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Reversible Tissue Box Cover Tutorial

Reversible Tissue Box Cover Tutorial

These reversible tissue box covers are a quick, satisfying make that will add charm to your home decor while at the same time covering up those plain tissue boxes we all have in every room of our house.

For this tutorial, I used cute Reindeer Christmas fabric for one side and Patriotic Red, White and Blue for the other but these tissue box covers can, of course, be made in fabrics to match any holiday, your home’s decor or if giving as gifts, to match the tastes of the recipient.

Since you’re here, you obviously love planning and making ahead for the holidays. So I wanted to be sure that you knew about our new Handmade Homemade Holidays membership.

Click that link to go there and if you want to see just some of what you’ll be getting inside the membership be sure to check out my post announcing it.

I do hope you’ll join us!

 

Once you have the paper pattern made, each cover takes about an hour to complete.

This tutorial is for non-directional fabrics.

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Reversible Tissue Box Cover Tutorial

Materials required to make one reversible tissue box cover:

2 fat quarters or yardage for outside and lining

Heavy weight interfacing – For the cover in this tutorial I used 27 inches of Pellon 808 Craft-Fuse Fusible Interfacing White (<- affiliate link)

11″ of 1/2″ elastic (<- affiliate link)

Large sheet of paper for making the pattern – I used plain newsprint paper (<- affiliate link) leftover from our move. But if you don’t have something like that available you could tape sheets of printer paper together.

The usual sewing notions and tools: threads, pins, scissors, quilting ruler, rotary cutter, cutting mat (<- affiliate links) and seam ripper (for those of us who need such things.)

To create the tissue box pattern:

The size of tissue boxes can varying so the first step is to measure the tissue box that you will be covering.

Measure the top and write down the width and the length.

1. Measure the top of the tissue box

Measure the side of the box and write down the height.

2. Measure the height of the tissue box

My box measured: 4 ¾” X 9” X 3 ½”.

2. Measure the height of the tissue box

On a large piece of paper draw a straight line 5” from one side of your sheet of paper.

4. Draw a line 5 inches from long edge

Next, draw a line 4 ¾” from the first line drawn. (Use the width of your tissue box.)

4b. Draw line 4 and 3 quarters of an inch away from first line

Make a mark about half way along the first line. Line up your ruler so that it is square on your pencil line and draw a line of dashes from the second line down to the first.

6. Draw dashed line from second pencil line to first pencil line

Now we’re going to do some very basic arithmetic. Divide the width and length of the top of the box in half. (Use a calculator if you don’t like doing fractions.)

7. Divide the width and length of the top of the box in half

Draw a long line 4 ½” from the line of dashes, extending it at least 3 ½” on either side of line #1 and line #2.

Draw another line 4 ½” on the opposite side.

Place your ruler on the line #1 and draw a second line of dashes 2 3/8″ away.  The lines of dashes are the center lines of the top of the tissue box cover pattern. These will be used in the final step of making the pattern.

Your pattern so far should look like this but adjusted to the measurements of your tissue box:

9. Top of tissue box cover pattern

Draw lines 3 ½” (the height of the tissue box) from each of the solid lines 1 through 4 as shown in the drawing below:

11. Sides and ends of pattern have been added

Add the ½” seam allowances next.

12. Add the seam allowance to the sides and ends - 1

 

13. Add the seam allowance to the sides and ends - 2

To create the oval for the opening in the top of the tissue box cover, fold a 2”X5” piece of paper in half. Fold it in half again. Draw the desired shape and cut out.

Create the oval for the center of the tissue box coverCenter the paper oval on the pattern by lining up the creases in the paper with the dashed lines. Trace around the oval.

17b. Place paper oval on pattern and trace around it.

The completed pattern will look like this:

18. Pattern will look like this

Cut out the pattern.

To make the fabric tissue box cover:

Place the fat quarters right sides together. Trim off the selvages and square up.

19. Collage of squaring of the fabrics

Place the paper pattern on the fabric, pin and cut out.

Place the paper pattern on a double layer of Pellon 808 Craft-Fuse Interfacing(<- affiliate link.) Pin and cut out.

Trim off ½” from the sides and the ends. To hold the two pieces of interfacing together while trimming, I remove half the pattern and pin and then remove the other half of the pattern and pin.

24. Trim off half an inch along bottom all the way around

Pin one piece of the interfacing over top of the pattern lining up the inside corners.

25. Pin interfacing over pattern lining up inside corners

Trace the oval on the interfacing. You may find it easier to do this by holding it up to a window.

27b. Trace the oval

Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of each fabric.

28. Fuse interfacing to wrong side of fabric
I usually use a pressing cloth for this step but for the purposes of the photo I left it off.

Press up the hem.

29. Press up hem
I press the hem at this stage because I find it makes pressing the hem later quicker and easier.

Pin the outer fabric to the lining right sides together.

30. Pin outside to lining with right sides together

Stitch directly on the line of the oval.

31. Stitch on the line you drew of the oval

Cut a slit in the middle of the oval. Trim, leaving 1/8” seam allowance. Notch all the way around.

32. Photo Collage of cutting out the opening in the tissue box cover

Pull the outer fabric through the opening.

35. Pull outside through the hole

It should look like this:

36. The opening willl look like this

Press well.

Topstitch 1/8″ all the way around the oval opening.

37. Photo collage of topstitching the opening

Take one corner of the outer fabric and fold it right sides together. Pin.

38. Photo collage of pinning the corner

Stitch using ½” seam allowance.

39. Sew corner using half inch seam allowance

Repeat for the other three corners. Sew the seams of the lining in the same way.

You should have something that looks like this:

40. After all four corners have been sewn on both the outside and the lining

Press all the corner seams open as shown:

Press the hem again on both the outside and the lining.

42. Press the hem all the way around

It will now look like this:

43. It will now look like this

Pull the outer fabric down over the lining. Match seams and pin along the bottom of the tissue cover.

Cut two 5 ½” pieces of ½” elastic. (The width of your box plus ¾”)

Pin the elastic 1 ½” from each corner on the longest side, sandwiching the elastic between the outer fabric and the lining making sure that at least 1/2″ of the elastic is inside.

44. Photo collage of pinning the elastic in place

Topstitch 1/8″ from the edge all the way around the bottom of the tissue box cover.

46. Photo collage of topstitching around the bottomTurn the cover right side out.

47. Turn the cover right side out.

To make pressing the finished tissue box cover easier, slip a tissue box upside down into the cover. Press well.

48. Photo collage of pressing the tissue box cover with tissue box inside.

Remove the tissue box and insert it right side up.

Christmas on one side…

Finished Reindeer Tissue Box Cover

And can be reversed for the 4th of July:

4th of July Fabric Tissue Box Cover

I’ve also made some covers to fit the shorter tissue boxes as well as the taller, square ones.

Reversible Tissue Box Covers in different sizes

The method for drafting the pattern is the same. And as I mentioned earlier, once you have your pattern(s), each cover takes an hour or less to sew.

 

Want to see some of the other covers I’ve made using this tutorial?

Valentine’s Tissue Box Covers

And here are those one reversed for St. Patrick’s Day!

Here’s another pretty Valentine’s to St. Patrick’s Day tissue box cover.I actually keep that one out year round in my office because I love that heart fabric!

Need a gift for a sick friend or a baby shower gift? How about something colorful and bright like these ones I made for the Round Elements Fabric Challenge.I love the butterfly fabric I used for the reverse side of one of them. Luckily I have enough of it left to make another tissue box cover for myself. 🙂

 

As always, if you make something with one of my tutorials, I’d love to see a photo. You can e-mail me by clicking on the little envelope in the top banner. Or tag me @supermomnocape on Instagram, 1SuperMomNoCape on Facebook and 1SuperMomNoCape on Twitter.

Feel free to follow me on any of those as well.

 

 

Want to pin this tutorial for future reference? Simply click on the Pinterest button underneath this post.

And of course, I’d love it if you shared it on Twitter and Facebook as well. 🙂

Reversible Tissue Box Cover Tutorial - 4th of July and Christmas

I would be so pleased if you chose to share by clicking on one of the buttons below!

23 Comments

  • Charlene Hamby
    April 6, 2021 8:45 am

    Could you please make your patterns and tutorials printable?

  • Patti
    July 21, 2020 10:15 am

    Oh awesome, I hate the colors on tissue boxes. Now I can have what I like. Thank you for sharing.

    • Super Mom No Cape
      July 27, 2020 5:49 pm

      You’re welcome Patti. Have fun making different covers for your tissue boxes. 🙂

  • Ann
    July 12, 2020 9:28 am

    Easy way to create pattern for the opening on the top – trace the hole in the box, or trace the part that tears out of the hole when you open a new box. Can always sew a little outside/inside the lines to adjust the size.

    • Super Mom No Cape
      July 15, 2020 5:45 pm

      Hello Ann,

      Yes, that could work, depending on the shape of the hole. If it’s a circle or oval, you’d want to decrease the size. If it’s a rectangle, the opening would be quite a bit too big. At least on the tissue boxes that I usually buy.

      But it’s certainly worth giving it a try. I’d test it on fabric that I don’t really care about first. 🙂

  • Paula Coleman
    March 23, 2020 8:11 am

    Very cute pattern. Is it possible you could give permission for my quilt guild to make and sell these at our boutique at the annual Apple Festival? Thank you!

    • Super Mom No Cape
      March 23, 2020 5:11 pm

      Hello Paula,

      I sent you an email. 🙂

  • Kris Kuhl
    November 18, 2019 2:26 pm

    I found it difficult to sew the elastic to each side of the cover because the cover got in the way.
    Also, it was difficult to get the elastic over the box without crumpling the cardboard.
    My solution; cut each piece of elastic in half and either stitch Velcro on each half or sew on snaps.
    This will make it much easier to sew on the elastic as well as for changing out the tissue box or reversing the cover.
    Love this pattern. Thanks for sharing!

  • Xeena
    December 24, 2017 5:12 am

    How do you topstitch around the bottom without getting tangled in the elastic? Can’t fathom it

    • Super Mom No Cape
      December 24, 2017 9:50 am

      Hello Xeena,

      I’ve sent you an email with some tips for how to do it.

  • Darlene Harrington
    October 4, 2017 6:24 am

    Great Job! i’m thinking of doing a Hoilday reversible. like Thanksgiving,Christmas. Valentines,Easter. Simple and clean looking thank u for sharing. Maybe i will post it here when i’m done. 🙂

  • Sandy Wootten
    June 16, 2016 9:15 am

    Wow thank you for this pattern. Great instructions!

  • Suzanne
    December 26, 2015 9:36 am

    I am very impressed with this idea. I’m going to plan on making sets of these for teacher gifts. It would be a nice treat for them since they go through so many tissues in the classroom. Thank you!!

  • Sherry
    December 18, 2015 9:17 pm

    Brilliant idea and thank you sew much for sharing your tutorial. Merry Christmas…

  • Linda
    December 18, 2015 10:50 am

    What a nice tutorial. Thanks for sharing it. I’ll have to add it to me (too long) list of ways to use up my stash 🙂

  • Susan
    December 17, 2015 9:51 pm

    Simple to follow. I should have read this yesterday so I would have picked up elastic when I went to JoAnn’s today! I probably won’t have time to try it for a couple of weeks anyway, so I’ll get some next shopping trip. Thanks for taking the time to post this. I know how much time it takes to make a tutorial that is so detailed, and I appreciate the help you’re giving to make it simple and easy for me!

  • Mary Anne
    December 16, 2015 7:18 pm

    This is an amazing tutorial! Thank you for all the time that it took to create it for us. Another thing that’s going on my to-do list!!

  • Jordan
    December 16, 2015 5:04 pm

    Perfect way to jazz up a Kleenex box for Christmas.

  • Renee
    December 16, 2015 3:41 pm

    How clever! It looks great!

  • QuiltShopGal
    December 16, 2015 11:37 am

    Excellent tutorial and so cute. I definitely have plenty of Christmas fabric to do this, as well as some for Valentine’s Day. Looking forward to making these. Thank you for sharing your #CreativeGoodness

    QuiltShopGal
    http://www.quiltshopgal.com

  • Mary
    December 16, 2015 10:14 am

    Those look terrific and since those are the same tissue boxes I use, I appreciate the math already done for me. lol Thanks, Sue.

  • Rachel
    December 16, 2015 5:38 am

    Very clear and copiously illustrated. Good luck with chasing the sun!

  • Celtic Thistle Stitches
    December 16, 2015 3:55 am

    What a neat idea I love that it is reversible.

Comments are closed.