Featured Does Anyone Know Where I Could Get A Replacement Upholstery Pillow For Inside This Old Wooden Box?

I saw this antique French wooden box on ebay and just bought it via Buy It Now. It hasn't arrived yet and in the seller's pictures, the top part of the box has what looks like a red satin or silk(?) tufted pillow. The interior of the box is lined with an old French antique newspaper, but looks like it may have once had a pillow in it or some other unknown insert and it was most likely removed.

Does anyone know any websites that sell replacement insert pieces for these old boxes? It is a stupid question because I have a feeling there is no such thing, but I didn't think it would hurt asking. It bothers me that the other tufted pillow or insert is missing because I have OCD about these type of things, lol.

If not, do any of you have ideas of what I could do to add to the box to make it look prettier inside or should I just leave it as is? I am new to collecting antique boxes and am not good at sewing, otherwise I would make a new custom made tufted cushion myself. If there was a video tutorial somewhere, I might be able to learn how to make one myself, but I couldn't find one anywhere. Does anyone know of one? Perhaps maybe one of you may know someone who can make one for me at an affordable price?

I know next to nothing about this box, but for $25 plus shipping I thought it was neat. The seller's pictures were lousy so I can't wait to get it and polish it and clean it up. I wonder how old this box is and what kind of box it is? Could it be a jewelry box or sewing box of some sort?

Here are the ebay seller's pictures:

 

your box is lovely
maybe @Poisonivy would have some tips for you, she does amazing work bringing items back to life
here is one of her posts showing a Regency Sewing box
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/regency-sewing-box.48574/

 

I'm so glad you replied. Thank you.
Oh wow! @Poisonivy does amazing restoration and is extremely talented!! That was a major transformation and I enjoyed reading and looking at the photos in that thread.

 

Hi,
It looks late Victorian or Edwardian, probably a jewellery box because there isn't a strip in the lid for sewing tools.
The veneer is missing from all around the outside (except the top) but you could rub it lightly with some fine wire wool and then give it several coats of a coloured varnish, let it dry and lightly sand between coats.
As for the inside it would have been lined in the same fabric as the lid, If you don't have any antique fabrics you could try and match it up with some vintage fabric maybe look online.
You can just put a layer of wadding in bottom, it doesn't have to be tufted as in the lid.
Hope all that helps.

 

Wow! That was some help. I appreciate all of this very useful information. Thanks! You are very talented. I loved how you fixed that lovely box on the thread that cxgirl linked here.

I found a video on Youtube that gave me an easy idea of what to do with the interior. The only problem is I don't know what color the original tufted pillow is and think I am colorblind, lol. Is that red, burgundy or a coral color?

I need to buy some fabric and am looking online to purchase some, but I am trying to get the closest color to the original. I don't think I am going to be able to find an antique fabric that is cheap enough for my budget that could match. I need to buy new fabric in the $10-$15 range or less for a yard of fabric (I think a yard would be more than enough). I really don't want to spend more than that because I am afraid of messing up anything expensive because It will be my first time attempting this.

I am going to use cardboard cut up from shipping boxes or a shirt box and will cut them to fit and attach the fabric to it. Do you know what that cotton padding stuff is called and where I can get some? Could I just use regular foam?

Would you suggest that I get shiny satin, matte satin, silk, velvet or cotton material? Do you have any fabric suggestions? I have no clue what would be appropriate.

This is the video I saw on youtube and the guy made it look easy peasy to line this old box:

 

I'm glad it helped.
It looks red on my screen but it depends on settings, If it's late Victorian it's quite likely to be red.
Have a look on Etsy at vintage/antique fabrics or even an old dress or skirt you could cut up, old fabric will give you a better look.
That's the right idea for attaching the fabric using any card you have handy and any fabric glue will work.
Google furniture wadding or foam for the bottom, maybe Etsy again.
Anything else you're not sure of just ask

Edit ....
Something with a sheen would work best.

 

Lovely box, synchro, will you show us the result?

 

I probably wouldn't hesitate to take a crack at it, but I'm used to both knives and fabric. The satin looks like a cherry red from here: not quite a straight-up red, not pink. It may look different in person. If you can find a craft/repair piece of clothing on line you could cut that up for the fabric. Or... just leave bad enough alone until the right material comes along.

 

If the newspaper lining is original, which it appears to be, can help with dating. Would you post photographs of the other interior sides (if they are papered?)

Debora

 

La Ville de Saint-Denis was in operation from 1845-1930.

Debora

 

That would fit with my thoughts on it's age.

 

Great ideas and info once again! You are awesome! Maybe one day you could make a youtube video showing us how you restore one of your boxes. I know I would be thrilled to see it.

 

I sure will. I am so excited and can't wait to work on it.

 

You are much braver than me . When I get it I will be able to see what shade of red it is much better in person. I'm going to check out Etsy and see what I can find. Does anyone here know what kind of fabric I should be looking for? Should I look for satin? I need a keyword for the search results on Etsy and want to find the same type of fabric as the original. It looks like it is satin, but I could be wrong.

 

Thank you, I'm happy to help ....
I don't think I could manage that though

 

I sure will as soon as it arrives. I am much anticipating it's arrival and am excited.

 

Great find! You are quite clever to have found that. Thank you.

 

Yes try Satin, it is a type of Satin that they used.

 

Thanks. I'm glad you told me that. Now I am going on the hunt for antique or at least vintage red satin. To be continued.... Lol

 

Hi poisonivy. I found some ruby red satin fabric on Etsy. While I don't think it is going to be a perfect match, I hope I can make the interior of the the box look better when it arrives. Cross your fingers for me

Here is the fabric I just bought from Etsy: