By Nicki Byrnes
April 3, 2023
Do tissue box covers make you think of a grandma’s house? Me too. But then I had a never-ending cold and a box of Puffs earned a permanent spot in my living room. After staring at the generic box design for a while, I thought, if it’s going to become part of my house’s aesthetic, why not give it some personality?
After a little research, I found modern, attractive tissue box covers do exist. For example, check out the options in this New York Magazine article. All are cute, but mass-produced. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re like me and get more satisfaction out of making certain things than buying them. So my search turned to crochet patterns, and when I saw tissue box covers that looked like desserts, I was inspired to have my cake and eat it too.
I found a few free patterns online to get the general idea of how they are constructed. I was particularly impressed with this pattern, which I was able to modify for the foundation and modernize for the design. My goal was for it to look like a cake I would make, playful and modern with soft colors and minimal decoration. See below for some of the inspiration I pulled from Pinterest before I began constructing mine. Sprinkles were non-negotiable.
With my design defined, I got to work. I used all Lion Brand yarns, some of which I had in my yarn stash and some of which I picked up at Joann. I knew I wanted to add extra flair for the frosting border at the top and bottom, so I used faux fur yarn to create kitschy texture. For the sprinkles, I replicated the technique in this video. All of the sprinkles colors come from one skein of yarn, which is cost-effective if you don’t have the colors you’re looking for on hand.
It turned out adorable and livens up any room. My son is obsessed with it and requested one for each of his teachers for Valentine’s Day. I thought that was sweet and imagine they look so cute in the classroom! We have one in our bathroom, which brings a smile to my face every time I see it.
If you’d like to make this tissue box cover, scroll down for the pattern! Stay tuned for my latest version, which uses thicker yarn for more luscious texture and decreased production time.
Skill level: Easy
Dimensions: 5” x 5”
Materials:
Yarn for frosting (I used Lion Brands Pound of Love in Pastel Green)
Yarn for cake (I used Lion Brands Pound of Love in White)
Yarn for frosting border (I used Lion Brands Go for Faux in Baked Alaska)
Yarn for sprinkles (I used Lion Brands Ice Cream in Tutti Frutti)
Size G/4.00mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Gauge:
16 sc stitches = 4”
18 sc rows = 4”
Pattern:
Top
With frosting color, ch 19.
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and across (18)
Rows 2-10: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (18)
Row 10: Ch 1, turn, 4 sc, ch 10, skip 10 st, 4 sc. Do not twist. This creates the hole for the tissue to come out. (18)
Rows 11-20: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. Do not break off. (18)
You have a square with a slit in the middle which is the top of your tissue box. You will now work in rows along the sides of your square.
Sides
Row 1: Do not turn work; ch 1 and work 20 sc (1 sc for each row along the top). Work 17 sc evenly along the next edge. (38)
Rows 2-23: Ch 1, turn. Work 1 sc in each st. (38). Leave about a yard of yarn for sewing, fasten off, and weave in the other end.
Cake
To create the cake portion, you will make 2 sides which have 3 layers of cake and 2 frosting stripes in between.
With cake color, ch 39.
Row 1: Sk 1st ch, work 34 sc evenly across. (38)
Rows 2-6: Ch 1, turn, 34 sc evenly across. (38) Change to frosting color (don’t break off cake color).
Rows 7-8: Ch 1, turn, 34 sc evenly across. (38). Change to cake color (don’t break off frosting color).
Rows 9-14: Ch 1, turn, 38 sc evenly across. (38) Change to frosting color (don’t break off cake color).
Rows 15-16: Ch 1, turn, 34 sc evenly across. (38) Change to cake color.
Rows 17-23: Ch 1, turn, 34 sc evenly across. (38) Fasten off and weave in ends.
Mattress stitch together using back loop of top row and front loop of bottom row.
Take faux fur yarn and loosely slip stitch (or loosely surface crochet) around the top and bottom edges. I started with my yarn on the inside at one of the top corners and worked across the top two edges, carried it down the corner of the cube on the inside, and then worked the bottom edges.
Using Lion Brand Tutti Frutti yarn, cut the length of each color in the skein and wind into a ball. These will make sprinkles for the frosting. You can add it just to the top or also to the sides. Watch the video linked above for the simple and fun method.
Blocking the final product will help define its cube shape. Put your cover over a box of tissues (ideally an empty one in case the cardboard gets saturated), spray it with water (avoid getting the faux fur yarn wet), and let it dry overnight. If you used an old tissue box underneath, carefully take it off and put it on a new, full box. Pull out the first tissue and display your tissue box cover somewhere prominent!
I hope you enjoyed this pattern and love your tissue box even more! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @nickibyrnescrochet with your tissue box covers so I can see your work!
This pattern is an adaptation of free crochet patterns sourced online, and its images are copyright protected and the sole property of Nicki Byrnes Crochet. The written pattern is for personal use only. If you sell the finished product, credit Nicki Byrnes Crochet as the designer and provide a link to http://www.nickibyrnescrochet.com in your listing.
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