How to Make a Wine Bottle Gift Box
The fabric you choose is very important. For the inside of the container, white satin or something similar is a good choice. The inside fabric should be very thin. For the outside fabric fake fur or velvet are fabulous. Not only is the fur or velvet touchable and elegant these particular fabrics also help hide seams which will make the finished project look flawless.
Starting with a piece of white posterboard it’s easy to make the wine container. Wrap the posterboard around the bottle to get an idea of the size you’ll need. Allow an extra half-inch for the width of the bottle but trim the top of the poster board to be a couple inches taller than the bottle itself.
Keeping the posterboard in a circular pattern tape the area where the two ends meet. It’s not a good idea to overlap the two ends since that will cause the fabric on the outside to look bulky. Masking tape works great for temporarily holding the ends together. Don’t overdo it with the tape since keeping it tubular is only temporary.
It’s important to tape the temporary shape exactly as it need be. Don’t overlap the ends, but instead, butt them together before taping. Stand the tube on one end and draw around it on a piece of posterboard. Cut two of these circles. In addition, cut two of the circles from the velvet or fur.
Cover the posterboard circles with the round pieces of velvet or fur. Glue in place and set aside. Remove the tape from the tube and lay the posterboard flat. Cut the fabric you’re using for the inside of the bottle container a half-inch, all the way around, than the posterboard. Cover the posterboard in the thin fabric and wrap the edges and ends around to the back. Tape or glue into place.
Bend the posterboard into the tubular shape and tape the seam well. When you do this the fabric should be on the inside. Put the tape on the outside to secure. Next, you’ll apply the outside fabric to the posterboard.
When using velvet or fur there’s usually no need to fold the raw edges under at the seam. If the velvet tends to shed where cut, though, treat the cut edges with a no-fray solution found at a sewing supply store. Do the same for the faux fur, if needed.
Wrap the outside fabric around the tube and glue it at the edges. The two ends of the posterboard will form a seam which will become the back of the bottle. Trim the fabric to where it is the exact size of the container, at the top and bottom. Cord can later be added to hide the raw edges. Position one of the fur or velvet-covered circles at one end of the tube. Use hot glue to secure it to the bottom of the container. Glue on a piece of cord, around the circle, if you wish. If using other fabrics it may be necessary to include this step.
Cut a strip of the posterboard which is two inches wide. The length of the cardboard piece should be enough to go around the second fur-covered circle. You can later cut this down an inch or so, if needed. Roll the posterboard strip into a wide tube shape. Tape it at the ends. If trimming is needed, do so before taping the ends together.
Before taping, hold the tube shape to the underside of the fur-covered circle. The tube shape should be approximately a half-inch smaller, all the way around, than the circle. Glue or tape the finished tube to the underside of the circle. If you don’t want a plain posterboard tube you can cover the tube with ribbon before gluing the tube in place.
You can poke holes on opposite sides of the body of the container to make a place for a handle. Tie a rope through the holes, place the lid, and you can easily carry the wine bottle container. Even with the rope handle you can glue a drawer pull to the lid of the new container to give it character.
When you’re finished with this project, place the bottle inside the body of the container, then add the lid. The tube you glued to the underside of the lid allows you to slide it easily into the container top. Now all that’s left to do is watch the excited recipient as he or she receives this fabulous gift.
