DIY Project: How to Make a Fabric Covered Galvanized Bin

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Parties come with a lot of stuff. At least the way I do them, they do! Favors, silverware, napkins, games, goodies. Presentation of all this stuff can unify a party and really make it special.

I'd seen some gorgeous fabric-covered galvanized bins around, and since my inspiration for the Tykki-dyw butterfly party came from the Dab of Jazz line of fabrics and I tried to incorporate the fabric everywhere, I decided to try my hand at making my own.


The effect was perfect!

To make your own fabric-covered galvanized bin, you'll need:

  • A galvanized bin (Simple shape. If you choose a watering can, you're on your own.)
  • decorative fabric
  • spray adhesive
  • paper for template
  • Mod Podge (optional)
1) Create a paper template. This isn't strictly necessary, but my bins definitely turned out better when I used a template as opposed to just winging it. But I have to admit, even the just-wing-it bins looked pretty awesome. If you're not feeling gutsy, get a big piece of paper, wrap it around your bin, and use a marker to trace the general shape. Cut out the shape, test it out on your bin, and fiddle and trim until it's just right. If you're making several similarly sized templates, it's useful to label them by size and manufacturer. The bin from Ikea looks an awful lot like the bin from Michael's, but the same template doesn't work. Trust me on that one.
 
 
2) Cut a piece of your fabric to size. I liked cutting the bottom edge a little long and trimming it one it was glued to the bin.
 
 
3) Go outside. You don't want to do this part indoors. Spray bin with spray adhesive and place the fabric. Start by placing the center of the fabric on the front center of the bin, and slowly work your way around, smoothing any wrinkles out of the fabric as you go.
 
 
4) Trim away any excess fabric, or fold it under and glue the excess to the bottom, if you'd prefer. You can use the bin as it is, or seal with Mod Podge.
 
These decorative bins are so pretty and so versatile. I'm in love with all the gorgeous fabrics out there, but am not much of a sewer. I was so happy to find a way to use the fabric that did match my skill set! Glue I can handle. ;-)
Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

Links on this page may be affiliate links. We may receive a small commission for something you buy through those links, at no additional cost to you.