Vampire Scare Box 👻 HCC 2025

If you’re ready to add something a little different to your Halloween crafting this year, this vampire craft project might be just the thing.

In this tutorial, we’re building a DIY scare box that’s shaped like a coffin and designed to give a little jump scare to anyone brave enough to open it.

It’s a fun mix of paper crafting, a clever surprise element, and just the right amount of spooky.

We’ll start by making the coffin box itself, complete with a lid and paper details.

The interior is decorated with deep red paper that mimics plush velvet furnishings – a fitting setting for the Dracula-inspired vampire that hides inside.

The coffin structure is simple to assemble and it could be used as a treat box or as a standalone decoration if you chose not to add the vampire inside.

The real surprise comes when you lift the lid. Thanks to a strip of acetate hidden inside, the vampire is rigged to pop up the moment the coffin is opened.

It’s a lighthearted scare, but one that’s sure to get a reaction from anyone who picks it up. 👻

If you’re looking for spooky craft ideas that go beyond the usual cards and signs, this one adds a bit of movement and interactivity to your Halloween Cricut crafts.

Whether you’re crafting for a party, giving it as a fun Halloween gift, or simply making something a little unexpected for your seasonal decor, this coffin paper craft offers a creative way to show off your Cricut skills.

The finished result is a fun take on a Dracula craft theme that you’ll enjoy making – and revealing – again and again.

Materials supply list

Here is a list of the materials that I used to make this project.

The project requires a scoring tool. Click here for scoring alternatives for if you do not have one, or if you’re using a Joy Xtra.

Please note that some of the links included in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.

• Cricut machine
• Light blue Cricut cutting mat
• Coloured Card
• Glue (I like Bearly Art Glue and Collall)
• 3D foam pads
• Acetate (at least 240 micron thickness is recommended)
• Cricut scoring wheel or scoring stylus
• Double-sided tape (optional)

This project is suitable for the following types of Cricut machines: Explore series, Maker series and Joy Xtra. It is too large to cut with a Cricut Joy.

Acetate recommendations:

To make the vampire “pop” out of the box, you’ll need sturdy acetate. I suggest using something at least 240 microns thick. If your acetate is thinner, you might need to cut multiple layers and glue them together.

Avoid using the plastic cover from an old Cricut mat as it’s too flimsy for this project. You need acetate with a bit of bounce to create the surprise effect.

Foundation learning

If you're new to making papercrafts with your cutting machine, check out these links to get you started.

They include videos on topics such as: which file to use with your type of cutting machine, how to load the files into your cutting machine's software, how to cut cardstock with your type of cutting machine, how to recolor and modify/customize the cut files and tips for displaying your projects.

• Help guides for Cricut machines
• Help guides for Silhouette machines
• Help guides for ScanNCut machines

The following tutorials are Cricut-specific, but many of the ideas will work similarly with a Silhouette or ScanNCut machine and any cut files that are shared in them are compatible with all types of cutting machine.

• How to score with a Cricut (even without scoring tools)
• Print then cut tutorial
• Design Space tools (Combine, Attach, Slice, Weld, Flatten, etc.)
• Pattern fill tutorial (for making backgrounds & cutting images to a specific shape/size)
• Free envelope SVGs that can be sized to fit any card
• Presentation boxes for handmade cards
• How to write inside cards with Cricut pens
• How to cut layered designs at a small size
• Design Space tips & tricks
• Cricut pens tutorial
• How to mount multiple designs in the same frame with magic guides

Vampire Craft Video Tutorial

Watch the video below to see how to make this project. Keep scrolling for a written tutorial.

Written Tutorial for Coffin Paper Craft

Here’s how to make a spooky vampire scare box using your Cricut by building a coffin-shaped box with an acetate-powered vampire surprise that jumps out when the lid is lifted.

Step 1) Download the cutting file & upload to Design Space

Get the files using the box below.

Before you upload the SVGs to Design Space, you need to unzip the download folder that they come in.

• How to unzip a folder on Windows computer
• How to unzip a folder on a Mac
• How to unzip a folder on an iPad/iPhone
• How to unzip a folder on an Android device

After unzipping, upload the SVG file(s) into your cutting machine software.

Not sure how to use cut files with your type of machine? The following links lead to videos on how to open cut files in:

• Cricut Design Space
• Silhouette Studio
• CanvasWorkspace (for ScanNCut machines)

The download folder also contains printable PDF versions of the templates for hand cutting.

If you are using Cricut Design Space, start a new project and then click the “Upload” button on the left of the screen.

You can then either click “Browse” to find the file on your computer, or drag-and-drop it.

Upload the file in the “01 Cricut Version” subfolder called svg-01-vampire-scare-box-craftwithsarah.svg

This is how it should look after you have selected the file:

Don’t worry if the image preview appears blurry – it will show in full quality once it’s inserted onto your project.

After uploading, the design should be automatically inserted onto your Canvas.

Cricut have recently (as of June 2025) introduced a feature where you get a “pop out” bar of similar images when you Upload a design. To hide this bar (to give you more space for designing!), click the arrow that’s about half way down the page.

If the design doesn’t get inserted onto your Canvas, it will show under “Uploads” in your “Recently Uploaded Images”. Click on it and then press “Add to Canvas” to put it onto your Project.

Step 2) Format the vampire SVG design

The design should appear sized to 15 inches wide by 27 inches tall. If not, adjust the size.

Click the design and “Ungroup” the layers.

You’ll see two main black pieces that make up the box and lid. You need to set up the score lines.

Look down the Layers panel until you see a little chevron. Click it to open up the mini group.

Click the outline layer above the solid black shape and change it to “Score” under the “Operation” dropdown.

Then select both layers (the score line and the black shape underneath) and click “Attach”.

The Attach feature is what tells the Cricut that it should do the scoring on top of the base layer.

Repeat the steps for the other mini group.

If it’s hard to see the score lines (since they’re black on black), try temporarily changing the color to something bright to double-check your work.

Step 3) Cut out all the layers

When you’re happy with how the project is looking in Design Space, click “Make” and follow the instructions on-screen to cut out all the pieces.

IMPORTANT – The two blue rectangles are the layers to cut from your acetate. The regular Cricut acetate setting may not cut through thick acetate. Try the “Kraft Board” cut setting instead as it’s much stronger and worked well for me.

To change the paper size, go into the dropdowns over on the left side of the screen and choose the paper size that you want to use. You need to change it for every single colour.

To save space on your cardstock, you can move things around by clicking and dragging. Make sure when you’re moving things about that nothing overlaps because otherwise, it won’t cut out properly.

TIP: New to using cardstock with your cutting machine? Check out these machine help guides for Cricut, Silhouette and ScanNCut that go through every step of the process, including tips for getting the best quality cuts from your machine.

Step 4) Assemble the vampire

This project can be assembled solely with glue, but parts of it might be easier with double-sided tape instead.

My favourite glues to use on papercraft projects are Bearly Art Glue and Collall All Purpose Glue.

These are great because they don’t “warp” or bend the cardstock like some glues do. You can use as much of it as you want and the card stays perfect – and it dries perfectly clear too!

Bearly Art Glue comes with a tiny nozzle to make it easy to apply glue to small areas of card. The Collall glue doesn’t come with this, so it’s easiest to decant it into needle tip applicator bottles so that you have more control.

Start by gluing the black clothes layer to the red backing. Use the feet as a guide to line them up.

Next, glue the white face piece at the top of the red.

Then add the black hair/head piece on top of that.

After that, glue the pale skin layer over it so that the vampire’s fangs peek through.

Lastly, glue the hands on. There’s no set spot for them, just position them so it looks like he’s reaching forward.

Step 5) Build the coffin box craft

Fold along all the score lines of the largest black piece.

Then start attaching the sides by folding the tabs in and gluing or taping the side panels to those tabs.

I recommend using double-sided tape for quicker and easier assembly.

Once the base is built, it will make a coffin shape.

Glue the red interior panels to each of the sides inside the box.

These help cover the tabs and give it that classic red coffin lining look.

Leave the large base piece out for now as you’ll add it after the vampire is installed, to cover the acetate.

Step 6) Create the pop-up mechanism

Select the acetate strips and fold each one in half to make a V shape.

Stick the acetate strips together. This is MUCH easier to do with double-sided tape, as glue takes a long time to glue on acetate due to the plastic texture. IF you’re using glue, wait for it to dry fully before continuing.

Fold along the middle line again to enhance the fold.

You’l probably find that the acetate “stands” up better when you place it in one direction over the other.

Choose the side that stands up straighter to be the front.

Tape the vampire onto the front of the V so his feet line up with the fold.

Then, tape the back of the acetate and place it inside the coffin base. The fold should sit right at the bottom crease.

When you press the vampire down and let go, he should pop back up!

You may need to bend the acetate a bit better to get it to “pop” further out from the coffin.

Glue the final red velvet panel into the base, covering most of the acetate and giving a clean finish.

Step 7) Assembly the coffin box lid

Fold along the score lines of the lid piece just like you did with the base. These tabs are smaller, so you may find glue easier to work with than tape here.

Glue the final red panel inside the lid.

Then decorate the top of the coffin with the RIP and cross pieces.

Step 8) Put the finishing touches to your vampire craft

Now for the fun part. Place the vampire inside the base, press him down, and carefully slide the lid on.

When you lift the lid… surprise! Your vampire pops right up.

DIY Dracula Craft Scare Box

And that’s it! Your Halloween scare box is complete!

I hope you had as much fun making this vampire craft as I did.

This was the final project in the Halloween Craft Countdown for 2025.

But don’t worry… Christmas crafts are coming soon, so it won’t be long until your Cricut gets another workout!

Happy crafting,
Sarah x