Fabric Covered Storage Bins

Hello! It’s Autumn here with a super easy fabric home decor project. I blog at It’s Always Autumn, where I share tips and tutorials on photography, crafts and DIY, sewing, and recipes. Check out my 8 step series on taking better photos on AUTO, a recipe for making lasagne in the crockpot, or the upcycled summer wardrobe I sewed for my daughter. Today I even have a giveaway to The Ribbon Retreat for you all – thanks a bunch TRR!

I recently repainted my family room and added some IKEA Expedit bookshelves to try to tidy up all the toys, books, and other items that get strewn across the room each day. Bins on a bookshelf are a perfect organizing solution for family rooms and bedrooms, but I quickly realized that purchasing fabric bins to fill up the bookshelf was going to get extremely expensive – they would actually cost more than the bookshelf itself! I found a much cheaper solution – Sterilite bins purchased in a six pack from amazon – but they weren’t nearly cute or colorful enough. So I covered the front of each bin with fabric that coordinated with the colors in my room and turned these boring bins into modern and decorative organizers:

It only takes a square foot of fabric to cover the front of each bin, so depending on how large your pattern is and whether you want it to line up, you can easily cover the front and back of 4-6 bins with one yard of fabric. And with the wide selection of fabric here at The Ribbon Retreat, you’ll be sure to find something that looks perfect in your room. The project is extremely easy – just cutting and gluing – and I’ve taken care of the only difficult part for you. I’ve created a printable template for cutting out your fabric so you’ll know it will line up perfectly, giving a professional-looking result.

I used these Sterilite bins from Amazon (called the Ultra Basket) and it was less than $22 for 6 bins, which is a steal when you consider that most fabric bins are $10 each. The bins fit perfectly in the IKEA Expedit shelves. You can also purchase a 6 pack of bins at Walmart.com for $22 w/free site to store pickup. If you want to cover these same bins, click here to download the cutting template. If you’d live to cover a different sized bin, create your own template that covers the front of the bin, remembering to cut out a spot for the handle, if necessary.

Here’s what you’ll do:

1 – Cut out your fabric, using a ruler and rotary cutter if possible to get very straight, even cuts. Trace the curved portions and cut with scissors. Remember to line up your fabric so the patterns will match from bin to bin. 2 – Get some Mod Podge and a foam paintbrush. 3 – Paint a thin even layer of Mod Podge over the middle third of the bin (from top to bottom) making sure there are no dry areas. 4 – Press the fabric over the Mod Podge, making sure it lines up evenly from side to side. Get the fabric smooth but try not to stretch it. 5 – Lift up the fabric on the right side and apply Mod Podge on that side. 6 – Press the right side down and paint a little more Mod Podge along the edges to make sure they are secured down. 7 – If you get any frayed threads, simply put a little Mod Podge on your finger and slide it along the edge, pushing the frayed threads back to the fabric edge. 8 – Repeat with the left side. Wipe out any Mod Podge that has dripped on the inside of the bin. Let it dry completely, then cover the fabric fronts with a thin layer of Mod Podge.

And you’re done! The Mod Podge adheres the fabric completely to your bin and makes it tough and durable. And cute!

Depending on the color and weight of your fabric, the holes in the bin may be visible through the fabric. To fix that I just cut a piece of white cardstock to size and adhered it to the inside of the bin to block any light coming through the holes – now they are barely noticeable.

Thank you to the Ribbon Retreat for letting me share this tutorial today! If you love this store as much as I do, don’t forget to click over to It’s Always Autumn to enter to win a $35 gift certificate to The Ribbon Retreat!

Thank you Autumn! These bins are awesome, innovative, and a perfect decorating statement of superb style! I love how quickly you transformed those boring bins to FABulous fabric covered storage bins. Thank you for sharing your love of creating with us!

What a fun and simple home decor project that truly transformed the look of your space. I am so impressed by how a small amount of fabric can create such a significant change. The Ribbon Retreat has a great selection of fabric perfect for all of your home decor transformation and redo needs. If you loved this project, we know you will also love these home decor tutorials. Check them out here.

Happy Home Decor-ing & Happy Creating!