The quest for home organization continues. After moving twice with the same bin of thriftstore fabrics, I finally decided to put some to use. I will occasionally see something like this bin at a store I like or online, and I always resist the urge to buy them because they usually seem too expensive. Storage is one of those things I always need, but HATE spending money on. Kind of the same way I feel about socks. Inevitably, I always keep thinking about them and when I finally decide to pull the trigger and purchase them, they are no longer to be found. So if the mountain won’t come to you, you must go to it. The “mountain”, in this case, being a fabric storage bin.
This project was so easy and quick, save for a little wait time for the glue to dry. And if you are like me, “No-sew” is always a plus when it comes to projects because I am LA-ZY. And i don’t have a sewing machine here in Paris, so there’s that.
For this project, you need:
- 1 thick fabric (like canvas) and one thin fabric (cotton). The amount you need varies on the size or amount of bins you want to make.
-Scissors
-Fabric glue
-Grommets and grommet fastening tool (optional)
Sidebar: If you want a more structured bin, use interfacing between the two fabric layers to make it more sturdy. I was going for a “slouchy” look, so I didn’t use interfacing. Cut 5 identical rectangles (or squares) out of each of your fabrics, making 10 rectangles total. Starting with one fabric, place a rectangle on the table. Place the remaining four rectangles around the center one, making a cross shape. Line up the edges so that they are even. With two fingers, pinch together the two edges of two pieces of fabric, like the photo above. Glue the edges together. Do this for all four edges, making the base of your bin. Next, fold the corners in on the inside and glue the remaining edges together. Make sure the “seams” are facing inward, so you have a nice clean seemless look on the outside of the bin. Repeat this same process for your second fabric. At the end, you should have two bag-like pieces that look like this:
For your exterior fabric, turn it right side out so that the seems are on the inside. For the interior fabric, or the thinner fabric that you will use as your lining, keep it turned inside out. Put the inside out fabric inside your exterior piece.
From here, form the bin by making sure the fabrics are lined up seem to seem.
Next, you will glue your interior fabric to your exterior fabric. I made sure to glue around the perimeter of the top edges thoroughly.
Then, fold the top edges like a cuff to hide the raw edges and to expose the interioir fabric a little:
Last, I added a couple of grommets which are a super easy way to make any fabric item look finished.
I’m using this right now to hold all of our mail. Incoming mail is always such an issue for us – we let it pile up all over our dining room table. Hopefully this will help us keep things a little more tidy!
