Fabric Box

My friend Judy has made about a million fabric boxes and I thought I would like to learn how to make them, just in case I got it in my mind to make them for my nieces and nephews for Christmas gifts. Judy agreed to give me a boxing lesson and give me some pointers - thanks Judy! Her boxes were all so pretty, but man are they hard to make! I really don't know if I want to make 14 more of them! I think I might have that out of my system now!

Here are all my pieces laying on the fabric, and I'm trying to see if I have enough of it to make this box - size is 2" x 3". You cut the matt board pieces for the inside and the outside, then glue all those pieces to batting. Then you cut out all the pieces and wrap the fabric around the board and batting, and glue it like crazy. I was too stingey on the glue and I didn't buy the right kind (you need the white UHU not the purple). But I managed to get the pieces to stick and didn't glue my fingers to the box, so that was good!

Here are the bottom and side pieces finished for my box and for Judy's. Aren't they pretty?!?! That was the fun part over.

Then you have to struggle and fight with the thing to hand stitch the seams closed...and that was not fun! I couldn't get my bottom to fit nicely inside the box like Judy's did. Figures that my bottom is TOO BIG!

I didn't give up and I did manage to finish it. I took the photo on the left to show you how small it actually is - inside are beading/Nymo bobbins.

Unfortunately, the more I look at it, the more great ideas I am getting to make these for kids gifts. But if I just hold off a little while, maybe I will forget about those ideas and buy some boxes at the dollar store??!!?