How to Make a Sewing Box From a Shoebox or Wood (9 Steps)
Being a DIY person comes in handy. You can save a lot of money and build exactly what you want. Your creativity is unleashed and you can come up with some pretty good designs that will wow your family and friends.
How to make a sewing box from a shoebox: When you do not need to store a lot of sewing supplies or tools, a small sewing box can be a big help to you. You can make one out of a shoebox with a little ingenuity, paint, and smaller cardboard boxes.
To learn exactly how to create your mini sewing box just continue to read our article. It is filled with the helpful information you need to build your sewing box and save yourself a lot of money.
Making a Sewing Box 101
DIY Sewing Box Out of a Shoebox
Recycling the old shoebox and giving it some worth is a smart idea and one that will help you out when you need to store sewing tools, etc. The steps to take to build your sewing box out of a shoebox are not that many.
- Step 1: Find an old shoebox that is still in very good condition. This project may give you an excuse to buy some new shoes.
- Step 2: Take the lid off the box and grab a can of spray paint. Preferably a conservative color like black or brown. Next paint the interior of the shoebox and you can paint the underside of the lid if you want.
Make sure to use smooth, slow hand motions and do not overspray. You do not want paint runs ruining the box’s look.
- Step 3: This is optional. Instead of painting, you can decorate the interior with nice fabric or construction paper or similar creative pieces of paper. Just cut the paper to size and lightly glue those items into place. Wait for the glue to dry. Colors and designs are up to you.
- Step 4: Find some small boxes to create your compartments. They have to be all the same height for this step to work. If you want two layers, then make sure all your small boxes will fit inside the shoebox evenly.
- Step 5: Repeat steps 2 and 3 decorating those small boxes to look the way you want them to.
- Step 6: Place the boxes inside the shoebox. The only dimension that has to be the same is their height. All the others can be varying dimensions as long as they all fit snugly into the shoebox.Point 2
- Step 7: Glue the boxes together so that they will not fall out. If you want you can just create dividers out of cardboard to make sure you get the fit you need. Cut the dividers to size and make sure they are the same height.
- Step 8: Create a divider between the top and bottom layers. Measure your shoebox and cut the divider to the exact size. Then glue your boxes for the upper layer onto the divider. Wait for it to dry and place inside the shoebox.P
- Step 9: Decorate the lid of your shoebox however you want to do it. And you are done.
How to Make a Sewing Box Out of Wood
The easiest way to make a sewing box out of wood is to follow the instructions given above. Only you replace the shoebox with a wood box. Also, you can use cardboard boxes inside if you want or create your compartments out of scrap wood that look good.
With wood dividers, you have the added option of using a wood stain to finish the box off and make it look great. The wood box make and instructions you follow will depend on what size you want the sewing box to be and how skilled you are at working with wood.
An elaborate design is going to require the use of certain power tools like a router and possibly a Skil saw. It is just going to take you a little longer to make. Using wood and building from scratch will also require a special corner to fit the sides of the box together so that they do not fall apart.
The glue will be your friend here and it will hold the sides together better than nails or screws. You will want to use hinges and a clasp to make sure when you pick up the sewing box, nothing opens up and the contents fall out.
Go decorative here and add a nice handle to the top of the lid. Pick a good stain that has a nice color that will match your sewing room decor. There are a lot of detailed steps in making a sewing box out of wood ad finding the right plans for you will depend on your skill level.
How to Cover a Sewing Box
Covering your sewing box will depend on what kind of material you are using. If you are using a cardboard shoebox then a nice fabric will make it look really good. One way to do it is to cover the lid separately from the rest of the box.
The key will be in cutting enough fabric to fold over the edges of the box. You will want to have about 1/2 to 1 inch extra on all sides to handle that situation. Plus, you do not want to have loose fabric covering the sides or the top of the box. That loose fit may allow the fabric to tear when accidents take place.
After cutting the fabric to size, glue it into place making sure to not let bumps, ridges or folds ruin the look. Start from the bottom and go up. It is important to do each side of the box separately as that will keep the fabric smooth.
You can always add a little lace, etc. To cover the joints.
How to Line a Sewing Box
Lining your sewing box is going to be the reverse of covering your sewing box. It is a little harder to do because you have less room to work in. When you line your sewing box, measure each side you want to line first.
Then cut the fabric into individual pieces matching each side you want to cover. You can do the underside of the lid if you want. If you want to add a pocket to the lining, do that before you permanently affix the lining to the box.
Glue or two-sided tape will be your biggest asset here and carefully attach the lining to either. Doing the sides individually should spare you a lot of problems and cut your frustration down.
Like covering the box, you can add lace or some decorative ribbon or have some overlap that hides the joints.
DIY Sewing Box Plans
One of the good things about the internet is that people like to share their ideas and plans with anyone who stops by their website. You can find a host of plans to follow with a little internet search and even less time.
Here is one link to a plan that gives you the instructions you need to follow. The good part is that these instructions are free. If you are good at working with wood, then it does not take much to draw up your plans.
Have your spouse describe what she wants and then go about making up some rough drawings. Once those are done, she can approve the look and you can set about figuring out the measurements.
After that, you just get your supplies and start working.
Sewing Basket Ideas
A little brainstorming with friends and family can help you come up with some great ideas for sewing boxes. One idea is you can turn a new fishing tackle box into a sewing box without any real alterations.
Or you can use that fishing tackle box as a prototype and make your drawings off of it. Another idea would be to take your old makeup suitcase and turn it into the sewing box of your dreams. The lid is already attached as are the handles and hinges so all you would have to do is design the compartments and levels.
Or you can use some fabric or an old apron and turn that into a roll-up sewing box. Just add pockets to both, a zipper to keep everything inside and you should be good to go.
If you need to make compartments, you can always take an old yardstick and cut it to the sizes you need and glue the pieces together for a nice little holding area for thimbles, etc. Just add a bottom section to keep everything inside the compartments.
Sewing Box With Spool Holders
It is not hard to add a spool holder to many of the DIY sewing box projects you can try. The key is to have enough room inside the sewing box to be able to hold the spools of thread. One idea would be to add little elastic string to the lid of the old makeup case and place your spools in their grasp.
Or the yardstick idea would make a good spool holder if you do not mind having your thread spools lie flat. A little elastic fabric about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide can be sewn onto fabric pieces then place your longer thread spools under the elastic. Just make the fabric pieces long enough.
Finally, you could just make a separate spool holder and save room in your sewing box. That way you have the room to expand your thread collection without sacrificing some needed tool or sewing item you need in your sewing box.
Sewing Box Or Basket
This is going to be up to you, your preference and your sewing needs. If you can’t find a box big enough, then a nice sewing basket should be large enough and solve your problem.
Plus, baskets already look nice and they give you easy access to your sewing supplies. Also, the number of sewing items you want to place inside will influence your decision. But go with your gut and make a good decision for you.
Sewing Box or Bag
If we had a preference we would not choose a sewing bag. It is not always the best place to store your sewing supplies and they can be awkward to use and access. Sewing bags are not necessarily water or contaminant proof, among other vulnerabilities, so using one may not be in your best interests.
The sewing bags can get dirty as well. That means emptying them, washing and drying them then refilling them with your sewing supplies. That takes time you may not have.
But go with whichever one you like and prefer to use.
Sewing Box or Table
Sewing tables are great and they have lots of room to store different sewing items. The sewing table also gives you lots of room to work and reaching for sewing tools is convenient and easy. You can organize yourself with a sewing table as well as expand your sewing supplies.
Depending on your sewing box, you may not have the room to match those positive aspects that come from using a sewing table. Of course, there are sewing boxes that just dwarf the sewing table and provide you with so much space that the sewing table is just outclassed.
The best way to solve this dilemma is to combine the two so you get room to work and a great amount of space to organize and store your sewing supplies.
Some Final Words
Building your sewing box is a great way to build your confidence and let your creativity express itself. There are numerous plans and ideas you can use and there is an unlimited supply of creative ideas to make your DIY sewing box unique and attractive.
The determining factor will be your skill level. Start with simple designs and work your way up to more complicated ones. Also, a DIY sewing box project is a good way to spend quality time with your daughters and teach them the joys of sewing.
You just need the right plans and the right materials to get the sewing box you want at a reduced cost.
