Wedding Card Box 2026 Variation

Ten years ago, I made a satin-covered card box for my niece's wedding, and this year I was asked to make another for her twin!

The inspiration:

The overall simplicity and card slot trim

The card slot trim and ribbon trim

The side opening

The colors: white and various shades of lilac.

I loved developing my skills on the last one, and with this one I can address the few things that I wanted to change after the event. From the notes on my final project post, the new plan is:

1. one large box instead of three stacked
2. a larger card entry slot
3. a more secure top so no-one can get into it until end of event

This time, I had to do without the lovely Joann Fabrics (RIP) and the amazing stretch satin they had then. Luckily, Wal-Mart's little fabric department came to the rescue. They have 2-yard bundles of fabric available, which included a pretty decent satin. Luckily, my niece chose a lilac shade for her wedding color and they had a great color match in the satin and ribbon. To complete the decoration, I have leftover rhinestone gems from her sister's box design to decorate the card slot.

In my search for a strong base box, I had a hard time finding one that was large enough, but not flimsy. After a month of research, I saw a portable storage box on IKEA's website, the Fjaderharv, that was perfect. Made of two interlocking sheets that are screwed together, plus a lid, it fulfilled the brief; sturdy, portable, and could provide a reversible way to secure the lid to the box. I will do this by running decorative ribbons through the carry hand holds similar to the second inspiration pic above. 

Materials:

• Fjaderharv 12" x 12" x 12" storage box with lid, $7.99, IKEA
• One purple wisteria bush by Ashland, $19.99, Michaels
• AMAZLINEN sequin table runner, 14" x 108" in silver $11.99
• 1 lilac satin table runner (borrowed)
• 2 yards of Shason Textile Inc. costume satin in White, $7.13, Wal-Mart

• 2 yards Casa Collection stretch satin in Bright White,  by Michael's
• Gwen Studios 1.5" purple satin ribbon, 7 yards, $1.97, Wal-Mart
• Offray 1/4" purple satin (100% polyester) ribbon
• Two Bead Landing Sticky Gems Value Packs in clear crystal rhinestone $4.99 (2)
• Elmer's Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive $6.9
• Elmer's Clear Glue
• 3 Elmer's Washable School Glue Sticks $.95
• Olfa 45mm rotary cutter
• 1 emery board (or sandpaper, of course

Construct box. The assembled box has two gaps where the sides overlap, so I applied glue stick to eliminate a slight gap which would have showed when the fabric was applied. I had tried the spray adhesive before remembering this was the same ten year-old can from the first box!

Enlarge card slot opening. Next I enlarged one of the handle openings so that it works as a envelope slot. This was easily done with my rotary cutter. Now I can cover the box with fabric. Very conveniently, the lid will eliminate me having to embellish the top edge of the opening, which works with how much trim I have left.

Apply fabric. Calculate the amount of fabric needed. This box was much larger than the ones I did before. Those were easily made from large sections of 44"/45" fabric.

The costume satin was much thinner so I thought I'd need to do two layers of satin or use muslin for the first layer. Update: I couldn't do it. I remembered the name of the fabric I used before and luckily Michael's* still carried it online!

I started with covering the lid. No measurements needed, I draped a corner over the lid with an extra overhang of 3/4"-1" on all four sides that will be glued to the underside. I applied glue stick liberally to the top of the lid, flipped it and centered it over the back side of the fabric and thoroughly pressed it down. I let that part dry a bit before applying glue to the sides and folding in the corners.

Now for the big deal, attaching the white satin to the entire surface,

I laid the box on its side on my fabric and cut, leaving 3 to 4" for the top and bottom overhang, making sure to use the selvage. I took the box outside and sprayed adhesive on all four sides making sure to only hold it through one of the handles from the inside. I didn't want the adhesive to get on my hands too much.

I then carefully placed the box, side down trying to center it perfectly. Manipulating from the inside I pressed the entire surface into the fabric, especially at the corners, trying to make a crisp edge. I continued rolling the box over and pressing until I reached the first side again. I used the rotary cutter and ruler to cut a straight edge. I folded this under 1/4" and finger pressed it flat, using a glue stick to apply, making a pretty flat seam at the corner.

I turned the edges down inside the box, trimming the width and into the corners to make it neat. For the bottom, I completely removed the bulk at the corners so the box would stand level. These edges were attached solely with glue stick, no longer trusting the traveling aerosol of the adhesive around the satin fabric. I used up two glue sticks in the process.

Add rhinestone embellishment.

This step was easy. I added two rows around three sides of the card opening. They're self-adhesive, but being ten years old, some of the adhesive failed and some clear glue came to the rescue.

Add ribbon trim.

I added a row of the ribbon around the bottom. I had covered the lid in satin, but I didn't like how bulky the folds at the corner looked. The ribbon was exactly the same width as the lid edge, so I applied it along the sides.  This also added balance and interest. I then added a line of darker ribbon at the bottom for contrast.

 

Add more bling.

For a finishing touch, I used the rest of the rhinestone trim above the darker ribbon. Yes!

Construct ribbon bow.

Now, for the main attraction...what to put on top?

I know I she wants a ribbon bow, and with such a large box, it has to be substantial. That's where the wired ribbon comes in. I checked out a few video tutorials on Pinterest and chose a multiple segment bow. I also decided not to permanently attach it. I would tie it on with a long length of ribbon at the event, therefore securing the lid to the box for the length of the event.

The wired ribbon let me down! I couldn't get any structure for they bow. So I abandoned it. All that research and procrastination on even attempting it...

Conclusion

At the venue during set up I decided to just use the faux bunch of wisteria in the bridal color as the focal point. Arranged on a white satin base with a lilac satin sash and a silver sequin table runner side by side. I think it looked great. In addition, this was the same silver sequin table runner that I used for her twin sister's card box. 

It was beautiful and functional. Success accomplished!

*Who bought out Joann Fabrics and has most of their stock and manufacturers...online.

Little Boys and Dinosaurs - Simplicity S9128

Pattern: Simplicity S9128 (2020)

Pattern Description: Boys' and Mens' Lounge wear pants and raglan sleeve knit top

Pattern Sizing: (S-M-L / S-M-L-XL) I made a medium size for both boys.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Exactly.

Were the instructions easy to follow? These were extremely easy to sew.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I needed a basic boys knit top so I wouldn't have to draft it myself. Since Joann had closed, I ended up buying this pattern through an Etsy seller.

Fabric Used: 58" Dinosaurs on Black Jersey Knit interlock fabric (100% Cotton) by POP! from Joann Fabrics (RIP), and Gutermann 100% polyester thread in Spruce #784.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Luckily, my goal was to make shirts "to grow into," so I only had to pick a size larger than the sample one my niece gave me. How much bigger they are than the kids when they get these is the mystery.

The pattern is extremely easy. The only difficulty was attaching the stitched neck and to the shirt. The fabric is not as stretchy as needed, so stretching while sewing such a small opening was a bit difficult. 

My first try from the neck band side was not successful, it was attached very unevenly from the shirt side.

I decided to try again. I also checked the cutting diagram and saw that I had cut the bands against the grain. This definitely hadn't help. On my second try, I sewed the band on from the shirt side, making sure that I had the seamline even all around. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. If I find more fabric the boys like I could see making more shirts. In addition, the pattern has an uncut mens size. So if I find a man I like, I could see making him a shirt.

Conclusion: The shirts worked out, my nephews like them. They were bigger than needed which works for the older eight-year-old, but its comically too large for the six-year old nephew. I hope his grandma can stitch it up a bit smaller for him.

Carter's Blue Woobie*

A decade ago, I made quite a few stuffed toys for my friends who were all having babies around the same time. I loved making them but ended up really burned out. However, there was no way I wasn't making toys for my niece and nephew's children. Here is the story of stuffed toy #2, this one made completely from scratch.

Patterns Used: For the head, I used Simplicity 8938 (2019) because I wanted to use the adorable face shape of the bear with its full cheeks. I also used the pattern for the one-piece body and curved leg shape. The shoulders and arms were adapted from both the Wee Wonderfuls Kitty, Bunny, and Bear 3-in-1 pattern (2006), and McCall's 7795 (2018.)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope(s) once you were done sewing with it? No, it became its own thing.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very much so, since I decided to simplify the whole stuffed toy experience from the last time I made a soft toy from fleece. This time, I choose not to have separate arms and legs. Really, the most challenging part was deciding which colors to use for all the decorative elements. I ended up cutting eye, muzzle, and tummy pieces in multiple colors and tried out different combinations.

The final design

Fabric Used: 59" Anti-pill Plush Fleece (100% polyester) in Mare Blue and Deep Blue, 59" Blizzard fleece (100% polyester) in Wedgewood, Gutermann 100% polyester Sew All thread in Iris #900 and Dark Blue #252, Kuni ecofi Classic Felt in Neon Blue, and Pellon Easy Pattern.

I used the chosen pattern pieces and Pellon Easy Pattern to trace shapes for blending and creating new pattern pieces.

The old and the new

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I created my own stuffed toy pattern by combining my favorite parts from primarily two patterns. I also drew inspiration from the book fleecie dolls (2008) by Fiona Goble, realizing that a fleece doll might be easier to clean and feel softer on a child's skin. over the years, I've made multiple versions of the Wee Wonderful animals, and while I love them all; knowing what I know now; fleece or a woven cloth works better than the flannel I used for them. Flannel is not durable enough for heavily-used (played with) dolls. The stressed stitches pulled right out of the delicate weave, and the fabric surface (and softness) wore down quickly.

Finishing touches that I added: Then came the truly fun part, adding details, the face, and personality using embroidery. This was so relaxing and meditative. I love his little face! The patch over the stomach gave the illusion of a chubby body and I even put a little puff of padding under both the tummy and the muzzle piece before stitching it down.

Blanket stitches in contrasting colors add both a hand sewn and finished feel to the whole project.

The last touch was adding a simple vest (which I'm sure was promptly lost) I adapted the idea from a tutorial for Tagalong Teddy from Betz White's book Present Perfect. (Unfortunately, the tutorial is no longer accessible online, so definitely go get the book.)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Oh, yeah, this is my new TNT doll pattern.

Chewing is acceptable.

Gently guarded by the family dog.

Conclusion: From all the signs seen above it seems to have been a success!

* Remember what a "woobie" is? If you do, you are around my age if you know what 1980s movie that term comes from.

Old Doll, New Clothes

Sorry! Wow, I really left you hanging, didn't I?

Do you even remember the doll I had been working on? Well, she's long been finished and has been living with her darling little recipient for months now. However, I still want to document the process and her completion.

If you remember, the doll, Dessa, was in a sad state when I started, and her clothes were even worse. She desperately needed new clothes. Knowing the taste and interests of my grandniece Wendy's parents, I had offered to make a little Wednesday Addams cosplay in black and white. But I felt I should make her a less somber dress too.

Using the magic of my phone and Pinterest, I put together a group of possible cotton prints for them to pick. Out of the floral and themed novelty choices, a small floral on a dark ground was among the pics. Once I spied this field of violets on black print, I scooped it up. The other iconic Wednesday Addams dress was constructed out of a Pima cotton with a lustrous sheen. A pretty white eyelet trim was selected for both dresses.

Using Pellon Easy Pattern, I made a tracing of what was left of the dress, stretching out the elastic to get an accurate measurement.

The most bizarre thing is that while checking out books on handmade dolls at the library, I came across Vogue Dolls and Toys (1989) by Helen Moore. In it, I found a cloth doll inside that also had forward-facing legs, a tush formed by darts, yarn hair, and a stitched line around her neck. Yup, I found the same pattern that was originally used to make Miss Dessa. How did I know for sure? Well, besides the publication year making sense, my traced dress pattern exactly matched the one in the book!

The dress pattern was used to make both dresses. However, for the Wednesday Addams dress, I had to draft a separate collar, which I thought would be easy, but when the neck of the model is more of a flat oval than a circle, it's kind of hard to get it to lay down right. I also had a hard time gauging how big it should be related to the dress. So there were multiple tries along with a facing to finish off the raw edge.

Both dresses were adorned with the white lace and given a ruffled tier on the bottom.

Because of the collar, the Wednesday dress needed to open in the back, and I used these vintage snaps from England for fastening.

Here's Dessa in all her glory:

P.S.

Oh, and the black & white tights, I made those at the last minute with a remnant from an old knit top. I want my own pair now.