Project #106: April Fool's Jack in the Box

April Fool's Jack in the Box by Jennifer Kirk from Ambrosia Creative

In celebration of April Fools day, one my family's favorite days of the year, I’m happy to share this jack-in-the-box craft. Under the guise of a gift, a simple spring pops out confetti onto the unsuspecting. The kids and I worked together on this little prank for dad!

You will need:
* Small box with lid
* Colorful paper
* Colorful tissue paper
* Clear tape
* Washi tape
* Hole punch
* Picture of your child (his or her face should be about 1")
* Craft knife

Step 1:
Choose two colors to use for the paper spring. Cut two strips from each color paper (lengthwise) so you have four strips total. I chose blue and yellow, so I had two blue and two yellow strips. Make sure strips are at least 1/4 inch narrower than the inside of the box -- you want to make sure the spring will freely pop out of the box. Tape together the ends of two strips of the same color paper so you end up with two long strips (one long yellow and one long blue in my case).
Step 2:
Lay the two strips perpendicular to each other forming a large L and tape the edges together. Starting with the strip on the bottom (blue in my example), fold it up and over the top strip at a nice right angle. The fold needs to be flush against the top (yellow) strip. Then fold the yellow strip (now on the bottom) up and over the blue strip. Repeat the folds over the entire length of the strip forming an accordion. At the end, tape together the loose edges so the spring will not unravel.
Step 3:
From colored and tissue paper, use the hole puncher to create confetti. I used a 1" diameter hole punch because larger confetti means an easier cleanup!
Step 4: (Optional)
With a craft knife, cut out three of the four sides of the box lid. This isn't necessary, but I thought a clamshell-type lid helped the spring pop out of the box more nicely. Secure the lid back onto the box. I used a piece of washi tape on the lid edge to gussy it up a bit.
Step 5: Stretch out spring a bit by gently pulling the ends in opposite directions. Then, compress into box and close lid. Test the spring to make sure it clears the box. When I did a test, there was some remnant paper around the lid I had to cut away. I also noticed the spring popped out differently depending on its orientation. When you're happy with the configuration, tape a picture of your child's face to the top of the spring.
Step 6: To set up the box to give, compress the spring back into the box, place confetti on the very top, then close the lid and secure with washi tape. A friendly, harmless, happy April Fool's surprise for some lucky person!

..Ambrosia Creative
..All images by Jennifer Kirk