Last post I shared a few punch needle projects I’ve been working on. Here’s my finished vintage sewing box revamp!

Vintage punch needle sewing box by Betz White

Believe it or not, this sewing box was a roadside find! We were driving along a country road in Upstate New York on our way to my brother’s house when I spied this beauty sitting at the end of a driveway with a FREE sign on it! Without even asking, my husband pulled over for me so I could hop out to rescue it. Score!

The lids were covered in a faded brocade fabric that I knew had to go. The fabric was mounted to padded boards and glued onto the top of the lids. We popped them off and I removed the fabric. I traced an outline of the boards onto pieces of monks cloth and drew a few concentric squares inside of them with a marker. Then I used yarn from my stash, mostly wool and some acrylic to punch the design.

 

Vintage sewing box punch needle lids by Betz White

I really love the high/low effect! For the thicker yarn and taller loops I used an Amy Oxford #9 Regular punch. For the thinner yarn I used a #14 Fine punch. I just made it up as I went along and obviously made the 2 sides different from each other, just to keep it interesting! I’m still learning but I’m enjoying the process.

To attach the finished punched pieces to the boards, I used a glue called E600. I wrapped the boards and glued the monks cloth to the underside. Then I glued the boards to the lids. The last thing I need to do is give the inside a good cleaning then I’ll be filling it up with some hand sewing and embroidery supplies.

If you’re interested in learning about punch needle embroidery, let me know! I plan on doing more projects and sharing what I’ve learned. I’ll also try to record some video so you can see how it all works!