Monday 01 June, 2020

Make a Slipcover for a Set of Plastic Bins


Have a set of plastic bins sitting in a prominent space in your house, but not happy with how they fit (or rather don’t fit) with your décor? If you are in search of ideas for decorating storage bins, one great idea which is easy to implement and which can vastly improve their appearance is […]


Have a set of plastic bins sitting in a prominent space in your house, but not happy with how they fit (or rather don’t fit) with your décor? If you are in search of ideas for decorating storage bins, one great idea which is easy to implement and which can vastly improve their appearance is to make a slipcover. This works especially well if you have a stack of plastic bins for storage stacked one atop the other.

To decorate plastic bins using this idea, you just need to pick up some fabric. Choose a color and texture which you like which complements your décor, and get three large pieces which are large enough to cover the top and sides of your set of bins when they are all stacked up. You might need a fourth piece to cover the back, depending on where you have positioned the bins, but if they are against a wall, that would be unnecessary.

You then need to sew the pieces together. If you need help keeping everything lined up, pins work great. You can use a sewing machine or you can do it by hand. A sewing machine of course is much faster, and ideal for the project since it is a large one. If you are fast, you can probably complete the slipcover in a couple hours on a single day, but you might find you need a few sittings to finish this project depending on your experience level.

After all the pieces are sewn together, there really is not much more to do except to place the finished slipcover over your set of plastic storage boxes. The slipcover offers you the following benefits:

• It is aesthetically pleasing. Viewed from the side, it is not even obvious that you are looking at a set of plastic bins at all. And viewed from the front, they have a more unified, “finished” look. The fabric can quite literally soften their appearance as well.

• The slipcover keeps your bins clean and dust-free. Now and again, you will need to remove the slipcover and wash it, but at least you do not have to worry about washing your plastic bins.

• This is an adaptable solution. You do not have to make any permanent modifications to your plastic bins this way. If you want to totally change their look at some point in the future, it is as simple as removing the existing slipcover and making a new one. This might be handy if you decide to move the bins to a different room or if you redecorate the room they are in now.

Making a slipcover is an easy sewing project, even if you are a total beginner, though it does take time and patience. Once your slipcover is completed, you should find that it is a major upgrade to your décor—one which also has some practical value in keeping your bins clear of dust. Have fun designing your slipcover and decorating your plastic storage totes!

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