Bandboxes: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft (Heritage Crafts)

Bandboxes were first made in Elizabethan England as storage for men's linen collars, or bands, but the craft really took off in nineteenth-century America, where cardboard was sewn together and covered with wallpaper to makes boxes to accommodate a variety of possessions. Bandboxes remain popular today in decorating, and in this volume, professional boxmaker Edwina Cholmeley-Jones provides patterns and easy-to-follow techniques for making them in an assortment of shapes and sizes. Tips on gathering the necessary tools and materials, selecting coverings and linings, and mastering the basic skills are followed by step-by-step instructions and photographs for five projects, including a heart-shaped box, a hexagon, and containers for gloves, combs, and tea.

Edwina Cholmeley-Jones lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and has been making bandboxes for more than 30 years. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including American Country Christmas, McCall's Needlework and Crafts, House Beautiful, and Women's World.