3rd Project Completed - A golden casket

  

This casket was made using the items announced last week: 

A gravy tub, Newspaper, and golden chocolate wrappers.

Materials used:

1. Newspaper
2. Gravy Tub
3. Cardboard box (I used a PG Tips box)
4. Gold foil chocolate wrappers
5. Paints
6. Scrap of fabric for lining
7. Sewing machine, needle and thread
8. Left over trim from my stash
9. A clasp removed from a piece of clothing

How it was made:

The first step was to make the basic box. I cut the gravy tub into half lengthways and removed the bottom, the PG Tips box was cut to size to create the bottom of the chest. Cardboard sides were then added to the chest bottom to bring it up to the correct height at the ends, all parts were coated with about 3 layers of papier mache and I hinged the bottom and top together using tape.

The handmade paper I made and then painted

Next I made some handmade paper made from the rest of the newspaper, once dry this was painted and printed and golden chocolate wrapper motifs applied to make a nice cover for the box.

The main box cover

You could leave the decoration at that, but being an embroiderer I always have the desire to embroider anything that doesn't move, so that is what I did next. I machined around all the motifs and then used a meandering stitch to fill in the gaps in a coordinating thread.

The box was then lined with some fabric I had left over from a previous project which had been in the loft for sometime, it is a gorgeous chunky kitted velvet in purple and there was just enough left for this project.

The cover was then attached to the outside of the box, glued and then slip-stitched to the lining and at the edges.

To finish the edges I used some cord trimmings that I had in my stash, again left over from previous projects, finally I added a closure to the front removed from an old jacket.

There we have it a lovely Golden Casket for keeping all your treasures in.

'one Man's rubbish is another Man's treasure' - or something like that!