DIY: Dress a Box!

It’s my aunt’s birthday today and I really wanted to get her a handmade gift, rather than something I bought from the store. And so, after an idea-seeking visit to the art store, here’s what I came up with. This can be used to store napkins, jewelry, or anything else you see fit.

All materials I used came in a set, but you can get your own materials and play with the box as much as you want.

What you need:

• Box with a lid
• Cloth (different kinds or just one)
• Quilt batting (or a sheet of cotton, or anything that can provide light stuffing)
• Double-stick tape
• Cardboard to cut inner walls, bottom and lid parts
• Cord
• Glue
• Scissors

How to make:

1. Cut cloth so that it would be able to warp the whole box (without lid), leaving about an inch on each side to fold.

2. Cut batting slightly smaller than sides of box and lid.

3. Put tape on each side of the box and the lid, and stick batting.

4. Next, put tape on the inside of the box (on the walls), keeping close to the top. Do the same to the sides of the lid.

5. Next comes the tricky part. Make sure the box is in the middle of the cloth and carefully fold it around the box, then stick excess to the tape on the inside of walls. A good practice is to do opposite sides first. You can use a pen to make the folded edges look better.

6. Do the same with the lid.

7. You now need two pieces of cardboard slightly smaller in size than bottom of box and inside of lid.

8. Put tape and cut cloth to fit, leaving about an inch on all sides.

9. Repeat step 5 with both pieces.

10. Now put some tape in the middle of the lid piece and stick it to the lid. Don’t stick the bottom piece yet.

11. Use cardboard to cut 4 pieces for the walls of the box. Make sure the pieces are smaller!

12. Now cut cloth (of a different color and pattern, or the same, depending on what style you want) to fit all 4 pieces and stick with tape like before. Put tape in middle as well, and stick to the walls.

13. Now you are ready to stick bottom piece to the bottom of the box.

14. Put glue on inside of the box, on top of the “dressed” walls.

1. Glue cord.

Now let dry and you have a newly dressed box to keep napkins in and serve dinner with style, or store your jewelry, or use for whatever you see fit!

I also have something else in the works, but more on that later.

Hope you had a great day!