growing up we had a small farm.  No it was not a dairy farm...but we had cows, chickens, dogs, a horse, rabbits and of course what is a farm without a bunch of cats and kittens.  My Dad loves his animals and so do I, he has a tractor similar to the one inside the box.  He is very proud of it and his dog!  So naturally, I had to incorporate some of those things into his box.  And being raised in the country, means that you have clothes that get hung out on the line...  Such fond memories!  Also, I had to get him a gift card to our local Tractor Supply Store!  Well, I really enjoyed making this for him and I really cannot wait to give it to him! Hopefully you can figure out my instructions, and I hope they are not to confusing to you.  If they are, please don't hesitate to ask me questions.

I used:
Country Life Cartridge
Everyday Paper Dolls Cartridge
Paper Dolls Dress Up Cartridge
Gypsy
Core'dinations Super Assortments Sandable Card stock
Sand paper
Martha Stewart Pine Punch (for the straw bales)
Pop Dots for the tractor and Cow inside the barn/box
JoAnn Craft Essentials Metallic Dots
Gift Card to Tractor Supply Store

The box it self is from a 12"x12" sheet scored at 4" all the way around making what looks like a tick tac toe design.

Cut out the 4 corners and you will end up with what looks like a plus sign.

The lid is cut at 6 1/8"x 6 1/8" making a square.  Score at 1" on all four sides.  Next, start at one corner and only cut up to the intersection of one side of the corner.  (DO NOT CUT, the corner out).  Rotate your lid and do the exact same cut as the last one.  Do that with all 4  corners.  You will have little tabs for your lid.  Then fold all the score lines.  Glue the "tabs" to the inside of the lid.  Make sure your corners are good and square.  Your box and lid should fit together easily.  Embellish as you please before adding the roof. 

The roof of the box is cut at 10"x4 1/4" and scored at 2", 4", 5", 6" and at 8". Fold and crease all the score lines with your "bone folder".  Go ahead and attach this to the box lid by only attaching it to two sides of the lid.  Now you cut and attach the gray side pieces for the overhangs of the roof and they are cut at 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" and scored at 1 1/2".  The gray top center part of the roof, is cut at 2" x 4 1/4" and then scored at 1".
Now to make the gray strips that go around the outside of the lid and under you roof, cut 2 strips of gray at 1"x 6" and score them at 1" to make the tabs. Also, cut 2 more strips of gray at 1" x 4" to fill in under the top "flaps" that wrap around the box front and back. First, attach the roof to the box then put your strips of gray 1" paper around to help hold and cover the roof.  Next, attach your gray roof pieces to the sides of your

roof and the top. 

Embellish as you please! 

The barn door, is actually a piece of black card stock laid over one of the outside tabs with another piece of red laid over top of that.  But the actual red door part is cut from a square of about 4" x 4".  Then I marked at  the bottom at 1", 2" and 3" for the folded parts of the doors and the 2" inch mark is for the opening of the doors.  Then I scored up the 1", and the 3"marks stopping at about 2 1/2".  Then I cut up on the 2" mark, again stopping at about 2 1/2".  Next I cut across the top of the score and cut lines, cutting across about 2", starting at 1' and stopping at 3".  Fold back your doors and then attach and embellish your doors and the outside or your box as you wish.  Then embellish the inside as you wish but have fun.  I know I did!

I hope you enjoy looking at this as much as I do!  I hope you have a wonderful day, too!