Start by stitching a design you like on a fabric you like (with a few inches allowed on each side beyond the design area). Don't pick anything too big, and square is a great shape to choose. When you've chosen and stitched your design, go to your local craft store to the paper mache section. Find a box with a lid on which your design will fit (with a little room to spare.) Square boxes, rounds and ovals are easy to find...rectangles may be harder to fit.

And, as long as you're at the craft store, select a paint for the base of the box (or you can be really fancy and crackle paint it, paint a design on the base, or use another painting technique.) Also, get some ribbon that is about as deep as the lid (enough to wrap around the rim of the lid on the outside.) You will also need a piece of foam core cut to fit the lid, straight pins with flat heads, double-stick tape and/or hot glue.

Take your goodies home (along with the pretty stickers and a few clearance items that you had to also buy as long as you were at the craft store.) You'll start by stretching your piece onto the foam core. See my web site for full details on stretching, but basically, you're going to center the design on the foam core, pin each side in the middle to hold it in place, then work your way around, pinning and pulling a bit as you go. If you like a padded look, you can put a piece of batting underneath your piece before you start stretching it. Leave the extra hanging off the end of the foam core (don't trim it yet.)

Double-stick tape or hot glue your newly stretched piece to the box lid (you'll be attaching the foam core to the paper lid.) Keep the ends of the fabric hanging down, because then you're going to want to wrap that extra fabric around the lip of the box, and up and under the lid. I trimmed my corners so they laid nice and flat, and them double-stick taped them to the inside of the box (nice and flat so the lid can close.)

Now, you need to cover up all of those pin heads that are holding your piece in place. Take the ribbon you bought and double-stick tape (or glue) the ribbon around the pin heads and the lip of the lid. Voila!

Finish by painting the base in a matching color (I crackle painted mine purple underneath with off-white on top). The design I chose was Halloween Highway by Lizzie Kate, and the model is in my shop here. People love the box (perfect for hiding treats, if I didn't eat them all the time.) Paper mache boxes are so inexpensive, and this is a fun way to display your needlework (if your walls are kinda full, like mine are.)

Have a wonderful October!

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com