DIY Jewelry Box Clutch with Finished Sateen Lining

Mar 27

So how fantastic was Honestly, WTF‘s reinvention of the sunglasses case into a DIY Alexander McQueen-inspired box clutch last year? I think it’s safe to say that we all loved it – and all went out to the nearest store in search of a hard-sided sunglasses case forthwith.

However, I got to thinking: why not use something that may already be in your closet to make this?

Enter the velveteen jewelry box: often when we ladies receive or buy a piece of beautiful jewelry, it’s housed in its own velour-lined box. And those boxes are so pretty! Why not reinvent them?

I’ve held on to most of my velour jewelry boxes, not because I use them to store jewelry in still (I use flocked jewelry trays that stores use in their display cases), but because I thought to use them again somehow. And some of them were sentimental to me. Take this shell-shaped velour box – it used to hold a string of my grandmother’s pearls that I received when she passed away. The insides of the box had gotten old, deformed, stained, and crumbly over time…but the outside was still quite pretty. I thought it very Art Deco. And so decided to give it a second life, as a pretty box clutch. Here’s how I did it:

You Need:

jewelry box you like the shape of / pretty sateen fabric for inside / idea-ology mini-drawer handle (found in the scrapbooking section at Michael’s…honestly, real drawer pulls from the hardware store are too heavy and large for a miniature box clutch like this one) / gold leaf paint / clear sealant (not shown)

Tools: fabric scissors / craft glue / electric drill with drillbit / flathead screwdriver (not shown) / paintbrush / old newspapers (not shown)

How To: 1. (Optional) Paint your mini drawer pull to the color you want. With gold leafing, you have to do about two coats to get it opaque, but it has a nice metallic sheen when finished. Allow to dry, and use a coat of sealant to prevent ruboff. 2. Pull out any hard inside bits and shaping in your box so you’re only dealing with the outer shell and the fabric that holds together the hinge.

3. Drill a hole near the opening of the jewelry box for your drawer pull. Don’t put it too near the opening that it tears through the box plastic. 4. Cut two pieces of fabric to re-line the inside of your clutch.

5. Spread glue in the side without the hole, and place your fabric inside.

Tuck the back of the fabric where the box hinge is under itself, and secure in the glue. Trim edges. 6. Spread more glue close to the edges, and tuck the fabric under itself to make a clean edge.

7. Attach the mini drawer pull with a screwdriver. 8. Repeat steps 5) and 6) to cover the inside of the remaining side with your fabric. Allow the glue to dry.

Slip a credit card, some cash, your keys, and a lipstick in it – and you’re ready for a night on the town!

You could also conceivably cover the outside of your box with a beautiful fabric, or faux-leather, or even paint it! Also, if you can’t find a mini drawer pull, you could also use a large bead with a decorative headpin holding it on through a small hole in the box casing. Of course you couldn’t put pressure on it to pry open the clutch, but as long as you remember that while using it, that could be something very beautiful!