Tissue box cover

The tissue box cover is essentially a single flat shape which folds up the sides of your tissue box, and is fastened at the top. This shape can be made in two different ways:

a) From a single piece of outside fabric, plus a single piece of lining.

b) From a number of pieces of outside fabric, sewn together in such a way that the pattern is always upright on all four sides of the box. Plus a single piece of lining.

These two options (and the direction of the fabric) are illustrated below:



Either method is fine - it depends on the fabric you're using and whether or not it has an obvious "right way up".

1) To create the above shape, we firstly need to figure out it's dimensions. Measure the size of your desired tissue box, taking note of the following lengths: W, H, L, X & Y:

Based on the above, this is how your cover measures up:


Don't forget to add 6mm all around for seam allowance!

2) Cut out this shape from your cover fabric using either method a) or method b). Cut out the lining fabric to match.

3) Pin the cover and lining fabrics together right sides facing. Cut two pieces of elastic each about 8cm long, and create two loops. Pin the loops in place between the fabrics, as shown:

4) Sew around the outside of the entire shape, 6mm in from the edge, leaving a gap at the end of one of the side flaps as shown above. You may like to run the machine back and forth over the elastic loops to make them extra secure.

5) Turn the piece inside out and iron flat, then hand stitch the hole closed. (Note: You may wish to test the cover on your box first, to make sure it fits nicely. If any of the flaps are too long you can always turn it back inside out and shorten them).

6) Now just position two buttons as shown below (the elastic loops should be nice and tight), and you're done!

Thank you to Heather for making the original tissue box cover from which this tute was developed!
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Tissue paper rose

Materials:

tissue paper (or crepe paper)

stem materials (cardboard or card-stock paper, pipe cleaners, floral wire, or straws)

scissors
tape

floral tape (optional)

plates (optional)

writing utensil (optional)

paint (optional)

ribbon or vase (optional)

1) Visit a craft store to purchase tissue paper in as many colors as you like. Whether you want to use traditional flower colors is up to you. Visit a florist to purchase floral tape or floral wire if you choose.

2) Decide what you would like your stem to look like (smooth or furry, rounded or flat, bendable or straight), then choose cardboard, pipe cleaners, wire, or straws as your stem material. If you want a more realistic-looking flower, then choose something green to make your stem, but don't feel limited. Choose any color you desire!

3) Find a medium-sized plate (about five inches in diameter) and place it on top of two layers of tissue paper. You may want to experiment with different sizes of plates, or even with saucers for very small flowers. Use a pen, pencil, or marker to trace a circle around the plate.

4) Hold the multiple layers of tissue paper together, and cut along the line that you have drawn.

5) Continuing to hold the layers together, poke your finger into the middle of the circle.

6) Use your other hand to squeeze the end of the point you've created with your finger, then remove the finger.

7) Pinch this point so that it forms a tight corner.

8) Use a small piece of clear tape to hold the point together while you find your stem material. If you chose to use cardboard, cut a long, thin piece about the width of a pen. Use the size of the flower as a guide for how long to make the stem.

9) Tape the stem to the flower.

10) (optional step) Cut out leaves from green card-stock paper or cardboard. The size of the leaves should be proportional with the size of the flower. Make sure your leaves have a little extra paper sticking out at bottom so that you can attach them to your stem more easily.

11) (optional step) Tape the leaves to the stem using clear tape or green floral tape.

12) If you chose to use wire or a straw, you may want to cover the entire stem with green floral tape when you are finished to make the flower look more real.

13) Make enough flowers to form a pretty bouquet. Use colorful ribbon to tie your flowers together, about halfway down the stem. Or, find a vase and place the bouquet inside it to decorate any table.

Variations:

- Make a one medium- or large-sized flower and a few small flowers with short wire stems. Use green floral tape to attach all of the stems together, making one thick stem with many flowers.

- Try using crepe paper instead of tissue paper for a textured, more pliable flower.

- Use more layers of tissue paper for a thicker, more dense flower.

- Paint the stem to make it more colorful. Try solid colors, stripes, or any pattern you can think of. Be sure to paint the stem before attaching it to the flower for less hassle in cleaning up.

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