How To Sew A Square Tissue Box Cover | Free Sewing Pattern

August 14, 2026

Although tissue boxes offer more color/print options these days, they’re never a match to my home decor. So I love this simple sewing project for a tissue box cover.

What I love most about this tissue box cover is that it’s reversible.

I was sticking to fall colors, but to get more use out of your tissue box cover, you could use a fall color/print on one side and a winter/Christmas fabric for the other side (or fabrics to fit any other season/style/color scheme you like).

The fabrics should coordinate somewhat, so the binding color you choose works for both sides, but otherwise, you don’t really see the inside fabric once the cover is in place.

I made this pattern to fit my Scottie’s brand square tissue box. The finished size is:

4-3/4″ (w) x 4-3/4″ (d) x 5″ (tall)

I’d consider this tissue box cover an intermediate project; due to the binding.

However, you could simply extend the pattern piece by 1/2″ (on all 4 ends) and then, instead of adding binding as the final step, simply press the hems under by 1/2″ and topstitch them together.

Mistakes/Learnings

I like sharing some of the challenges I had with a sewing project so you know what to watch for and determine if this is a fit for you.

Batting – I wanted my tissue box cover to have good structure and have a lofty look with the quilting stitches. So I used 2 layers of quilt batting per side (so 4 layers total). I like the look, but I should have reduced my seam allowance to 3/8″ as all the batting loft caused my cover to be just a little tighter and shorter than I’d like.
Quilting stitches – I should have found the center of my cover and worked my quilting stitches around that. They’re just a little off-center in places. Also, quilting the fabric first added a significant amount of time. If you skipped that, this would be a very quick project.
Oval – sewing around the oval shape was a little challenging to keep the sewing even. When sewing the layers together around the oval, use a short stitch length (e.g. 2 mm or shorter). This makes it easier to sew around the curves and will make your seam strong (since we’ll be clipping the seam allowance). When topstitching around the oval, you don’t want your stitches too short (I used a 3 mm length), as it doesn’t look as nice. So just go really slow.
Binding – joining the ends of binding on smaller, quilted pieces can be a little more challenging. Feel free to use any type of method for joining the ends, as mine gives the cleanest finish, but is probably the most difficult method.

Materials

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Fabric for both sides
Batting/interfacing (optional; I used polyester batting to get a quilted look and for extra structure. You could use fusible interfacing or fleece if you want a bit of structure or aren’t going to add quilting stitches. Alternatively, you could use a heavier-weight fabric such as canvas.)
1/2″ double-fold binding (2″ wide when unfolded) – you can make your own out of a 2″ wide strip of fabric.
Thread

Tools

Sewing machine
Temporary fabric pen or chalk
Ruler
Iron
Scissors
Pins or clips

Free printable sewing pattern for a square tissue box cover

Download the free printable pattern, print it, tape the edges together, then cut out.

The edges of the paper should butt up together; no overlap.

Fold your fabric in half and place the edge (“cut on fold”) of the pattern right on the fabric fold, then cut.

You’ll simply be using the oval pattern piece to trace around on the center of your fabric, and then stitch on that line; don’t cut the oval into your fabric pieces yet.

You will need to cut:

1 piece from outer fabric
1 piece from lining fabric
1 – 2 pieces from batting (if you want to add quilting stitches but don’t care about the cover being reversible, you only need 1 piece of batting and can sew your outer fabric and batting together.)

You will also need:

24″ piece of 1/2″ double-fold binding (or cut a strip of fabric that is 2″ x 24″ and create your own binding. Here’s how)

If you’re adding batting and quilting stitches, cut your fabric and batting larger. I cut mine into 15″ x 15″ squares. You want to add quilting stitches before cutting the pattern piece because the stitches will “shrink” the fabric.

I quilted my top fabric with the batting and my bottom fabric with the batting.

Then I cut my pattern pieces to size.

Don’t throw out the corner squares if you follow this method…I made coasters out of them.

Steps to sew a reversible square tissue box cover

Step 1

Place the two pieces of fabric right sides together, lining up the edges.

Place pins through all layers to keep them in place as you sew the oval.

Center the oval pattern piece on your fabric and trace around it using a temporary fabric pen.

You’ll sew on that line around the oval, backstitching at the start and end.

Shorten your stitch length (e.g. 1.5 mm – 2 mm), which will make it easier to sew around the curve, and go slow. Try not to pull on your fabric, or it will cause puckers. Instead, stop with your needle down, lift the presser foot and pivot your fabric if you need to.

Fold your fabric in half so you can cut a hole into all layers to get your scissors through.

Then cut out the center of the oval, leaving about a 3/8″ – 1/2″ seam allowance around the stitching.

Angle your scissors so they are almost parallel to your fabric and trim away the batting. Holding your scissors at this angle allows you to cut close to the stitching, without cutting into it.

Use the tip of your scissors to cut slits in the seam allowance all around the oval. This will help your fabric sit flat when you turn it right side out.

Step 2

Push one of the layers of fabric through the oval opening to get the layers so they’re sitting wrong sides together.

Press around the opening to flatten the seam. If you’re using a polyester batting, be sure to lower your iron’s heat setting and don’t let your iron sit in one place for more than a couple of seconds, or you could melt the batting.

Topstitch around the opening, about 1/4″ away from the edge. I use a shorter stitch length (e.g. 3 mm) for this step, but not as short as when I was sewing the seam. Go slow during this step, as it is a bit challenging.

To keep my topstitching even, I don’t look in front of the needle (as I would when sewing a line seam and feeding the fabric through). Instead, I look to the left of the needle and ensure my fabric is staying a consistent distance away from the needle.

Step 3

Fold one layer of your fabric right sides together, so that two edges that are next to each other come together.

I’ve clipped several corners together for visual purposes, but I only clip one edge at a time, sew, then do another edge (otherwise I find the clips get bulky and in the way).

Sew using a 1/2″ seam allowance (or less if you’ve added bulky batting). I start sewing at the folded edge and sew toward the cut edge, backstitching at the start and end.

If you’ve added batting, use the tip of your scissors to cut the batting only up to the stitching so you can open the batting’s seam allowance.

If you haven’t added batting, you can skip this step and leave the fabric’s seam allowance as is.

Then hold your scissors almost parallel to the fabric and cut the batting’s seam allowance, close to the stitching. Leave the fabric’s seam allowance in place.

Repeat this on both sides of each seam to remove the bulky batting.

Step 4

Place the two layers of fabric wrong sides together and line up each corner seam. I like to fold the seam allowances in opposite directions to reduce bulk in each corner. Make sure the seam allowance is folded flat all along the seam (from the bottom edge up to the corner) and clip the bottom edges together.

Baste the bottom edges together.

Step 5

Use a temporary fabric pen to mark a line 2″ away from one end of your binding. You’ll start sewing at this mark, in the first crease.

When you come back around to the start of your binding, fold the loose 2″ end straight back toward you.

Set the end of the binding on top and sew right up to the start of your stitching, without going past.

This is how the two ends should look:

Unfold the end of your binding and set the start of the binding on top of it at a 90-degree angle. Sew across the binding at a 45-degree angle. I shorten my stitch length for this step as well (e.g. 2.5 mm) so that I don’t have to worry about backstitching to start, as it’s a small seam and can be a bit tricky to sew.

Flip your cover opposite fabric to the outside and then fold your binding to the inside of the cover and press it into place so the inside folded edge is just covering the lining of stitching.

Sew about 1/8″ in from the inside edge of the binding. I check as I sew to ensure my folded edge is sitting on top of the stitching and just slightly covering it. Keeping this consistent will ensure your topstitching looks good from both sides.

Your square tissue box cover is complete!