DIY Fabric Covered Boxes

By Kate Riley May 2, 2013

Hello everyone! I have a new DIY project to share today: fabric covered boxes perfect for storing keepsakes or office supplies. I love the idea of wrapping plain boxes in pretty patterns (like I did last year these marbled paper versions) and this time I made them with some beautiful fabrics sent to me by Annie Selke from her Pine Cone Hill collection.

diy fabric covered boxes

 

Here is the step by step:

make fabric covered boxes

 

First, round up the necessary supplies.  You’ll need about ½ yard of fabric for every box, sometimes more for larger versions. Find wood boxes at a craft store like Michaels, also glue designed for fabric and a brush to apply it. For thicker fabrics, you’ll need a staple gun too.

supplies

Next, cut the fabric to the size of the box and allow for enough fabric to wrap all fours sides.

trim fabric

With your staple gun, secure the first long side of the box with a few staples inside and close to the middle.

staple fabric

Apply a thin coat of glue to the bottom of the box and smooth the fabric as you rotate it around so that it lays flat along the bottom.

fabric glue

Staple the second side along the interior of the box, concentrating the staples toward the middle.

staple sides

Trim a piece of remaining fabric on the unwrapped sides so that you can easily wrap it up and around the edge without bulky excess. Add an additional layer of glue to the sides.

trim sides

fold up and over

add glue

 

Fold the trimmed fabric up and over the side of the box and secure it tight with the staple gun.

fold over

staple edge

Repeat the same process for the lid, but keep the fabric stapled  to the bottom edge of the lid to avoid the box becoming too difficult to close due to excess layers of fabric.

repeat for lid

 

In less than an hour you can create two stylish storage boxes for housing office supplies or mementos.

diy fabric covered boxes

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fabric covered boxes on shelf

 

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412 comments

  1. I’m hesitating between happy poppies, toadstool peacock and edelweiss crewel black cut at the moment :)

  2. Hot house floral is right up my alley (though the teal peacock is a close second)!

  3. Oh goodness, how am I supposed to choose?! I love the Hot House Floral Summer, Toadstool Multi and Happy Poppies Blue!

  4. Redecorating my home office and Toadstool Verdi is perfect for curtains!

  5. So hard to choose! Hot house summer…Happy poppies…so lovely!

  6. Really beautiful fabrics! My fab is Hot House Floral Spring Cut Yardage

  7. I am in love with the Edelweiss Crewel Aqua fabric. Beautiful colors and such a delicate design!

  8. So hard to pick just one! I think right now it would be Hot House Floral Summer Cut Yardage….so bright and cheerful.

  9. So many cheerful prints. My kitchen needs some “Shalini Ivory/Raspberry Cut Yardage” goodness. I’m working on a banquette and some happy colorful pillows is just what it needs :)

  10. I am having a hard time choosing, but I love the happy poppies!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  11. So many great choices! My favorites would have to be the happy poppies in pink and blue.

  12. My favorite is Hot House Floral Spring. It would look great in my home office!

  13. I think the happy poppies in either blue or slate are my favorites. Thought it’s really hard to choose.

  14. OOooo….I’m loving Hot House Floral Summer Cut Yardage. But as others have said, they are all truly beautiful :)

  15. Love the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry! It was hard to choose just one favourite, though. They’re all lovely.

  16. I love the Hot House Floral Summer pattern! I would probably use it to cover some boxes since yours look so amazing!

  17. Hot House Floral Spring….they are ALL beautiful and could find a place/use for each of them!!

  18. Oh I do love them all…
    I really like the Toadstool Multi Cut Yardage one! Would look so cute in the girls’ room.

  19. I love that happy poppies blue cut! It would be perfect for warmer weather decorating.

  20. I would use that interlaken matelasse and possibly make matching curtains to go everywhere.

  21. They are all so fresh and modern. I like the Scramble Tin the best.

  22. Love all of them but if I had to pick one it would be HOT HOUSE FLORAL SUMMER CUT YARDAGE!

  23. I am really in love with the bright and beautiful Hot House Floral Summer. Gorgeous!

  24. All so lovely. I’m liking the Hothouse and Scramble Tin Cut.

  25. The treehouse linen is gorgeous. I love the hot house floral summer too.

  26. What a lovely site! I went to look at the yardage choices for this giveaway, but kinda got lost in bedding! Just lovely! One to definitely go back to and browse/dream! I would have a hard time narrowing it down, but I do like Toadstool Verdi and Key Lime. All so cheery! Thanks for sharing and for this giveaway!

  27. I have to choose one? Then I choose Hot House Floral Spring Cut Yardage! My husband and I just bought our first house together two weeks ago, and I’m really excited to make this place our own. I love the blues and greens on this print, it’s how I envision our new home to be!

  28. They are all beautiful, but I am leaning toward Happy Poppies Slate Cut more. Thanks!

  29. Love the Hot House Floral Summer. I don’t have any floral fabrics in my life right now and I definitely need some :)

  30. Well, I really like the Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Cut, however my unemployed, empty wallet doesn’t!

    I would love to use the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry for the Roman shades I would like to make. The fabric would definitely make my dining room happy!

  31. Love this craft, thank you for sharing! It looks like something even the novices like me can handle!

    My favorite fabric is the Hot House Summer Floral, although it was such a hard decision!

  32. I absolutely love love love the Toadstool Peacock Cut – I see myself using it in so many ways!

  33. Ooh, I love the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry Cut Yardage – such great colors! It makes me want to redo my kitchen/family room. :)

  34. I am loving the Poppies Pink fabric! The vivid colors are awesome!

  35. Links Key Lime would look fantastic in my family room… my plan is to border plain drapery panels with this fabric.

  36. Love the Happy Poppies Pink! I just had a baby girl 4 weeks ago and this would be the greatest pattern to add to her room decor.

  37. Love the Toadstool Russet. I am obsessing over coral and blue’s right now for ideas to use in our nursery this fall!!

  38. Scramble tin please! Just installed a closet system and the calm gray/white will add to the sense of order.

  39. Beautiful fabrics. Cant choose between Cabana Stripe and Hot House Floral.

  40. Having a hard time, there are so many lovely choices. The closest I can come to narrowing it down is to the Links Indigo or the Honfleur linen.

  41. This was a hard choice! I think my favorite is SHALINI IVORY/RASPBERRY CUT YARDAGE.
    Thanks!

  42. So hard to choose just one! I love the toadstool and the edelweiss. I made pillow covers for my living room couch out of the hothouse floral spring cut, and those pillows are my favorite thing in the whole house! It’s all so beautiful. Thanks for the chance to win!

  43. I am in love with the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry Cut Yardage it would be perfect for my girls’ room!

  44. I love the Links indigo fabric! Great giveaway – thank you!

  45. Links Key Lime! Perfect for the do-over of my daughter’s room we’re doing to “move on up” to teen years.

  46. It’s a tie between hot house floral and the grey links. Thank you for the giveaway.

  47. Am I the only one who loves Whitney? You just can’t beat that red. Thanks for the giveaway!

  48. I love the Links in Key Lime and Taupe! Both gorgeous. Thank you!

  49. So many of them make me smile it’s hard to decide — but I guess my fav is “July Stripe”. It just says “Summer Fun” to me.

  50. They are all gorgeous but hot house floral spring is where I am heading right now with my living room decor.

  51. There are so many lovely fabrics! I really like October Stripe, Toadstool Peacock, and Scramble Tin. Thanks for the giveaway!

  52. I love the Shalini Bluemarine for my new wingback chair that I scored for free…
    Thanks for the giveaway!!!

  53. hot-house-floral-summer-cut. I like the little hint of purple in there.

  54. Happy Poppies Blue makes me smile. I need to recover a cushion on our wooden love seat at our kitchen nook. It would be perfect.

  55. Any of the three striped patterns are gorgeous…they are all gorgeous, tho. I’m moving in two weeks to a new house and can picture these bright colors in my new home!

  56. I’ve never heard of this company before, oh my goodness! Beautiful! Toadstool Verdi is my favorite!

  57. I’ve loved Toadstool in Russet since I first saw it about a year ago, and it would look beautiful in my house.

  58. I love these! Fabric boxes are too expensive out in the market place, it is great to know we can make our own!

    xoxo Michelle thebashfulnest.blogspot.com

  59. Love the Shalini Bluemarine! …but also love the Happy Poppy Blue. Sorry can’t choose just one :)

  60. Love the fabric covered boxes! I am totally going to do this. My fabric of choice is Shalini Bluemarine. Thanks for the giveaway!

  61. SO many pretty fabrics, really like the simplicity but intricacy of the Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Cut Yardage

  62. Gosh, I really do love them all! My favorite would probably have to be Toadstool Peacock though! Would look amazing on some boxes in the office. Can’t wait to try the DIY.

    Thanks!

    allyseonlife.blogspot.com

  63. I love the Scramble Tin Cut Yardage… it would look fabulous as an accent in our master bedroom!

  64. Ohhh! I just love HAPPY POPPIES PINK – so pretty and cheerful! Thanks for the chance, this is an amazing giveaway!!

  65. Oooh, I love Cabana Stripe Wide Cut Yardage….it looks so fresh and pretty!

  66. I have been crazy about Toadstool Russet for a long time. So pretty!

  67. Ooh it is a toughie!! I think it is Happy Poppies Blue Cut Yardage for me- How can you go wrong with Happy in the title plus a hint of this seasons hot emerald.

  68. They are all beautiful but my favorite at the moment would have to be the Happy Poppies in Pink!

  69. I love the hot house floral fall cut pattern. It’s fun but neutral enought to match the pallet in my home.

  70. Beautiful! I love the Shalini in ivory and raspberry!

  71. Love the happy pink poppies but they are all. very. nice!

  72. Loving that June Stripe fabric!!!! It would make some gorgeous napkins to be held by my pink flamigo napkin rings!!!!

  73. What a nice surpise! I didn’t even know PCH sold just fabric. I love the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry. Thanks for the opportunity.

  74. My favorite is the Edelweiss Crewel pattern in black. I would make a beautiful travel bag out of it.

  75. Hi Kate, love your blog, and idea about the fabric covered boxs very cool! I have a new found love for fabric I cant get enough.All the fabrics in the yardage collection are beautiful, but I like the scrambled tin cut yardage best… oooh, the things I could create with this fabric gets me all warm n fuzzy inside xoxoElle @sweetpeaschicnshabbies.blogspot.com.

  76. I love the Ila Chocolate because it would look great in my bedroom renovation!!!!

  77. I have loved Links in Indigo for forever now! I made some pillows out of Annie Selke’s Tala and Seema patterns last year!

  78. I love Shalini Ivory/Raspberry Cut! I’m a sucker for anything paisley!!

  79. Absolutely adore – Hot House Floral Summer Cut Yardage! Fabulous!

  80. There were so many that I liked but if I had to choose 1, it would be the October Stripe Cut Yardage.

  81. hot house floral spring but so many more I like too!!!
    thanks! :)

  82. So hard to choose! Toadstool Verdi and the Links both Taupe and Tin. All could find a home in my house no problem. Okay, okay, (if I have to ppick 1) Toadstool Verdi.

  83. Awesome! I would use cabana wide stripe for my teenage daughter’s room.

  84. Lots of great choices but the Honfleur Linen caught my eye. I’m a sucker for a beautiful blue stripe!

  85. Wow, so many choices…. I just love all of them, but am particularly in love with Edelweiss Crewel Aqua. I can just see it made up! :) Thanks for the chance at such a great give-away!

  86. My favorite fabric is Happy Poppies in Slate. I love the multiple blues with chocolate brown and I think it’s the perfect inspiration fabric for the guest room I’m redoing!

  87. Love the Happy Poppy Pink. I will go perfectly in my craft room!

  88. I live the hot house summer and spring. The summer would be perfect for my living room and the spring for my daughters room we’re currently working on. Don’t know how I’d choose?!!

  89. Love! Love! Love the Whitney fabric! This would be the perfect way yo pull in the touch of blue I have been trying to pull into my great room decor!!!!

  90. Love the Happy Poppies! My fave is the pink, but I’d prob go for the blue to tone down the femme factor for hubby.

  91. How to pick just one!!? I would go with any of the Link patterns/colors, bc they go with a room redo I’m working on…thanks for doing such a great giveaway!

  92. I could use a strong graphic in my decor right now so my fav is the links key lime. Love the geometric pattern ut it’s not like everyone else’s.

  93. I love the “Whitney”! The stripe looks like it would be perfect with my bedspread!

  94. I love the Hot House Summer. The colors in this fabric are the exact colors my daughter wants me to make her room over with. Thanks.

  95. I’m feeling the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry! So many pretty fabrics!

  96. I am in love with Links Key Lime! Perfect for my living room :-)

  97. So many I like but I guess I will have to say my favorite is the Hot House Florals! :-)

  98. I love the happy poppies! Hard to choose between blue and pink, and perfect for the warmer weather!

  99. Hmm, just one? Since I need a burst of Spring after our long Winter, I am leaning toward the Happy Poppy Pink and I am usually someone who chooses blue, so who knew?
    Thanks for the giveaway and I hope I’m the lucky winner.

  100. Links taupe cut yardage is not very colorful like some of the others but it matches my new couch and would make great curtains.

  101. So many pretty choices but the one that I choose is the Happy Poppies, blue cut!

  102. I love the Hot House Floral Spring Cut. Perfect for Spring and Summer.

  103. Oh my…a win would be incredible…found the perfect fabric for a chair makeover…Sarala Slate Cut Yardage is absolutely “it”~the floral blues and greys are perfect!

  104. I LOVE the links in lime and indigo. and the Happy Poppies in pink…i love it all!

  105. Oh, the Happy Poppies are so….happy! Very bright and pretty on this 3rd day of May, as it is snowing like crazy here in North Iowa. Thank you for sharing.

  106. I love these fabrics. They’re so bright and fun! The toadstool-russet and the happy poppies-blue are probably my favorites.

  107. Love your boxes and I love Treehouse Linen. Color combo in that stripe is beautiful

  108. I have 2 favorites…Hot House Floral Summer and Shalini Ivory/Raspberry. What great fabrics!

  109. I like April Stripe. A great foundation fabric to compliment other prints.

  110. Beautiful fabrics. Love the Shalini/Raspberry for my decor. Thanks for the Giveaway.

  111. I love the shalini prints! They have a sort of bohemian flair to me…so fun! I could take some in each colorway.

  112. I love the bright colors of Hot House Floral Summer, and Links is a great go-with-anything design.

  113. I like the Hot House Floral Fall because it matches perfectly with the general color scheme for my entire house, but I also like most of the other ones, too.

  114. It’s a toss up between Hot House Floral Spring and Toadstool Verdi…maybe both!

  115. I just moved into a new sewing room and boy is it drab! It could sure use some Happy Poppies Pink fabric to brighten it up! And the fabric covered boxes would go a long way in getting me organized.
    This fabric line is nothing short of AMAZING!!!

  116. I”m loving the Shalini Ivory/Raspberry Cut Yardage…..it would look wonderful on this wing chair I’ve been waiting to re-cover. The colors are awesome!

  117. After lots of Spring cleaning I could use some beautiful storage boxes. Love the idea and Happy Poppies Blue cut.

  118. Honfleur looks beautiful and beachy. I know just what I’d use it on.
    .

  119. Love the Interlaken Matelasse’ in Ivory. That could work with so many things! :)

  120. Hot House Floral Summer Cut Yardage would help bring spring to the midwest!!

  121. Hard to decide, but I think I have to go with the Hot House Floral Spring.

  122. Definitely the Whitney – classic/traditional – ideal for the DR & something my DH can live with;)

  123. I like the June Stripe and the Happy Poppies! I’m sure I could use them somewhere in my little girl’s nursery!

  124. It would be a toss up between Toadstool Peacock and Toadstool Verdi—love the colors! Thanks for the opportunity.

  125. I absolutely love the Links Key Lime Cut Yardage! Will go great with my Caribbean Blue and kelly green motif I have going for my living room!

  126. Love Happy Poppies Pink Cut and it’s a good price as well. Just built a new home and would add great color. Keep up the great work bringing us great ideas, love your post.

  127. I just love love love “Edelweiss Crewel Aqua”. It has such class!!!!! Thank you for all your great
    giveaways!!! And fantastic ideas, I look forward to your emails daily! Thanks!!!!

  128. The Shalini Bluemarine is fabulous.

    Thanks for your great site and constant flow of useful ideas!

  129. Happy Poppies are gorgeous. I could think of a few projects to make with that fabric.

  130. Ok…how can one possibly pick? Beautiful. I finally chose Happy Poppies Pink Cut Floral.

  131. They are all gorgeous and I could seriously find a place for any (or all) of them!!

  132. LOVE the Links Tin fabric. I have the perfect place in mind for it!

  133. Dangit…I can’t decide. I like them all for one reason or another!

  134. HOT HOUSE FLORAL SPRING is my favorite, I think…but TOADSTOOL RUSSET is a very close second. =)

  135. I love the Happy Poppies Blue Cut Floral but most of the fabric is too bright for my place – so I would choose Interlaken White Matelassé – the white will work. :)

  136. I really LOVE the toadstool multi; so gorgeous and so perfect for summer!

  137. My favorite is the pink links. I would make a cute clutch for summer if I win!

  138. The Scramble Tin is my favorite, though I really like almost all of the fabrics. Great website!

  139. HAPPY POPPIES PINK CUT YARDAGE…..it’s just like the name says, ‘Happy’. Very appropriate for the Spring & Summer. Love the colors too.

  140. Shalini BlueMarine is one I’ve been eyeing for a while! Thanks!

  141. I love the Toadstool Multi Cut Yardage. Actually had hard time deciding; I loved several!

  142. The Happy Poppies in Blue would be perfect in my kitchen. Love all the bright colors.

  143. My favorite is Shalini Ivory/Raspberry, but they are all beautiful.

  144. The Shalini Ivory/Raspberry is my favorite, but they are all beautiful.

  145. Wow, the fabric certainly does wonders for those boxes. Hard to pick a favorite fabric but Happy Poppies in Pink is fun!

  146. They’re all gorgeous but Shalini Ivory/Raspberry is my fave

  147. There are so many beautiful fabrics to choose from. If I had to choose, I would pick the Links Indigo Cut Yardage. I love the pattern and the color.

  148. Love Shalini Terracotta/Slate–would look perfect in my dining room!!

  149. I really would love to see the July Stripe on my front porch !! Thanks for a great giveaway.

  150. I love the SCRAMBLE TIN CUT YARDAGE…would make a great set of curtains for my dining room.

  151. So hard to choose just one but I love the Treehouse Linen. Great colors!

  152. My favorite fabric is the toadstool peacock. We see a lot of peacocks near our house :)

  153. i liked shalini–blue marine & ivory/raspberry cut, both of these were my favorite altho it was hard to pick out a favorite from all of these pretty fabrics. thanks/chance

  154. I could use Tooadstool Peacock or Toadstool Russet to make pillows for my home! Beautiful colors!

  155. Love all fabrics! I would choose the hothouse floral fall cut. Thanks for a chance to win :)

  156. Treehouse linen would make lovely chair cushions..or even curtains!

  157. Shalini Terracotta-Slate Cut is my favorite. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

  158. My favorite is the Scramble Tin but the Links Tobacco is a close second!

  159. I love the June Stripe cut yardage!!!! Would bring so much color to my guest bedroom.

  160. Edelweiss Crewel Aqua is a color that will blend with just about any decor. There are multiple color combinations that will bring out a certain element of the fabric every time.

  161. The Links Key Lime would make great curtains for my bedroom/office!

  162. I love the poppies in pink but I can’t say no the the scrambled in tin. These are all great fabrics!

  163. So hard to choose! Love the links key lime and hot summer floral.

  164. I love the Links Tin Cut Yardage and the Interlaken White Matelassé Cut Yardage. I just can’t decide they are both so beautiful!

  165. I’m in LOVE with the Links Key Lime! Already dreaming of where this would go in my house :)

  166. I like the July Stripe, it would match the colors in my home perfectly. Thanks.

  167. The Links Pink for accent pillows. It would go perfectly with my daughter’s new bedding she received for her birthday.

  168. Hot House Floral Spring. It would be perfect in my dining room! Thanks

  169. Hot House Floral Spring Cut, it would make great throw pillows for the new banquet I just built!

  170. The linen treehouse is beautiful and one of many favorites. Great giveaway, thanks! Lisa

  171. Well, that was about as easy as picking your favourite child! However, I love the two you chose so have decided on July Stripe. Beautiful website!

  172. i like the happy poppies thanks for the great chance to win this one

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