How to Make a Trinket Box from Simple Everyday Materials

Step 1

You can make something beautiful even out of trash. No, don’t get me wrong—even the simplest, seemingly useless things can be turned into very charming, stylish little creations. At my parents’ country house, there were metal trays lying around unused (only fit for scrap or use in the yard).

Illustration 2

Step 3

And several bags of old fabric scraps from the material I used to sew with back in school and college. But I’ll keep you in suspense until the very end 😉
Cut two circles from corrugated cardboard (from a cookie box), sized to fit the metal bowls. Then cut fabric pieces using the cardboard circles as templates, remembering to leave seam allowances for turning under. The allowance should be fairly generous (the bigger, the better).

Illustration 4

Step 5

Sew a basting stitch around the edge of the fabric piece and pull the edges in slightly so it resembles a little pouch. Place stuffing inside, cover it with the cardboard circle you used as the template, and pull the thread tight to enclose the entire structure.

Illustration 6

Step 7

Cover the outside of the smaller container with polyester batting.

Illustration 8

Illustration 9

Step 10

Cover the second cardboard circle with fabric.

Illustration 11

Step 12

Fill the container covered with polyester batting with a suitably sized bowl or jar. It can be glass or plastic. This piece will form the groove that fits into the bottom part. Secure the fabric-covered cardboard circle.

Illustration 13

Step 14

Use leftover fur or fleece to make ear pieces, sew them together, and give them some volume.

Illustration 15

Step 16

For the horns, you can use fabric, leather, or faux leather in a suitable shade. Insert wire or cardboard inside to hold their shape.

Illustration 17

Step 18

Make a padded piece on an oval of cardboard, stuff it with polyester batting, and embroider the mouth. You’ll end up with a little face!

Illustration 19

Step 20

Attach all the small pieces to the very first padded piece that you covered at the beginning.

Illustration 21

Step 22

Cover the metal tray with fabric, place a piece of fabric-covered cardboard inside, and don’t forget the bottom.

Illustration 23

Step 24

And there you have it: a cute little trinket box!

Illustration 25

Illustration 26