Tsumami Tiffany Box

I realized pretty quickly into making tsumami kanzashi flowers, that I'd need a pretty specialized storage container for all of the different stages of construction. While I like the small plastic containers I've been using, they don't hold very much. So I set about designing a custom solution, and here's the outcome! Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I love Tiffany boxes - I'm kind of obsessed! So, I knew it had to be a part of this design.

This caddy actually started it's life as a plain jane cardboard box, with lid. How boring! Now it's robin's egg blue, with white satin ribbon; sealed with glossy Modge-Podge. I made a handle from a wire coat hanger, and covered it with the same ribbon I used on the sides. I sewed 2 pieces together to make a sleeve for the wire. The top sports a folded bow, I could never tie them very neatly, so I used fabric glue to make it neat and even. It's filled with card stock trays, stabilized with thin black ribbon at the corners, so I can stack them. The trays hold all stages of my flowers, from fabric squares to completed flowers, as well as all of the notions I need (thread, snaps, accessories.)


I originally wanted to cover the cardstock with robin's egg fabric, but when I tried it, the finished tray edges were all wavy, and I didn't like them. So, they're just plain white card stock, with 3/4" tall sides. I lined the bottoms with black felt so the petals wouldn't shift around. The larger trays have tabs in the middle, to help support the tray above it. I wanted to make a base, to be able to lift all 9 layers of trays out at once, but I couldn't bend in the steel handles enough to have clearance, and it just don't work out. It's always interesting to me, trying something new and seeing what works - and what doesn't.

The lid is inverted here, I use it to hold notions & scissors while I'm working. (The scissors I use are very heavy, and so I have to use a seperate plastic caddy to carry them, but they're also SUPER sharp, so I feel more comfortable when they're somewhere I can't accidentally stab myself!)

I've also added a sneak peak at my latest flowers! Most of what's pictured below will make it into the store (hopefully very soon!) A few are gifts, and a few I'm keeping for my greedy self - the double petal purple w/ turquoise was made to match my Femme Fedora!


I'd like to make a tutorial for a more generic craft caddy, if there's interest for it. I see those cardboard boxes at every craft store, and they're so boring, just begging for decoration! LOL There's so many different things you could do to them - decoupage, paint, ribbon & fabric, the possibilities are endless!