A Bit of Stitch
Embroidered Covered Box Project

Any cardboard box can be used for this project, but the paper mache boxes sold 
in most craft and sewing stores work best. 

Prepare your Designs:

For all the boxes shown, a central embroidery design was used on top of an 
applique frame design.  If your software allows you to do so, import a frame 
design of your choice and then import the central design, aligning it within the 
frame.  Write this design to your card.

Prepare your Box:

If you wish to line or paint the inside of the box and box lid, you should do this 
before covering the outside.  Latex spray paint works fine, or felt can be glued to 
the inside sides and bottom of the box, and the inside top of the box.  Do not 
apply felt or other material to the inside of the lip on the top of the box so that the 
lid will fit correctly.

Prepare your Fabric for Embroidery:

Lay the box lid upside down on the right side of the fabric you plan to use to 
cover the lid of the box.  Trace around the box lid with a water-soluble marker.  
Make sure this piece of fabric is big enough to be hooped, and big enough to 
extend down the sides of the box lid at least .  Embroider your design on this 
fabric, centering it inside your traced line.  Remove all stabilizers before applying 
the embroidered fabric to the box. 

To prepare a piece of fabric to be embroidered for the sides of the box, place the 
lid on the box and trace around the box immediately under the lid all the way 
around.  Measure the distance between this pencil line and the bottom of the 
box.  Now measure around the box.  Cut a piece of fabric that will be long 
enough and wide enough to contain these measurements.   Remember that you 
will need it to be big enough to hoop.  Trace the outlines of the measurements in 
the center of this fabric using a water-soluble marker.  For instance, if your box is 
4 inches high and 20 inches around, you will have a rectangle marked on your 
fabric that is 4 inches 20 inches.  Now decide where you wish the embroidery 
designs to be, marking the center of each design placement on the fabric.  
Embroider the fabric, keeping your designs within the marked lines.  Remove the 
marking lines and all stabilizers before applying it to the box.

Covering the Box:

1. If you have not already done so, place the lid on the box and trace around the 
outside of the box with a pencil.  This will show you how far down the lid 
covers the box.  When you are applying material to the box you will not 
extend it above this line so that the lid will fit correctly when you are finished. 

2. Place the lid, topside down on a piece of quilt batting.  Trace around the lid 
with a pencil, marking a circle of batting.  Cut the batting out, just slightly to 
the inside of the line you have drawn.  Spray one side of the batting with 
temporary spray adhesive and place on the top of the lid.  If you wish to use 
more than one layer of batting, cut each layer slightly smaller than the first 
and place the layers on the box lid with the smallest on the bottom.

3. Measure another circle  around the circle you have marked with water-
soluble marker on your embroidered box lid fabric.  Cut out your embroidered 
fabric on this new line.  Remove the old line.  Spray the back of this fabric 
lightly with temporary spray adhesive and center it, glue side down, on your 
box lid.  Secure the overlap to the lip of the box lid with hot glue.  Work in 
small segments smoothing the fabric down firmly over the edges as you go.

4. Place the box, right side up, bottom down, on a piece of felt.  Trace around 
the box, marking a line on the felt.  Cut the felt out just slightly to the inside of 
this line.  If you are using ribbon or other wide, ready-made trim that has a 
finished edge on both sides to cover the sides of your box, go ahead and glue 
the felt to the bottom of the box now.  With hot glue, secure only around the 
edge of the circle.  Cut your wide trim or ribbon big enough to go around the 
box, with a bit to turn under.  Your trim should cover the box sides from the 
pencil line to the bottom, but not extend past the bottom of the box, or past 
the pencil line.  You can use two or three pieces of trim of ribbon, layering 
them to cover all the box in this area.  Hot glue the trim in place, working in 
small segments, and when you reach the place you began, fold under the trim 
end and hot glue in place.  Be sure to just cover the pencil line, but do not 
extend above it.

5. If you are using fabric that you have embroidered, or other fabric to cover the 
edge of your box, cut this fabric wide enough to extend from the line you 
penciled onto the box down past the bottom of the box about .  Be sure you 
have an inch extra in length to fold over where the fabric will lap itself.  
Starting slightly below the penciled line, hot glue the fabric to the top portion 
of the box, working in small segments all the way around the box.  When you 
reach where you have started, fold over the excess and hot glue it down, 
covering the starting point so that no raw edge shows.  Turn your box upside 
down and clipping the fabric to help it lay flat if needed, hot glue the bottom 
edge of the fabric to the bottom of the box.  Work in small segments, 
smoothing the fabric down the sides of your box firmly. Glue the felt bottom 
on, covering the raw edges of the side fabric.  Glue the felt only around the 
edges.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon or other trimit can be what ever width you choose, but 
 to 5/8 is easiest to applylong enough to go all the way around your box, 
plus a bit to turn under.  Working in small segments, hot glue this ribbon 
directly on top of your box side fabric, lining up the top edge with the pencil 
mark on the side of your box.  Be sure to just cover the pencil mark, but try 
not to extend the ribbon past the pencil mark.  When you get to the place you 
started, fold under the end of the ribbon and hot glue in place, covering the 
raw end.

7. Now it is time to decorate the lip of the box lid.  Silk flowers, fancy trim, home 
furnishing trim, strips of fake fur or feather boas work nicely.  If you use silk 
flowers, pull them away from their stems and cut the bottom plastic part as flat 
as possibleif they fall apart, all the better, discard the plastic holder and just 
hot glue the petals on to the box lid in the order they go, one on top of the 
other.  Pull or cut the leaves off the stems and hot glue those on last, pushing 
them between the flowers.  You can also add beads, buttons or tassels, what 
ever takes your fancy!  If you want to use dangling beaded trim on your box, it 
is best to apply it to the box sides before you add the ribbon that covers the 
pencil linethis way they wont get in the way when opening and closing the 
box.

Enjoy your embroidered covered box!

Note:  This project is intended for your personal enjoyment. Please do not reprint or distribute 
these project directions without prior permission.
