Radiana

Hoping someone can give me some pointers for a project I would like to start working on. I wouldn't call myself a hoarder but at my age I have just aquired a lot of stuff. I've been working on getting all my stuff organized and have a lot of it sorted into see thru plastic bins with lids so they can be stacked in my bedroom. I got them for a dollar at Walmart. I just got a fantastic deal on six yards of shabby chic fabric in six different prints also from Walmart. I want to use the fabric on the boxes and I'm just wondering if anyone here has done something like this. I don't want to sew the fabric as a lining for the inside, that might be too complicated for me.

I was thinking of making a wide band of the fabric and wrapping it around the outside of the box. Should I starch it and use some fabric glue or would a dab of hot glue work here and there.

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks so much.

ckcowl

i haven't done anything with plastic totes-but did cover file boxes with fabric like you are talking about- i did the strip around the perimeter of the box - used rubber cement- i always make such a mess when i use my glue gun!
but i would think spray on adhesive (craft-not quilting) would work. or any of the methods you mention- do a little experimenting. i think you will like what you come up with

BarbaraTX

Not sure it would work, but try ModPodge (ModgePodge?)

Kathios

I'm not so sure I'd cover the bins. At my age, I forget what I put in the bins, so I always buy the clear bins so I can see inside without opening them. And if the bins are going to be stacked, it's a pain to open them. Perhaps you could use that fabric to make a privacy type curtain or wall divider to put in front of your bins. Good luck!

Glassquilt

I'd print big labels with large font and tape it to the room side. When they're stacked side by side I don't see what inside and they look neat.

debp33

That's what I'd do.

quiltmouse

In the past I have covered boxes with fabric. They end up very pretty. I have not covered plastic bins, but I think it would be do-able.

I'm sort of with the others who posted about seeing contents.

What about a dummy quilt. It is would be the measurements of the stack, wrapping around the top, front & sides of the stack. You'd want to box the top edge. I'd put fabric on the back 12" or so to stablize the "box" bit of the dummy quilt. On the back, a ribbon tie or elastic halfway down and about a foot up from the bottom would keep it in place. If you use ribbons, tie on one side or the other, not the middle of the back.

Back it with a sheet, or not at all. use 3/8-1/2" seams, press seams to one side & do 3/16-1/4" "quilting" inside all the pieces.

With this, you remove the quilt, and voila! there everything is.

It would be a bit of work, but probably comparable to the amount of time you would spend wrapping the bins.

If you decide to cover the individual bins. Get some iron-on printer fabric. Make labels & sew them on. Buttons, elastic, beltings, patterns, etc. If the contents will be changing due to fabric useage make alphabet letters, or numbers for the bins & sew them on as patches. get a pretty notebook. Number or alpha different pages. You can get tabs, or use postit notes. On the pages, list contents of each numbered or lettered bin. Leave yourself enough room to cross items out, and write new items.

:) Well, you asked for :idea: :mrgreen:

Radiana

Thank you all so much. I very much like the idea of just doing the fronts, much less work, much less fabric. I think I'll measure enough fabric to cover the front and pink the edges. I'll make some karge font labels and glue them to the labels.