There are some bathroom consumables (that is, the items you regularly replace) which are nice to splash out on – like botanical scented handwash in lovely bottles. But groovy designs on cardboard tissue boxes is not one of them. They look good, but the extra cost seems silly for something which get tossed out after a couple of weeks. Here’s a way to make a smart looking cover to disguise the ho-hum print on your box of budget priced tissues. Lynn Pavey came up with this novel idea using cork to create two different tissue box covers – a colourful one for a child or baby’s room, and one for an adult or family bathroom. It’s made by copying the original tissue box shape and covering it in panels of adhesive cork, then folding it back together again before adding decorative trims. When you make the box, keep in mind that different brands of tissue have different sized boxes. Allow for the biggest box or keep to your preferred brand.

2. Materials you’ll need
Self adhesive cork roll
1 sheet of cardboard (poster board)
all purpose glue (eg. Aquadhere which dries
clear)
Self-adhesive Velcro dots (4 per box)
Trims for kids’ tissue box cover:
Assorted buttons – 12
Assorted braids, ribbons, bias binding (1.8
metres)
12cm zipper
Trim for adult’s tissue box cover:
Brown/black velvet ribbon
Equipment you will need:
Scissors
Pencil
Ruler
Paint brush
Pins
‘Stanley’ knife (‘Xacto’ knife)

3. Make a template
To create the cover for the box, requires
making a template from the tissue box,
covering it with cork panels and then
folding it back together again.
Take the tissue box you plan to cover.
Pull it apart, so it’s one piece of
cardboard.
Trace around it on a big piece of paper.
Measure each face of the box and add
‘hems’ of 0.75cm around every edge.
This will make it easier to cover the box.
Starting with the top of the box (rectangle
or square) mark this as the centre on the
cardboard. Copy to the cardboard the
panels of the box adding the extra
0.75cm around each side. You should
have a large “plus” sign. Have a close
look at the one done here for a short
square shaped box.

4. Add 3cm border, cut out
template
Mark a 3 cm border
around the ‘plus’ shape
on the cardboard. Cut
out template.
Make a diagongal cut
through the boarder to
the corners of the top of
the corner. Make a
crease along all the
lines.

5. Cut cork panels
Cut cork to fit each of the
panels for top, sides and
end of box, not the border
sections.
Use the blade knife
(Stanley or Xacto) along
the edge of the ruler to cut
a straight line in the cork.
Peel of the adhesive
backing then stick onto the
matching panel on the
cardboard template.

6. Measure and cut pieces
for base of box.
Stick down each panel close
to the border line. Cut 4
additional pieces of cork.
These will be for the base of
the tissue box cover. 2 pieces
are the length of the sides of
the box (x 3cm), 2 pieces are
the width of the sides of the
box (x 3cm). Position these
at the end of the ‘plus’ shape.
Note, these are the only
border panels that are
covered with a piece of cork.

7. Completed ‘plus’ shape
with 4 base pieces added
The completed template
will have all the panels
covered with a piece of
cork with an extra strip at
the 4 ends of the ‘plus’
sign. The other seams
around each edge will be
showing and not covered
in cork. Cut around the
outside of this template.

8. Cut piece for tissue box
opening
The centre opening (where the
tissues pull out) is re-inforced
with an extra piece of cork in
the shape of a rectangle
frame. Cut out a rectangle
(2.5cm x 4.5cm) to form a hole
on the top panel of the box
cover. Then cut out another
square from a separate piece
of cork in the shape of a
rectangular frame (5.7cm x
3.7cm on the outside, 4.5cm x
2.5cm on the inside). Use glue
to stick this on top of the hole.

9. Stick the box
together
To create the box
cover, fold along the
seam lines, cut corner
borders at an angle to
allow border tabs to
fold.

10. Re-fold the cover back into the
shape of the tissue box. Glue
together the corresponding border
tabs to form the box shape, and glue
flat on the inside of the box. Allow to
dry. For the base flaps, cut corners
at a slight angle so they will not be
seen when box is upright. Fold 2
base flaps (covered in cork) closed
which are opposite each other. Stick
a pair of Velcro dots on each corner
of the 2 flaps (4 all together). Peel off
backing paper from top dot and fold
over the other 2 opposing flaps. The
base of the box is now sealed closed
with the Velcro dots in correct
position.

11. Decorate with braids
and buttons
Decide positions of each
braid, measure and cut,
allowing extra 2 cms to
trim later. Use a small
paint brush to apply a line
of glue along the seams.
Use sparingly because
excess glue will ooze out
from the binding and mark
the cork. Re-glue if
necessary. Pin buttons
into place, glue and keep
pinned.

12. Pin zipper across the
opening and glue the
ends to the cork. Allow
to dry. Trim excess
braid.

13. Ta Da! Here’s one we made with a green zip.