Vintage Fabric Box

A large recycled boot or shoe box is ideal; try asking shoe stores for unwanted boxes if you don't have any at home. If you don't have any fabric on hand, cover boxes with themed pictures from vintage magazines.

Materials Needed:

• empty recycled shoe or boot cardboard box and fitted lid
• 2 pieces of recycled vintage fabric, one piece cut just a little larger than the base and sides of the box, and the other cut just a little larger than the top and sides of the lid
• embroidery thread and needle

• eco-friendly adhesive glue
• illustrated pages torn from an old, unwanted magazine (optional)
• recycled ribbon

Step 1

Wrap the fabric, correct side facing out, around the box base and sides. Fold the top edges of the fabric and glue them neatly to the inside rim.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Step 2

Fold over the point of each triangular-shaped flap at either end, and stitch the flap onto the box using running stitch.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Step 3

Cover the lid in the same way, but sew across the top of the lid. Glue the paper over one half of the lid. Glue the edges to the inside rim.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited