Tissue Box Cover {tutorial}

Do you ever find yourself at the store in the tissue box aisle trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to pick out the box that best matches with your décor?  But then it never seems to match when you bring it home? You try so hard to make everything else pretty, but somehow this unsightly yet necessary item has slipped through the cracks. Well, my friends, it is time to take back your room. Let's make this box fit in with all of your other beautiful things. But let's do so without resorting to bulky cheap-looking plastic covers. Maybe if it is in your budget, you can buy a sleeker and more attractive cover. But on my student-sized budget, I needed to look for another solution.

How about a cute fabric tissue box cover?  Yes please!

So, I have seen fabric box covers before, but honestly the ones I have seen have looked a little sloppy. (Trust me, though, I know mine is faaaar from perfect.) I'm pretty happy with the way my turned out. At least to me, it does not look sloppy, and here is why: (1) I used clasps on the bottom to give the box a nice tucked-in look, and (2) I used Heat 'N Bond light to line the fabric.

Thanks so much for looking! Stick around in case you are interested in making one  yourself.

                   Materials

• Fabric (I got mine on clearance from Jo Ann's for around $3 or $4/half yard. I love it and have used it here and here. )
• Heat 'N Bond light weight iron-on fusible interfacing (around $2, I think)
• Scissors (on hand)
• Ruler or measure tape (on hand)
• Needle and thread if you're sewing by hand like me (on hand)
• 2 Clasps (< $1)

                   Time - approx. 2 hrs (less if you own a sewing machine)

Step 1 - Trace one side of your tissue box, adding half an inch to each side. Cut that piece out and make 3 exact copies. Trace the top of the box onto the fabric - that shape is slightly different.

TIP: If you have an empty tissue box, cut the bottom half off, and then use the opening on the top as a template to trace the oval onto your top square of fabric and then cut it out. (Oh and I totally didn't do that part, but it sounds like a good idea. My oval is a little imperfect.)

Step 2 - Iron the Heat N Bond light weight interfacing onto the backs of the fabric rectangles. As I mentioned before, this is part of what I think makes the tissue box cover look sharper and less slouchy. Then cut off the excess like so…

Step 3 - Fold down a half inch on each side of the fabric rectangles and then iron down. (see below)

Step 4 - Simply sew the edges of the rectangles to the top square piece. Until you get something that looks like this…

Jini wanted to get in the pic, too.  :) Heidi, my other dog, was sitting next to her momma. {love them!}

Step 5 - Sew the sides of the rectangles together the same way until you have the basic form. You're almost done! :)

Step 6 - Cut out some strips of fabric and sew one to each side of the bottom of the cover. Now, attach a clasp by sewing it each part of the clasp to the strips of fabric on opposite sides like so…

Insert your tissue box and attach the clasps together on the bottom. There you go! Lovely! Much nicer and classier to display this than a normal boring tissue box. Yay! :)

The final pic once again. 

Here's another angle.

Thanks for checking this tutorial out! If anyone makes their own fabric tissue box cover based on mine, please let me know so that I can show it off here. Thank you!!

I'm linking to...

Weekend Wrapup @ Tatertots and Jello Show & Share Day @ Just a Girl Wordless Wednesdays Spotlight Yourself Blue Cricket Design We Did It Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado Show Us What You're Workin' With @ Me & My Bucket 100 Ideas Under $100 @ Beyond the Picket Fence Hoo's Got Talent @ Night Owl Crafting Look What I Made! @ Creations by Kara Creative Share Wednesday @ The Trendy Treehouse