Slowing down....... but still on a roll.......

Just stopping in for a quick wordy as usual post! It has been a very busy week, but I've managed to make a few of my "fabric boxes" that I saw on YouTube. They are so fun and so neat!

I'll jump right in and show you the first one I made.

Isn't it cute? The funnest thing is that these are all made with quilted or fabric (heavy) placemats! Yes... placemats! So easy, so quick. I'm addicted, but can't find any more of the kind of placemats I want to use at the thrift stores around here. I've scoured every one. This is a great quick, easy and thrifty project. 

No putting on binding, no quilting, no sewing on the ruffle!  I bought this sweet little placemat (above) at Wal-Mart. It's a Pioneer Woman placemat. It came all lined and with the cute ruffle at each end.

The polka dot "lining" is inside... I did make a little tuck in each corner so that it would be a little sturdier. This mat was fairly light weight but did have some sort of stabilizer inside, so it stands up fairly well.

The video I watched is by Lorrie Nunemaker and can be found here.  She used the cutest Pioneer Woman placemat with pom poms on it. They are SO SO EASY. I mean, it takes about 5 minutes to make one, if you don't get all fussy like I do. I always have to tweak it somehow or add something, like this one:

I added some lace to the top and gathered the edge, as the fabric was not very stable. It was very floppy. And, this was not a placemat, but was a square table mat, about 22" square, and really was too big and too floppy. I was trying to tweak it enough to stand up on its own, but needed to add some pelon or stabilizer inside.  I sure love the fabric though!

It stood up OK after I filled it with some towels. Now if I had a nice big bathroom with alot of counter space, this would really look cute. But I don't... no counter space whatsoever, so not sure what I'm going to use this for. I was experimenting and added some cardboard inside so it would stand up better. If I were to keep it, I would probably make some sort of liner for it, covering it with a pretty fabric to match.

Cardboard added inside... not really a "finished" look at all..... just experimenting.

These next two were two placemats I got for 25 cents each at the thrift store. I wasn't sure they'd work, as again, they were very floppy and not lined.. but thought I'd give it a try. I couldn't stop making them! 

You can change how tall they are by turning the edge down further.

Perfect for cans of tea or little towels.

The fringed edge was at each end, so that when you sew it up the sides, the fringe becomes the trim on the folded over edge. Pretty nifty!  You do have to kind of shape them so they'll sit straight and not kind of fall in on themselves.... but..... I think next time I may put some sort of a stabilizer on the back, even though it'll take a few more minutes.

And of course, I COULD make my own placemat and then make the "box".. but that kind of loses the point of this being a quick and easy project.  It's so great for little gifts.

I have one more to make.. I found this at another thrift store in the next town over.. you'd think they'd have tons of placemats! but they didn't. It's very floppy so will definitely add some stabilizer to it with another pretty fabric on the back.. although I DO love the stripes on the back.. as they will be the turned down part.

Look at this cute towel a friend gave me. Has nothing to do with fabric boxes, but I used it inside one of them, and it reminded me how much I love it.. with that darling crocheted edge.  Hubby loves biscuits and gravy!

I'm still trying to finish up my second set of placemats! I'm so bad at finishing things if I lose interest or move on to something else... and right now... it's looking for more placemats to use! But then... what will I do with all these fabric "boxes"??? I have absolutely no counter space or dresser tops or table stops left in my house. I'll figure out something............

Have a Blessed Day..........

~Marilyn~