Broken Hatbox

I am a regular vendor at The Vintage Marketplace every 3 months in Fallbrook.

Two shows ago, I admired this beautiful Vintage Givenchy Hatbox

that another vendor had.

Lauren of "Wearing History"

Gorgeous colors, Right?

But the box was totally falling apart.  

The top was separated totally from it's rim and the bottom was totally off.

I passed on buying it and at the end of the show Lauren gifted it to me

saying she knew I would do something cool with it.

I thanked her and knew all I would do is repair it

and use it in my studio to store vintage something or other in.

Using vintage Pattern paper (which I pick up at thrift stores for about 50 cents) the interior was completely decoupage with one layer to give the box some stability and re-adhere

the base and top circles.

 (of course I only took one pic of this and in was blurry, note to self to take 2 pic next time)

Afte fully decoupaging the interiors with the pattern paper, I needed to figure what to use to bind the outside rim of the top and bottom.  Black paper tape had been used before, but not having this...

what to use???

Bias tape is thin enough to accept a glue and fold over rounded edges rather neatly...to my stash I go!

YES, I love old sewing stuff!!

I used a large bead of tacky glue all around the rim and cut the bias tape about 1/4 inch larger than the total diameter.

Kinda messy, I just used my fingers and occasionally a paintbrush dipped in Modge Podge to smooth and adhere the bias tape to the edges.

The box was fairly warped so I weighed the top down and inverted the box on a pedestal

so the sides would pull down a bit. See the shadow?  (hope that makes sense)

When dried, I punched out the paper from the metal eyelets, which are for the cord to go back through.

(the bruise on my forearm is from being mauled by studio furniture moved this week)

Now this wonderful hatbox is intact again and I can fill it with

millinery or maybe, Bias tape! 

Thank you Lauren!

Now back to Studio Organizing!

xoxo,

Lisa