diff --git a/examples/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolo/examples/SwingLayoutExample.java b/examples/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolo/examples/SwingLayoutExample.java
index 5876634..cd01e3f 100644
--- a/examples/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolo/examples/SwingLayoutExample.java
+++ b/examples/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolo/examples/SwingLayoutExample.java
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@
         gridBagLayoutNode.setOffset(400, 250);
         rootNode.addChild(gridBagLayoutNode);
 
-        final SwingLayoutNode boxLayoutNode = new SwingLayoutNode();
-        boxLayoutNode.setLayout(new BoxLayout(boxLayoutNode.getContainer(), BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
+        JPanel container = new JPanel();        
+        container.setLayout(new BoxLayout(container, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
+        final SwingLayoutNode boxLayoutNode = new SwingLayoutNode(container);
         boxLayoutNode.addChild(new MyPPath(new Rectangle2D.Double(0, 0, 50, 50), Color.yellow, new BasicStroke(2),
                 Color.red));
         boxLayoutNode.addChild(new MyPPath(new Rectangle2D.Double(0, 0, 100, 50), Color.orange, new BasicStroke(2),
diff --git a/extras/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swing/SwingLayoutNode.java b/extras/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swing/SwingLayoutNode.java
index 369dfd4..f9309e5 100644
--- a/extras/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swing/SwingLayoutNode.java
+++ b/extras/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swing/SwingLayoutNode.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 
+import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
 import javax.swing.JComponent;
 import javax.swing.JPanel;
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@
     private static final Anchor DEFAULT_ANCHOR = Anchor.WEST;
 
     /** Container for ProxyComponents. */
-    private final JPanel container;
+    private final Container container;
 
     private final PropertyChangeListener propertyChangeListener;
 
@@ -85,7 +86,21 @@
      *            not be null.
      */
     public SwingLayoutNode(final LayoutManager layoutManager) {
-        container = new JPanel(layoutManager);
+        this(new JPanel(layoutManager));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a SwingLayoutNode that lays out its children as though they
+     * were children of the provided Container.
+     * 
+     * Whatever LayoutManager is being used by the container will be used when
+     * laying out nodes.
+     * 
+     * @param container Container in which child nodes will effectively be laid
+     *            out
+     */
+    public SwingLayoutNode(Container container) {
+        this.container = container;
         propertyChangeListener = new PropertyChangeListener() {
             public void propertyChange(final PropertyChangeEvent event) {
                 final String propertyName = event.getPropertyName();
@@ -131,7 +146,7 @@
      */
     public Container getContainer() {
         return container;
-    }   
+    }
 
     /**
      * Adds a child at the specified index. Like Swing, bad things can happen if