#9 Homeward Bound—Fabric Covered Boxes
At
age 13 something magical happened in my life—I discovered the wonder, awe and
delight of organizing my bedroom. The added bonus was living in the space. Within
an hour my room was transformed from chaos to perfection.
My enchantment with order hasn’t diminished since then, even after marrying a
semi-hoarder whose possessions are drawn to horizontal surfaces like metal to
magnets.
I
adore baskets, boxes, bins, tins, and all kinds of containers that corral
things. It’s one of the side effects of being an organization connoisseur and addict.
Honestly, boxes are intoxicating. I think inside the box, even when thinking outside of one!
Today
I’ll share a fun way to dress up an ordinary cardboard box for pretty and fancy
organization because half the fun of organizing is to pretty-up a space, not
just stack things neatly.
There
are zillions of ways to cover a box with fabric, and I’ve used several methods.
This is just one of them. When you create your own pretty box, adjust things to fit your personality, lifestyle and needs.
You’ll need:
A
box, fabric, hot glue and hot glue gun, scissors, craft sticks, optional
items such as a measuring tape, sewing machine, iron, trim, etc.
Box:
Make
sure it’s sturdy, the bottom won’t fall out, the sides aren’t breaking down,
and that it fits the items you want it to hold and especially, it fits the space where you’re
planning to use it.
Fabric:
Any
fabric will do as long as it’s not so thin the color of the box or any printing
on it shows through. The fabrics I used in this tutorial include a happy
flower-printed upholstery fabric and a medium weight canvas. But really, any type of fabric
can be used. If printing on the box shows through your fabric you can either
add a layer or two of white muslin behind the fabric, or glue white paper onto
the box. I’ve done both, but it’s important to make sure the under fabric or
paper is secure to the box so the decorative fabric stays in place.
Hot
glue & glue gun
I
was surprised how much glue I used on three boxes. The upside was learning how
to use less glue and still keep the fabric secure. A bonus to that is less glue
also means smaller glue bulges and a prettier finished product. Stock up on
glue anyway.
Craft
sticks
These
aren’t a must-have if you already have a good substitute. Just make sure you
have something to help you apply pressure to the fabric so you don’t burn your
fingers. Hot glue is hot! It can squeeze out around the edges when least
expected. I’ve used pencils or strips of heavy cardboard cut from box flaps.
Whatever you chose to use, have it handy when you start.
Scissors
To
cut fabric, and possibly a second pair for paper or cardboard and other materials.
Measuring
tape
To
measure fabric and other materials. (A square might also come in handy as you
cut fabric.)
***Optional
Paper,
sewing machine, thread, trim, etc. I made a little handle to trim my box just
for looks, but I rarely use it and just tug on the box. I turned the edges of the fabric under and
topstitched just for looks. Choose how you want your finished box to look before you start.
Step 1:
Choose your box and fabric.
Step 2:
This
step may not be necessary unless you need to cover the box with light weight
fabric or paper if the printing shows through. I used a heavy weight paper over
the ends to strengthen and mask the cut out handles. I trimmed the paper so the
decorative fabric would be glued directly to the box and not the paper. I tacked
the paper down with a thin line of glue in a few places to hold it secure.
Step 3:
Measure
and cut fabric to cover the ends of your box, making sure you have an overhang
on all edges. (You'll need 2 pieces of fabric, one for each end.) An easy formula is to measure the outside end and double it (so it covers the outside and inside), and
then add 3-inches to all of the sides (which gives you a 1 1/2" overhang on all edges).
Step 4:
Place
the box squarely on the wrong side of the fabric, making sure the top end will
be up when glued in place—if there is a top end to your fabric. (If you’re
making more than 1 box and have a pattern you want to match, make sure you cut
the pieces all the same and lay them all out the same.)
Run
a thin line of glue on the bottom of the box. Line the box up square to the
fabric with only 1” of fabric under the box. Press the box firmly onto the
fabric and hold until the glue cools.
Step 5:
Once
the bottom is securely glued in place, pull the fabric up and into the box.
Make sure it’s square, flat, and snug on the front of the box.
Step 6:
Turn
to the front of the box and glue the side edges to the side of the box.
First,
pull the fabric on one side taut so it lays flat without warps or bulging. Make
sure it’s square.
Next,
run a thin line of glue ¼” in from the edge of the box.
Press
the fabric into the glue and hold it in place, pressing firmly, until it cools.
Repeat
on the other side—running the line of glue—but this time pulling the fabric
taut so it almost seems like spray adhesive was used.
Once
the outer sides of the front are tacked in place you can glue the fabric in
place inside the box.
Run
a thin line of glue on the inside near the bottom front part of the box and
hold the fabric in place until it cools.
Next,
glue the fabric to the bottom of the box to secure it, making sure you push the
fabric tightly into the corner to make the sides and bottom lay at right
angles.
Finally,
glue the inside sides of the fabric in place, being careful that the top edge is
straight without tucks, bulges or pleats in the fabric. Work from the top down to
the bottom.
Step 7:
Turn
the box over and snip out a V in the bottom corners to remove excess fabric. The bottom corners
will be covered in fabric later so the goal is to remove bulk.
Apply the least
amount of glue possible to hold the fabric in place. Press the fabric firmly
against the box until the glue cools. Here’s where a craft stick will save your
fingers!
Step 8:
The
fabric on this end of the box should now be snug and secure inside and out. You’re now ready to repeat
the process on the other end of the box.
Step 9:
To
make a cute little handle like this one for the front of the box cut a 3” strip of fabric
about 4-5 inches longer than the width of the front.
Fold
both raw edges toward the center, then fold in half. Topstitch along the edges. A
handle is purely optional.
Another
option is to make the folds, iron them flat, and run a thin bead of hot glue inside
the fold to hold it in place. Press together until it cools. If you choose this
method make sure you use only a thin line of glue so the handle doesn’t have
bulges and will wrap smoothly around the front corners and lay flat.
Measure
where you want the handle placed, marking the sides.
Firmly
glue the handle to the first side, making sure only a tiny dot of glue is on
the side near the front edge. (You don’t want excess glue squeezing out to the
front, if possible.)
Secure
the extra length with more glue, pressing the handle as flat as possible to
lessen the bulge when the ends are covered with fabric.
Next,
glue the other edge, this time pulling the handle taut and securing the same
way. If you're making more than one box be sure to line up the handles.
Step 10:
With
both ends of the box completely finished, it’s time to cover the sides.
Measure
and cut the outside/inside fabric. This will be one piece of fabric.
Width:
The width goes from side to side and is cut 1” wider than the box. This allows
you to fold the raw edge under ½-inch on each side and topstitch the edges.
Step 11:
I
actually did all my measuring, cutting and sewing before I plugged in my hot
glue gun. This shows the handles and edges finished with topstitching and ready to go on 3 boxes.
Step 12:
Mark
the center of your box and the center of the fabric on both ends. Square your
box on all 4 marks.
Next,
on each end mark the wrong side of the fabric at the point where it will fold
to go up the side of the box.This will show you where to glue.
Press the box bottom firmly onto the fabric (making sure the fabric is pulled taut); hold until cool and secure. Repeat on the other side. (Don't glue the sides until both bottom ends are glued.)
Step 13:
With
the bottom fabric glued in place on the ends, it’s time to cover the sides.
Mark on the wrong side of the fabric where the fabric will fold over the top of
the box and fold toward the inside. This mark will show you how far along the edge of the
fabric you’ll run your next line of glue.
Quickly
run a thin line of glue up each side of the fabric, stopping at the mark where it will fold.
Quickly
pull the fabric up so it’s taut, and press firmly into place to secure, pulling
it to the edges and keeping it square.
Two
important things to keep in mind as you glue this:
- Make sure the fabric is square before you begin so it lays flat and smooth, and keep it square.
- Run the line of glue far enough away from the fabric edge so the excess won’t squeeze out then it’s pressed in place.
It
takes a few seconds for the glue to cool and harden, allowing you time to inspect
the edge for puckers. If you need to make minor adjustments you can. After it
cools and hardens you can add hot glue to the end of a toothpick to glue tiny
pockets that need gluing.
Repeat,
gluing the other outside end in place.
Step 14:
At
this point the outside of the box is finished and it’s time to complete the
inside.
Run
a thin line of hot glue along the inside top edge of the box about ½” – 1” from
the top. Fold the fabric inside and pull taut downward and side to side. Press
the fabric in place until the glue cools.
Next,
glue the side edges in place, working your way down from the top.
Secure
the fabric to the bottom in two places. First, on the upright side close to the
bottom, and second, on the bottom. Press the fabric into the angles to create a
flat bottom. I found it necessary to snip out excess fabric from the inside
corners when using heavier fabric.
Step 15:
With
the ends, sides, and bottom finished, there is only one more step—finishing off
the inside bottom. There are many ways to do this, but for these boxes I chose
to cut pieces of super heavy poster board to size and then glues them in place. This
covered all the raw edges so no loose threads would attach to items placed in
the box.
In
other boxes I’ve used fabric-covered cardboard. Cut the cardboard slightly
smaller than the inside measurement to allow for the added width of fabric wrapping around the
edges. I discovered it’s good to place the cardboard inside the box before you
cover it to double check the fit.
Last Step!
You know
this one: fill your gorgeous box as desired and place where you’ll use and
enjoy it!
A
few thoughts about fabric boxes:
These
boxes are open, so I covered the inside 100%, which might not always be
necessary, depending on how you use yours.
I’ve
made other boxes with fabric inside and out, but used a less expensive fabric where
it wouldn’t be seen.
I
love fabric inside so things don’t snag on the edges and pull the fabric loose, and so threads don't come up with things I pull out.
These are a pretty way to hold small items in
place.
Enjoy!
***PS
These
are fabric covered cardboard boxes and although they should last for years, they are NOT the best way to store kid’s
toys because of how much use (and abuse) they'll get in everyday wear and tear. If you choose to cover boxes for children’s use, use the sturdiest boxes
possible. I have a fabric-covered diaper box still in use after 5 years that
holds kid’s shoes and boots—so if you have a diaper box, use it if possible. That
old box looks battered and worn, but still works great.