This is one of those projects that sat unfinished for years. Sometimes I get to a point of making something and I don't know how to finish it. I just have to wait until I discover something that will give me the answer to forge ahead. Until then I'm stuck and the project sits on the shelf. Originally I planned to wrap the box in felt and embroider the door, windows and flowers with my machine but then I found the magic of iron-on appliques. This was much easier and the perfect solution to finish this cute heirloom sewing box.
The wooden box itself can be found at any craft store in a variety of sizes and styles. I removed the hardware, sanded and painted the box with white craft paint. For the roof I constructed a wood base made in balsa in the shape of a triangle. The roof base is about a 1/2" shorter on each side to accommodate the foam to hold the pins. 1/2" green rubber foam is cut to size and placed on each side of the wood roof base. I finished the roof with a pink felt covering and scallop shingles cut with my rotary blade for additional charm.
The doors and windows are ironed on with an applique product called Lite Steam-A-Steam 2. The die cut flowers, ric-rac and trim were glued on. The topiary pin cushions were needled felted and placed in a tiny wood barrel on a stick.
I made the adorable spool mice with a wood ball for the head and the body is a painted thread spool wrapped in my favorite ribbon. The face was painted on with craft paint and sprayed with a clear varnish. I finished the head with felt ears glued onto the head.
The pin box and button box are a simpler version of the larger box and fit nicely in the sewing box above. The pin cushion was made with a piece of rubber foam cut to size to fit the box. I placed a piece of chipboard underneath the foam, wrapped it like a present with a piece of polka dot cloth and glued it to the top of the painted box. For the button box I again used the applique paper to adhere the gingham cloth to the box. The buttons and trim detail were glued to the box.
The pin topper flowers were made with two diecut flowers with a pin pushed through the center and a small circle of felt underneath to keep the petals from sliding off the pin.
