The Sizzix eclips2… It’s a Lot Like Having Your Own Laser Cutter
Do you find yourself oohing and aahing over beautiful paper cut-outs, perfectly crafted gift boxes and anything else you can customize? Then you’re about to geek out hard over our new favorite DIY gadget, created by the team at Sizzix. For starters, we know that Sizzix is really fun to say. So when they asked us about taking their eclips®2 DIY Electronic Cutter for a spin, we were already in a creative mood!
That’s why we teamed up with Sizzix for two exclusive Brit + Co box designs you can make with the eclips2! And guess what? You can take this crafty piece of machinery for your own test spin if you stop by and say hi at Re:Make on September 12 here in SF. (Didn’t make it to Re:Make? Check out the fun here!)
Oh, and as our way of saying “thanks,” we have an exclusive coupon code just for Brit+Co readers! From Aug. 26-Sept. 10, you can take 25% off sitewide at Sizzix.com. Just be sure to use Promo Code SizzixLovesBrit at checkout.
Now, before we show you the behind-the-scenes on how we made these lovely boxes, here’s a little more about this clever cutter:
Dubbed the eclips2, this awesome machine can make precise cuts up to 1/100th of an inch to create and embellish DIY projects from a variety of materials, including craft foil, fabric, paper leather and vinyl. So basically, it’s like having the efficiency of your own laser cutter at home, just without any of the lasers! How cool is that?
In preparation for Re:Make, Brit + Co designer Rosee Canfield created two incredible designs for gift boxes. Inspired by fine-cut paper art that is typically done by hand, these designs include both angular shapes with hard lines and shapes with a lot of curves. And stunningly, the eclips2 was able to create these really ornate, complex cut paper designs in a matter of minutes. One thing we really loved about the eclips2 is that it not only cuts but also has the capability to easily score things, creating a very delicate incision for a fold line. This was super helpful because normally you have to score things by hand and that can take a lot of time and precision and is usually subject to error. Every crafter has a story about over-scoring and cutting through the paper, or being just enough off to where their project won’t fold evenly. The eclips2 has totally eliminated room for those errors!
The tools and materials for this are a Sizzix eclips2, Sizzix cutting mat, cardstock and your computer. It’s that simple. You can access both of our designs right here.
First things first — download the eclips2 software, get your file setup and connect the eclips2 to your computer.
Place your card stock on the sticky cutting mat. This will make it easy to remove the cut-out pieces.
Now, let ‘er rip!
Once the machine is done cutting, the cut will pop out. Peel off the excess paper carefully.
After you’ve peeled your box off the sticking cutting mat, you may need to use a utility knife to remove any excess paper cutouts.
Fold your box to make sure everything matches up, then tape it together. For a finishing touch, we put a piece of colorful paper underneath the cut out top of the box. And we used the eclips2 to cut out a square that fit perfectly in the box!
Done and done.
We created four boxes total — how cute are they?
Your gift giving game just got turned up to 11 ;)
