Fabric Waste Bin DIY Tutorial

Continuing our quest to get our studio in tip top shape for all of our wonderful students, we have been tackling the bathroom in the last week. Today we're sharing with you our process for our fabric waste bin, a really simple project that can be modified for any decor, and used in any room for a bin that doesn't require bulky plastic. We're firm believers that fiber always looks best!

We picked up a yard of a heavy canvas that was more than enough to make a shallow bin for the top of the counter (see photo below) and a high waste bin. Before we folded over the canvas for the bin top, it measured approximately 30" tall (half of a 60" cotton duck). We got out the metallic paint to add a pattern to our bin to match the "travel" theme we are going for in the loo.

Materials:
1 yard 60" width cotton duck/canvas
Thread
1 small tube Martha Stewart Metallic All Surface Paint
Stencil

1. Make your stencil

We must admit there are better materials for making a stencil, but we were in a hurry to get this done so we cheated a bit with supplies we had around the studio (namely, paper instead of something firmer). We had a poster with a world image on it, and photocopied that part so we could use it for our stencil. It worked out just fine on our desktop copier, as all we needed was the outline for our purposes.  We used a blade to cut out the continent shapes, and a thin border to frame them. This was tedious but still only took us about 10 minutes to complete. At this point our hands were a little tired so we decided to keep the stencil on the loose paper instead of transferring to a thicker stock. Tip for the future: print your original copy onto a piece of card stock instead of loose copy paper!

2. Cut your bottom circle

We folded our fabric in half to mark out our circle, and chose a radius (one length between the center of your circle and the edge) of 6 inches, and used our rotating ruler to mark dots from the center to 6 inches all the way around our semi-circle. Fill in the gaps between the dots to form your semi-circle. Cut it out!

3. Cut out your sides

Measure your circumference so you'll know the length to cut your sides. I used a 1/2" seam allowance, so I added an extra inch to the final circumference to determine what to cut. I like to measure here instead of do the math (3.14 x diameter) because if anything shifted while cutting or measuring, it won't fit! So I just took my tape measure and measured the full circle. Mine came out to 42", so I cut 43" by half the width of my fabric, or 30".

4. Pin side to bottom circle

Note: Don't mind the purple circle on the bottom as pictured -- this was my first circle that was too small, so I re-drew it larger!

Starting with one end, begin pinning your side panel to the bottom circle, making sure you smooth very well between your pins so you don't have folds when you sew. You'll have a slight overlap where the open ends of your sides meet.

5. Sew bottom of bin

Starting at one open end (but leave the opening space of 1/2"), sew all the way around your bottom, attaching it to your sides with a straight stitch, 1/2" seam allowance. Go back over those ends with a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying. Your side will still be flapped with the 1/2" overhang, and you'll sew that shut next.

6. Sew side seam

Line up your side seam opening and trim any excess down to 1/2" (I cut a few inches larger than I needed so I would know I wouldn't be short, so I had to trim off a couple of inches). Shut the side seam with a 1/2" seam, beginning at the base where it meets your bottom and continuing up to the top of the bin. Follow the straight stitch with a zigzag stitch to seal in your seam allowance and prevent fraying. Go back over your bottom straight stitches near the seam to go over the side seam and close up any gap there may be between the bottom circle and side piece. Trim any stray fibers around all seams.

7. Hem the top

Flip your bin right side out. Iron down a 1/2" rolled hem at the top (roll 1/2" TWICE) to hid top raw edge. Ironing here is important since you'll be sewing on a curve, to make sure you don't have any bumps in your seam. Stitch shut with a straight stitch. Fold top over with edge with a wide band to give it that open bag look! You're all set!

8. Stamp It!

We used the end of our ironing board to give a flat surface for stamping. It's a little plush, but we wanted an uneven look to our stamp. If you're looking for a super crisp finish, stamp on a firm surface. Lay your template over your stamping surface, and get to it with a foam pouncer or sponge! Ours was small so we did it carefully section by section. The thin paper curled quite a bit, which is why we recommend you use a harder stock. We stamped ours in two spots with metallic paint, allowed it to dry for an hour (didn't need that long, however, as there was only a thin layer of paint).

Notes:
We replicated this exact process to make a tabletop bin afterward, and modified it by making an oval shape for the base instead of a circle, and make a much shallower side (about 8 inches high). We had enough fabric from our one yard to make both.