Summary

Every few months, I give a friend some M&M's. I try to be creative about how I package them. Now that I have the xTool engraver, I decided to create my own packaging. I adapted a box from an SVG I downloaded as part of my subscription to Creative Fabrica, so I can't share the project file. [Side note: Have you seen Creative Fabrica??? It's a treasure trove!]

I started with the box pattern, swapping out the artist's original top design to personalize it. For the M&M’s font, I used Bree Serif, which you can download for free from Google Fonts. I ultimately layered multiple text boxes so I could resize the ampersand and properly kern the apostrophes. I also cut out a sliver of the ampersand so the counter wouldn't fall out when cutting it out. Thank you, @ytxtool, for the tip on how to do that!

For the trays, I engraved 25 m's on the bottom piece and on another square insert to fit inside the box. I subtracted half circles from the sides of the insert to make it easier to remove. Then I created two foam trays of the same size, cutting an array of 25 holes from each. The foam charred a bit, so I carefully washed them with soap and warm water to remove any residue on the surface and on the cut edges.

I used Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue to assemble the box, and I found it felt pretty solid within an hour or so. After populating the box with M&M’s, I felt like I needed something to finish it off, so I created a cover sheet from some blue card stock to match the color of the M&M’s. I left a big hole in the center, the same diameter as the holes in the trays, to expose one of the M&M’s. Then I made smaller holes for the other 24 slots just to show the m’s on the other M&M’s. It had the effect I wanted, but it was harder to pull out of the box than I expected, so I ultimately subtracted a flat edge off the bottom of the center circle to make it easier to lift out.

Oh, if you’re wondering…it was a hit. But I was advised that perhaps I have too much time on my hands. 😆

If you're interested in the box design I started from, you can find it here: https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/honey-bee-coasters-and-box-honeycomb-svg/