Camellia Box

Stephanie Novatski © 2004

Many years ago, I was given a lovely fabric covered heart box filled with small soaps. Once the soaps were gone, I could not bring myself to throw away the box and put it in a "safe" place until I could find another use for it. Just recently, while cleaning out a closet, I found the box and immediately decided to embellish it with a Battenberg doily and silk ribbon flowers. I filled it with more gift soaps and used it as a hostess gift. That box now has a new life! This process can also be used on paper mache boxes that have been painted or fabric covered. (These boxes are very inexpensive and plentiful in the craft stores. ) I purchased the doily in a clearance bin at a local fabric store chain but you can make your own crocheted heart or even use a piece of lace. The actual size of the box top is 5" across at the widest point.

Materials used:

• Fabric box or similar prepared for embellishment

• Assorted Silk ribbon (I used 7 mm over-dyed peach for the camellias, 7 mm green for the leaves, 4 mm dark lavender for the lilacs)

• Assorted Seed Beads (I used size 10 light purple)

• 1 small lace doily to fit on the lid of the box

Construction:

Make three free standing silk ribbon camellias. Tack them in a pleasing arrangement to the lace doily. Fill in around the flowers if preferred with additional silk ribbon embroidery--I made leaves of 7 mm Japanese ribbon stitch and added colonial knots of 4 mm with beads in the centers. Once the doily has been embellished, glue or hand sew with invisible stitches, the doily to the top of the box.

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