Create a Stylish, Heart-Shaped 3D Gift Box in Illustrator

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Valentine’s Day may only come once a year, but romance is year-round, and designers that can create a warm, romantic, emotional sentiment will be busy from January through December. Whether you’re a designer or just a spouse or partner, don’t wait until February to send some hearts to your special someone. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a gorgeous 3D gift box in Illustrator. You will also learn how to make a crystal heart by following few simple steps. We’ll use the pen tool, the gradient tool, and few other options under the effect menu to achieve the final outcome. So, let’s get started! Final result: (Download the completed vector file.)
3D Gift Box

Step 1

Create a new document in illustrator with a 600px width and a 450px height. 3D Gift Box

Step 2

First, we’ll draw the heart shape. Select the pen tool to draw the half-heart shape shown below. Set stroke to “none” and use any fill color, as we’ll apply a gradient on the shape later on. 3D Gift Box Select the heart shape and click on the square at the top-right corner of the layers panel, and select “duplicate path” from the options. Now, select this duplicated layer and go to “Object” > “Transform” > “Reflect.” Reflect it vertically and position it alongside the previous shape to complete the heart. 3D Gift Box Select both the halves now and choose “Unite” shape mode in the pathfinder panel (Shift + Ctrl + F9). 3D Gift Box

Step 3

Now, select the heart by pressing the ring-shaped target present at the right side of its layer and go to “Effect” > “3D” > “Rotate.” Apply the following settings here. 3D Gift Box After that, go to “Object” > “Expand.” Now you can easily edit the shape and change its color.

Step 4

Select the shape and apply the following gradient to it. To get the gradient exactly like mine, pick #FFF97D as your fill color and drag it to the swatches panel; you can label it as gold1. Similarly, select #F8D965 and #E0B74F fill colors and drag them to the swatches, and label them as gold2 and gold3 respectively. Select the heart and gradient tool and keep on selecting your recently saved colors from the swatches to make the gradient. Position gold1 in the center, gold3 near the edges, and gold2 between gold1 and 3. 3D Gift Box To highlight the lower border of the heart, duplicate the shape, drag it below the original layer, give it a 1pt stroke using color #FFF1A1, and drag it one step downward, as shown below. 3D Gift Box

Step 5

Draw the following shape using the pen tool to complete the 3d box. Draw it on a new layer just below the heart layers. 3D Gift Box

Step 6

Select the box and apply the following gradient to it. 3D Gift Box Duplicate the box layer, and give it a 1pt stroke using color #EDC10A. Place this layer below the original and drag it one step downward using the selection tool (“V”). 3D Gift Box

Step 7

To make a box lid, draw the following shape below the heart layers and above the box. 3D Gift Box

Step 8

Apply the following gradient to this new shape. 3D Gift Box Make a triangular shape to complete the lid, and apply the same gradient to it. 3D Gift Box

Step 9

Duplicate the front lid layer, change its fill color to black, place it below the original layer, and drag it a bit downward. Now select it and go to “Effect” > “Blur” > “Gaussian Blur.” Use the following settings. 3D Gift Box

Step 10

Now select the heart and go to “Effect” > “Stylize” > “Inner Glow.” Use the following settings for your inner glow. 3D Gift Box

Step 11

To make the shadow, you can use either the ellipse tool or the pen tool. Draw it on a new layer below the rest of the layers. Change its blending mode to “Multiply” and reduce its opacity to 60%. 3D Gift Box
Now, apply the following black-to-transparent gradient to it. 3D Gift Box

Step 12

Next, we’ll decorate the box by creating a heart-shaped diamond over the lid. Duplicate the heart shape, decrease its size using the selection tool (“V”), and position it as shown below. Now, apply an apple gradient to it. You can find this gradient by clicking the “swatch libraries menu” icon present at the bottom-left corner of your swatches. Choose “Gradients” > “Fruits and Vegetables” > “Apple” from the options. 3D Gift Box

Step 13

Create a new layer at the top and draw a few random triangles with the same “apple” gradient used before. 3D Gift Box Once you are done, duplicate this layer and rotate it using the selection tool (“V”) to get a denser look. Select both layers and collect them into a single new layer. 3D Gift Box

Step 14

Duplicate the resized heart shape created in step 12 and drag it above the triangles layer. Set its fill to none. Now, select this heart layer and triangles layer and go to “Object” > “Clipping mask” > “Make.” This will confine the triangles to the heart. 3D Gift Box 14b

Step 15

Duplicate the triangles layer, decrease its size a bit, and change its blending mode to “Color Dodge” in the transparency panel to get the effect shown below. 3D Gift Box

Step 16

Now, duplicate the original triangles layer, drag it above the rest of the layers, and change its blending mode to “Soft Light.” 3D Gift Box

Step 17

Duplicate this layer, decrease its size, and change its blending mode to “Screen” to get the the effect similar to mine. 3D Gift Box

Step 18

Duplicate the base heart layer, change its fill color to #6D0000, increase its size, drag it downward a bit, and place it just above the box layers. 3D Gift Box Make its shadow using the same technique explained in step 9 for making the box lid’s shadow. 3D Gift Box

Step 19

Next, we’ll add few sparkles over the box. Draw a star using the star tool with a white fill color. Duplicate the star. Now, select the original star and go to “Effect” > “Distort &Transform” > “Pucker & Bloat.” Use the following values here. After that, select the duplicated star, apply the following settings as a Gaussian blur, collect both star layers into a new layer, and you are done. 3D Gift Box Position it as you like over the gift box. 3D Gift Box

Step 20

The gift box is ready. However, you can further decorate it with a ribbon or anything else you want. Experiment with your box and share the results. 20 I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and learned something new. Do share your thoughts!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Creating a Stylish Heart-Shaped 3D Gift Box in Illustrator

What are the basic tools needed in Illustrator to create a heart-shaped 3D gift box?

To create a heart-shaped 3D gift box in Illustrator, you will need to familiarize yourself with several tools. These include the Pen Tool for drawing the heart shape, the Gradient Tool for adding color and depth, the Direct Selection Tool for adjusting anchor points, and the 3D Extrude & Bevel Tool for giving the heart a three-dimensional effect. Additionally, the Pathfinder Tool is essential for combining and dividing shapes, and the Ellipse Tool is used for creating circular shapes like the ribbon on the gift box.

How can I add depth and dimension to my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Adding depth and dimension to your heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator can be achieved using the 3D Extrude & Bevel Tool. This tool allows you to manipulate the object in three dimensions, giving it a realistic appearance. You can adjust the perspective, extrude depth, and bevel height to create the desired effect. Additionally, using gradients can also help to add depth and create a 3D effect.

How can I create a realistic ribbon for my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Creating a realistic ribbon involves using the Pen Tool to draw the shape of the ribbon, then using the Gradient Tool to add color and depth. You can also use the 3D Extrude & Bevel Tool to give the ribbon a three-dimensional effect. The key is to pay attention to the light source and adjust the gradient accordingly to create a realistic shadow and highlight on the ribbon.

How can I adjust the shape of my heart in Illustrator?

Adjusting the shape of your heart in Illustrator can be done using the Direct Selection Tool. This tool allows you to select individual anchor points and adjust them to modify the shape of your heart. You can add or remove anchor points as needed to achieve the desired shape.

How can I combine shapes in Illustrator to create a heart-shaped gift box?

Combining shapes in Illustrator can be done using the Pathfinder Tool. This tool allows you to unite, subtract, intersect, and exclude overlapping shapes to create complex designs. For the heart-shaped gift box, you can use the Unite option to combine two half-heart shapes into one.

How can I add color to my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Adding color to your heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator can be done using the Gradient Tool. This tool allows you to create a gradient of two or more colors, which can add depth and dimension to your design. You can adjust the direction and spread of the gradient to achieve the desired effect.

How can I create a shadow effect for my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Creating a shadow effect in Illustrator can be done using the Gradient Tool. By creating a gradient that goes from a darker color to transparent, you can create a realistic shadow effect. Place this gradient shape behind your gift box to create the illusion of a shadow.

How can I create a highlight effect for my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Creating a highlight effect in Illustrator can be done using the Gradient Tool. By creating a gradient that goes from a lighter color to transparent, you can create a realistic highlight effect. Place this gradient shape on the areas where the light source hits your gift box to create the illusion of a highlight.

How can I create a pattern for my heart-shaped gift box in Illustrator?

Creating a pattern in Illustrator can be done using the Pattern Options panel. You can create a new pattern by drawing a design, then dragging it into the Swatches panel. You can then apply this pattern to your heart-shaped gift box using the Fill Tool.

How can I save and export my heart-shaped gift box design in Illustrator?

Saving and exporting your design in Illustrator can be done using the File menu. You can save your work as an Illustrator file (.ai) to preserve all the layers and effects. To export your design for use in other applications or for printing, you can use the Export option and choose the appropriate format such as JPEG, PNG, or PDF.

Anum KhanAnum Khan
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Anum is Web and Graphic designer. Addicted to Photoshop and crazy for pixel perfection. She is also an active blogger, sharing her passions, skills and creative details on her blog Websoulz. She loves to connect with the community, sharing the latest design gossips and rolling her eyes on boring trends.

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