Handmade Floral Storage Boxes

Our covered storage boxes are a great way of creating a splash of colour in the bedroom. Made from coordinating fabrics with handmade felt flowers in shades of pink and yellow, the colour scheme could be easily changed to suit any home décor. Why not create mini versions using the same technique, they could make really unusual gift boxes for someone special?

Essentials

Fabric: floral prints, half metre of each
Felt: green; pink; gold
Ric rac: pink; orange
Blank box, set of three, Efco, Papp Art (2634042)
Beads, pearl, pink, 5mm
Paint, acrylic: orange; pink

Dimensions List

Tall box: 15.5cm
Short box: 10cm

Make a tall box

Use a sponge to apply raspberry paint to the rim of the lid and the top half of a tall box. Leave to dry and repeat the process until the colour of the box beneath can no longer be seen. Place patterned fabric on a table, put the base of the box over the fabric and draw around the shape. Cut out the circle, adding 3mm to the drawn line. Trim a 13cm wide strip of floral fabric long enough to wrap around the box, adding on an extra 12mm to the length for the seam allowance. With right sides facing, pin the short edges of the fabric together and machine stitch into place.
With right sides facing, pin the base to the tube of fabric and machine stitch all around. Open up the seams and turn the right way then slip over the box to see how the cover fits. Mark where the fabric comes to and stick a strip of double sided tape across the top of the box. Peel the backing paper off the tape, pull the fabric taught and stick it down. Work your way around the box, so that it is taught and wrinkle free.
Cut a length of orange ric rac to fit around the box. Apply a thin bead of PVA adhesive to the fabric edge and carefully lay the ric rac into place. Blot any glue that squeezes out and temporarily pin the ends of the ric rac to the box, to hold it into place while it is drying. Cover the lid in the same way, adjusting the width. Once the ric rac is dry remove the pins.
Download the relevant templates provided and print. Trace the template for the small petal and flower motif onto paper and cut the shapes out. Pin the flower motif to pink felt and cut out. Pinch one of the petals into shape and secure on the reverse with backstitches. Shape each in this way. Using pinking shears, trim a 2cm disk from green felt, sew three pink beads to the centre and stitch to the middle of the flower. Make up another three flowers in the same way.
Pin the petal template to pink felt and cut out five pieces. Pinch the ends as before and stitch underneath to shape. Finish the other four petals in the same way, then thread them all together at the base, sewing them several times to secure. Using pinking shears, cut out a disc of green felt, sew pink beads to the centre and stitch to the flower as before. Make up another four blooms in the same way.
Cut a 4.5cm wide piece of floral fabric long enough to wrap around the box, plus 12mm for seam allowances. Iron down a 1cm hem on all four sides and machine stitch. Arrange the flowers across the fabric and sew into place. Fill in any gaps with green discs decorated with pearl beads. Wrap the flower strip around the box, pull the fabric taught and secure the ends with ladder stitches.

Create a small box

Paint the rim and the top of a small box using orange paint. Using floral fabric, cover the box as for the larger one. Pin the template for the larger petal to gold felt, cut out five pieces and make into a flower as before. Using the smaller petal template and pink felt, make up another bloom in the same way. Sew the smaller flower to the centre of the larger one, then hand sew to the lid of the box.