Playing without a full deck.

    Dealing a hand of poker recently, we realized the deck of cards was short. (I wondered why that ace never came up.)  My husband got up to throw them out and I chased after him like some hero in a movie trying to catch a vile of antidote before it hit the ground, pushing our guests and spilling 2 glasses of wine and a cheese plate along the way.    Despite protests from my him, I pushed aside the trodden Gruyere and wrote, "Not a Full Deck" on the box and kept it.  I've since used it for table settings, labels on jam, and now, little boxes.  Here is a tutorial in how I made them.  (If you don't feel like making your own, visit my Etsy shop and buys some to impress your friends with.)

Find yourself some used playing cards with nice used texture and an interesting pattern on the back.  Select 3 playing cards, one for the bottom and two for the lid.  Use the nicest one for the bottom of the box.  It will be the one that shows the most when the box is opened.

 Cut from each corner to the center box.  About 2 cm.  You can change the dimensions of the box by cutting the corners shorter or longer.  just make sure they're all the same length and and at a 45 degree angle.

                 Turn the card number side up and fold up the sides.  Repeat with the top and bottom.

                                          Fold all the points inward.  These will be the corners.

           Fold all the sides upward.  The short sides should fold inward to keep them from snagging on the lid.

Glue the points in place using a power bond roller adhesive, like Tombo, from the paper supply store.  Be sure to use a strong adhesive.  Now you have completed the bottom of the box. 

 To make the lid:  The lid will work like a match box cover and slide off and on from the sides.  Take one playing card and place it face up.  Set the bottom of the box in the middle of the card and mark the width with a pencil.  Fold  along the pencil line.

Set the box on the playing card again and measure the height of the box.  Mark with a pencil and fold along the pencil line.  The card won't reach all the way around the box, but because we measured from the middle, there will be space to glue another piece in place.

Cut a piece of playing card the width of your box using the third playing card.  Glue it to the tabs we've made on the box lid.  This will be the bottom of the lid.

                                  Slip the box bottom into the lid and impress everyone you know.