Mini Cardboard Drawers

Hmm looks like I chose the wrong time to start a blog... next time I will wait until AFTER the 50% electronics assignment is due. But back on track now, and here *cue drumroll* is my first project.

I needed something to tidy up the mess inside my sewing box, solution - mini drawers. Cheap solution, fabric covered cardboard mini drawers! Basically it consists of four cardboard boxes like this:

They make awesome storage for all my thread (for the moment - actually I will need to up-size soon), and could be used to store any small items, from sewing notions (buttons, zips, ribbon scraps etc), to paperclips and similar stationary or even jewellery.

I started by making the three drawers, I used corrugated cardboard which was fairly stiff and not too thick, I wanted them to feel reasonably sturdy. An abandoned shoebox and another box which once held canned drinks were sacrificed for the cause. Here's the pattern I sketched out, any dimensions should do, but the important thing to add 0.5cm to the width and depth, and 1cm to the total height of all the drawers for the larger container box so that they fit snugly inside.

After making the small drawers I covered them in some fabric that I managed to score from my Nana last time she was cleaning up her cupboards. Nanas are good like that. I like the patchwork look of using different patterns for each part. I used PVA diluted with water and cut out a small finger hole as shown here:

I lined them with plain white paper cut to the same pattern as the drawers and trimmed to fit.

The large box was made much the same way, I initially left it unlined as the drawers hide the inside surfaces, but then I found I would often take the drawers out completely when using them. I had recently found some adhesive drawer liner at the closest dollar shop for just under $4 a roll and tried it out. Slightly easier to use than paper but it was still a little bit fiddly getting it inside which resulted in a couple of air bubbles. Flatten them out and you can hardly tell though.

 The finished article all fits together like this. I was surprised at how well the drawers work without anything to support them from underneath, I can slide one almost entirely out without the ones on top falling down. And aren't they cute!

Add an $8 picnic basket from the salvation army store and a few other miscellaneous boxes, and I have a much tidier sewing kit with room to grow. This is a big improvement on what was essentially a shoebox. After several years of shoebox storage I feel I am finally moving up in the world! I also picked up a couple of sewing patterns because at $1 each... why not.

Now I just need to think of a better way to store my fabric scraps...