Tutorial: From Drab to Fab

This drab box made for a fun project, and tutorial! Learn how to convert a lacklustre box into a fubulouso box for your accessories!

Before

After

Find some coordinating pieces of fabric. I dove into my scrap bag and used a combination of raw silk, georgette and banarsi fabrics. Iron them if needed and then lay your scraps in a rough pattern of how you want your box to look like when it's done.

Take the first piece of fabric and start gluing it down. Glue the top edge first so that it is easy for you to cut out excess fabric. Although it will look untidy at this point, let it be because you will be covering it up.

Glue it down on the bottom as well, making sure to stretch the fabric in order to eliminate bubbles or air sockets. Next, comes the corners. Cut out a small indent right at the turning point and glue it down like so:

Now that you have covered about one-third of your box, mark where you want your second color to be:

Glue down the second color just like you did the first. Since my box had a flap, I covered it with the same color for continuity.

Glue down on the inside, neatening up the corners:

Lay down your third piece of fabric. Since I had a print, I wanted the motifs to be prominent so I aligned it accordingly. In order to neaten up the edges of this third color, and since I do not want to use ribbon on the top, I tucked in the edges to give it a finished look.

Line up your fabric for the sides and glue it down. When gluing on the inside edge of the box, tuck in the edges so as to have a nice, polished look. The bottom can look messy at this point ;)

To cover up the bottom, cut out a piece of scrap paper or fabric and glue it down. Voila!

 

Before you think you are done, you need to tidy up the inside of the box. Get a matching ribbon.

See these rough edges? Cover them with ribbon and this is the final look:

Now you are done! Accessorize if you want, but I wanted to keep it simple in order to emphasize the printed fabric so I let it be.

Fill with your favorite things! Use it as a jewelry box, or as a storage for knick-knacks.