Use these boxes for your sewing
notions, and the padded lid for
pins.

• 3 stacked oval papier-mache boxes (the base on the small box measures 3 x 5-1/4 x 3-1/2 inches; the medium box, 4 x 6-1/4 x 4-1/2 inches; the large box, 5 x 7-1/4 x 5 inches
• Poster board
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Thick white crafts glue
• 1/4 to 1/2 yard each of six coordinating cotton print fabrics
• Small paint tray
• Disposable 3-inch paint roller
• Batting
• Iron
• Ironing board
• 1-1/4 yards each of 5/8-inch-wide lavender and aqua double-faced satin ribbon
• 1-1/4 yards of 1-inch-wide pale green double-faced satin ribbon
• Clothespins

1. Remove the lid from one papier-mâché box and set it aside for another project. Trace the box opening onto posterboard. Cut out this piece and label it "Top Lid." Trace the Top Lid onto poster board and add a scant 1/8 inch all around. Cut out this piece and label it "Middle Lid." Trace the Top Lid onto poster board again and decrease the size 1/8 inch all around. Cut out and label this piece "Inside Lid." Trace and cut three more Inside Lids. Glue the four Inside Lids together.

2. Cut a second Top Lid from poster board to create a lip around the box bottom. Label it "Box Base." For a lining inside the box, cut a piece of poster board 1/2 inch shorter than the height and 1/2 inch longer than the perimeter. Label this "Box Lining." Choose the fabrics for the inside and outside of the box and lid. For all fabrics, increase the poster board lengths and widths by 1-1/2 inches. Cut out all fabric shapes.

3. Pour a small amount of crafts glue into the paint tray. Dip the paint roller into the glue. Roll off some glue as if painting a wall. Cover one side of the poster board with a thin layer of glue. (Use this gluing process for all pieces except the Top Lid and the main box.) Center the glued side of the poster board on the wrong side of the fabric. Smooth the fabric to remove wrinkles.

4. Glue the fabric raw edges around to the wrong side of the poster board, trimming away excess fabric at the corners. For the box, coat the outside with glue; then wrap it with fabric, turning under the raw edge at the overlap. Glue the raw edges at the top and bottom to the inside and around the bottom of the box. Glue batting to one side of the Top Lid. Wrap the fabric taut around the padded side.

5. Glue the wrong side of the Box Base to the bottom of the box. Glue the Box Lining to the inside of the box. Cut a 3-inch strip of contrasting fabric slightly longer than the box perimeter. Press under 1/2 inch on one long edge. Press the remaining long edge in half to the wrong side. Glue as a trim around the bottom of the box, folding under the raw edge at the overlap.

6. Glue the Middle Lid to the Inside Lid, wrong sides facing. Wrap ribbon once around the width of the Top Lid, gluing the ends to the wrong side. Cut the remaining ribbon in half. Glue one ribbon half across the length of the Top Lid, gluing the ends onto the wrong side. Glue the wrong side of the Top Lid to the top of the Middle Lid. Use clothespins to hold the pieces together until the glue dries. Slide the remaining ribbon half under the crosswise ribbon and tie the ribbon into a bow. Trim the ends.