I’ve been really interested in the idea of cross stitching on different surfaces besides just Aida fabric. I did the waste canvas experiment and wanted to try some other surfaces as well. I saw this upcycled box on Pinterest and decided to give it a try with a $.99 cardboard box from Michael’s. I added a quick coat of craft paint and then got to work poking holes. I made some errors with how I did this, and the holes were the first.

I cut out the template and put it on the inside of the lid. Which meant that when I poked the holes, they went out, leaving the box with a sloppy look. I should have put the template on the outside on the box and punched the holes that way. I also used a needle that was really difficult to push through the thick cardboard. Using a Dremmel might have given cleaner, more consistent holes.
The holes could have been bigger, it was really difficult to push the needle through the thick surface and I ended up with a broken needle and sore fingers. But it was a learning experience and an inexpensive experiment.