Keepsake Box

 

Keepsake Box

by Rebekah Meier

Rit Dye fits perfectly into the mixed media trend because it’s a great choice for adding color to a multitude of surfaces. Wood, buttons, fabric and vintage laces were dyed to color coordinate with purchased fabrics, creating a beautiful layered collage on this keepsake box.

Supplies Needed:

  • Rit Liquid Dye: Apple Green, Teal
  • Unfinished Wood Box (Walnut Hollow Keepsake Box)
  • Black Felt, 10 ¼” x 6 ¾”
  • Light Teal Print Fabric, 9 ¾” x 6 ¼”
  • Dark Teal Print Fabric, 3 ¾” x 5”
  • Black Paisley fabric, 8 ½” x 5 ¾”
  • Green/Teal Print Fabric, 3” x 3 ½”
  • 2 Pieces White Silk Dupioni fabric, 3” x 5” for dyed heart
  • 1 Piece Cotton Quilt Batting, 3” x 5” for heart
  • ½ Yd. Double-Sided Fusible Web (Steam-A-Seam 2, Lite)
  • 5 – 1” and 2 – 2” Vintage Lace Fabric Flowers
  • 9- ½” Buttons (nylon buttons work best for dying)
  • 3 Decorative Fabric-Covered Scrapbook Button Brads (K & Company)
  • Dyeing Supplies: Glass measuring cups, measuring spoons & metal spoon, rubber gloves, plastic wrap, paper towels, plastic table cover. Other Supplies: Fine sandpaper (#220), tack cloth, Satin Varnish, brushes: 1” foam, 1” chip, small artist brush, fabric glue, straight pins, sewing machine, sewing thread, hand sewing needle, scissors, decorative edge rotary cutter, ruler & mat, disappearing fabric marker, iron, wire cutters

Instructions

Cutting & Fusing Fabrics

  1. Before cutting exact dimensions of fabrics listed above, apply fusible web to the wrong side of all fabrics (except for silk dupioni), following manufacturer’s instructions.
  2. Use a decorative edge rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat to cut exact fabric dimensions.

Basic Dye Mixing Instructions

  1. Cover work surface with a plastic table cover.
  2. Dye Preparation: Wearing rubber gloves, shake dye bottle and pour one cap of dye into a glass measuring cup. Add 1 cup boiling water or very hot tap water (140 F); stir well.

Note: When staining wood, keep dye hot for better absorption. Dyes can be reheated in the microwave: Cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until steam is created. If necessary, use the dye mixing ratio in step 2 to create more dye for this project.

Dye-Stained Wood Box

  1. Sand wood box lightly with sandpaper. Remove dust with tack cloth.
  2. Using basic dye mixing instructions. prepare Apple Green dye and apply to wood box with chip brush. Completely cover box with Apple Green dye. Let dry. Note: Two coats may be necessary to achieve desired color. Save remaining dye for buttons.
  3. Using a foam brush, apply one coat of Satin Varnish. Let dry.

Dyeing Buttons

  1. Reheat Apple Green dye solution in the microwave.
  2. Immerse buttons in dye for approximately 10 minutes or until desired color is achieved.
  3. Remove buttons, rinse, wash and let dry.

Dyeing Silk & Fabric Flowers

  1. Using dye mixing instructions, prepare Teal dye. Dip large fabric flowers into dye solution. Wearing rubber gloves, remove flowers immediately or when desired color is achieved. Rinse with cold water, wash with mild detergent and dry flat.
  2. Pour ½ of Teal dye into glass container. Add ½ cup of hot water to dye, diluting the color. Dip silk dupioni pieces into dye solution. Remove fabric, rinse, wash with mild detergent and lay flat to dry. Press with iron.
  3. Pin dyed silk pieces together with batting sandwiched between them. Trace heart shape onto silk with disappearing fabric marker. Machine stitch approximately 5 times around heart. Using scissors cut 1/8” beyond heart.
  4. Dip remaining 1” fabric flowers into diluted Teal dye mixture. Remove flowers, rinse, wash in mild detergent and dry flat.

Finishing the Box

  1. Refer to photo: Starting with black felt as the base, layer fabrics with fusible-backed sides facing down onto the right side of next fabric.
  2. Carefully fuse fabric layers together using an iron with a lift and lowering motion.
  3. Hand sew two buttons onto the center of silk heart. Set aside.
  4. Glue buttons to center of the fabric flowers, as shown.
  5. Refer to photo: Glue heart and fabric flowers to top of box.
  6. Using wire cutters, clip the prongs from the back of each scrapbook brad and glue to the center front of box.

Details