JuneBugs Designs

Contemporary Cube Box

Plastic Canvas Pieces (7 mesh):      - six 30 x 30 bar squares

Yarn Colors:      - black      - emerald green      - cyan/turquoise      - red      - lavender Any bold, bright colors will do.  Use what you have on hand.

Assembly: 1. Fill in one of the six 30 x 30 squares with black yarn, your choice of stitching.   (This will be the bottom of your piece, so the stitching is not as important.  If desired, use a large-area stitch to cover the piece quickly.) 2. Four of the 30 x 30 squares will be the sides of the box.  Fill in the center of each square with a 10 x 10 stitch square.   Center it by starting in the 11th hole down and 10th hole over and stitching ten stitches.   Complete ten rows of ten stitches to create a black square in each of the four side panels.  (For a close up of a side of the box, click here.) 3. Fill in the remaining canvas on the four panel pieces with four jewel tones of your choice.  I chose red, green, turquoise, and purple. 4. For the lid of the box (the sixth and last panel), create a four-square design of color in the same place as you did the black squares on the side panels.  Each color gets a 5 x 5 stitch square, thus fitting the 10 x 10 stitch square (like the black center square on the side panels).  Fill in the remainder of the lid with black yarn.

5. To create the box, attach/stitch all four side panels around the base square (the all black square).  Then stitch up the sides to create a five-sided, open box.  Attach the lid by stitching ONE edge of the lid to the edge of the panel you wish to be the back side of the box.  Use a finishing stitch on the remaining three sides of the lid and on the exposed top edges of the box. 6. Attach a piece of yarn by using a fringe stitch or simply tying it to the lid and to the box to create a closure for the box.   When closed, tie a bow with the two pieces to keep the box closed.

A simple bow closure keeps the box closed.

Embellishment on Side Panels: To create the metal side sculptures, cut four 6 inch pieces of wire (any color will work).  Bend, twist, and coil the wires around the black squares of the side panels.   Poke the rough ends of the wire through the canvas and bend the ends down inside the cube.  (These ends will be covered when you line the interior of the cube.)  Secure the wire to the plastic canvas with embroidery floss.  Wind the floss around the metal several times and in several places to secure the wire.  On mine, I chose to add large glass beads.  Add these to the wire before bending. Then bend the wire and secure with floss as suggested.) See the a close-up of the wire sculptures!

Embellishment On Lid: Using embroidery thread in similar colors, create a zig zag pattern around the four-color square.  Simply stitch over the black yarn.  See the picture for placement of the decorative stitches on the plastic canvas. Stitch Placement |  Close-Up of the Lid

Finishing: Line with FunFelt, a stiffened felt product, for a finished interior.

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