Takeout Box - jcaroline creative
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Fabric Covered Chinese Take-Out Box

fabric covered chinese take out
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Make your gift wrap a gift in itself! I've seen covered take out boxes used as purses. The box on the left is a quart box covered in Amy Butler's Charm Sage Fairy Paisley with Tan 3/16" cord and Tan/Light Blue Tassels. The box in the middle is a quart box covered in Michael Miller's Turquoise Astro Dots with Bermuda Cool 1 1/2" ribbon. The boxes on the right are quart and pint boxes covered in Michael Miller's etc. in turquoise fabric and 5/8" grosgrain.
Materials Needed:
  • Chinese Take Out Box
  • 1/2 yard of fabric will yield you 2 quart boxes, 3 pint and 4 or 5 half-pint boxes
  • Ribbon or trim of desired length
  • Craft Glue and/or spray adhesive
Step 1:

Carefully disassemble the box by removing the wire handle and unfolding it until it is flat.
Step 2:

Lay the box on the fabric and cut your fabric approximately 1/2" larger all the way around.
Step 3:

Spray the right side of your flattened box with spray adhesive and adhere to the fabric. You can usually remove any wrinkles by repositioning the fabric before the adhesive dries. You can use a permanent adhesive like 3M's Spray Mount or a temporary adhesive if you like, because you will be gluing the raw edges down on the inside with craft glue.

Step 4:

On your inside corners, clip at a 45 degree angle just to the edge of the box. Now glue your seam allowance to the inside of the box on all sides with double-sided tape or craft glue. On the lid, you can just square off the insert part, as you will close the box with velcro or ribbon.
Step 5:

If desired, you can use a hole punch or ice pick to poke a hole for the handle, cord or ribbon. Apply a little craft glue to keep the fabric from shifting and fraying at the hole.
Step 6:

Now you can reassemble the box. If not using the wire handle, glue the sides together and hold with clothespins until dry. If using ribbon or cording as the handle, insert ends into hole and tape or glue to the inside of the box.
Step 7:

Embellish with trim, ribbon or appliques. Glue velcro to the lid if desired.
If you are interested in making your own fabric covered chinese take out box, visit the following categories/pages on our site:
  • Fabrics -many fabrics to choose from. I'd stick with cotton canvas, twill or quilting weight. (Avoid the snuggles and satins.)
  • Trims -use pom pom fringe, beaded fringe, etc.
  • Ribbons -grosgrain is the easiest to work with and the best value.
  • Short-Ends -fabric remnants at discounted prices.
  • Glue/Adhesives -Thermoweb, spray adhesive, tacky glue.
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copyright 2005 j. caroline designs, l.p.