Alright. I'm calling this Crate Style "B".
It's slightly more difficult than "A". Please read all the
directions before starting, and have fun. (Be careful with
the knives and glue guns people.)Tools you will need:
- Pen or Pencil.
- Small Ruler.
- Large Ruler or Straight Edge.
- Cutting Mat (Scrap Cardboard would work, but
I prefer a cutting mat.)
- Glue Gun (Not Shown. I have a low-temp
version)
- Double Sided Adhesive tape. (I use Duck
Brand. It's found in the office supply section of
Wal-Mart.)
Materials:
- Black Foam Core Board. Until I
started this project, I didn't realize they made black foam
board. The reason I like the back is: if there is a
bit of it showing thru when you are done, it doesn't show up as
much as the white. You could use white for this project
just make sure to color the edges where it could show with a
black Sharpie before you assemble.
- Paper. I like Heavy weight
glossy paper for these projects. It really depends on what
your printer prints best on. You could probably use
adhesive sheet for this. But, I would think it would be
harder to work with, and it's considerably more expensive.
Step 1.
Print all the graphics. Cut them out. I tend to cut mine right
to the edge of the graphic. However, if you want to make it a
little easier, anywhere there is something that is folded under
something else, leave and extra 1/8" or so. The white shouldn't
show when you are done.
There are 5 pieces total:
- Left Side
- Right Side
- Top Back
- Top Front
- Front
(Download Graphics
here.)
Step 2.
Cut out the Foam Core. I use a sharp craft knife with a metal
ruler. Also, try to cut the whole length of straight cuts at one
time.
Starting and stopping in the middle of a cut will leave you
with jagged edges.
For this project there are 7 pieces needed (Assuming 3/16" Foam
Core):
- Left Side (Use Decal for template, the basic shape is 7"
high by 8" wide)
- Front (6 13/16" High by 3 5/16" Wide)
- Front Top (3 1/2" Long by 3 5/16" Wide, Mark which is which
so you can tell it apart later.)
- Middle Top (2 " Long by 3 5/16" Wide)
- Back Top (4 5/16" Long by 3 5/16" Wide)
- Back (5 1/16" High by 3 5/16" Wide)
- Right Side (Same As Left Side)
Step 3.
Alright, you're past the hard part. The first
construction step is to glue the left side and front.
Keep it square! The front should be even with
the edge of the side as shown. The front will also be
slightly shorter than the side piece.
NOTE: I always hold pieces in place before I glue them.
Just to check for the right fit.
Step 4.
Time for the top Front piece. It will fill in the
shortness of the front piece. It should be square with the
front and side and take up the entire width of the side.
Step 5.
The middle top piece is next. I made mine from a left
over piece of foam core. If it's extra long, it won't
matter. That part is inside, and wont be seen.
Step 6.
Continue with the next two pieces as shown.
The middle top piece is shorter, to allow the back piece to come
all the way to the top.
Step 7.
Glue the right side on. If everything is
square, you should end up with a nifty black foam core Tetris
block!
Step 8.
Alright, now were coming to decal portion. Before I
apply adhesive to any of these pieces, I always fold and test fit
them. In this case, each edge has a small tab. I have
cut a small square out of each corner so I didn't have to deal
with the excess when I folded them.
The first piece to apply is the front top.
I left some extra at the bottom inside part of the decal.
You will need to trim this to fit.
You also need to make a cut on each of the tabs to let it bend
around the corner. (And the front, which I didn't take a
picture of.)
I run the adhesive
along all edges and big "X" across the middle of the piece.
Step 9.
Again, test fit before placing the piece. There are two
folds on the front piece, one on each side tab. The
front is applied square and the tabs around the edges.
In addition to the tabs and "X"'s, on this piece I also put a
strip of adhesive down the inside of both sides of the corner.
Step 10.
Next comes the back top. There is excess "black" on the
one end so you can trim it to fit exactly. (If everything is
perfect, you will trim most of it off.)
You should be familiar with the tabs by now, so on to the next
step....
Step 11.
With the way the tab folds work, the biggest most impressive
pieces are always last. The side are the next pieces to go
on. The trick with them is the lining up the boards that go
around the crates and the black in between areas.
If you are going to have a one sided display, you could get
away with building less. Also, with a little creative decal
printing and cutting, you could build each of the stacks
separately to mix and match.
Hope you had fun!
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