Detailed instructions on how to sew a fabric storage box with your own hands
Fabric boxes are great for storing items such as clothes, linens, towels, toys and other various household supplies.
Using simple materials, you can create a textile container yourself.
A handmade product can add originality to the interior and last a long time, taking its rightful place on the shelf.
We’ll tell you in this article how to sew a fabric box for storing things with your own hands.
Finishing
The final finishing of hand-made furniture directly depends on the selected materials.
A product made from MDF, laminated chipboard or natural solid wood does not require additional finishing. But plasterboard products should be decorated to add aesthetics.
The interior surfaces of the cabinet are painted to match the walls . This visually enlarges the room. And to make a piece of furniture a bright spot, you can use a rich paint color. Plasterboard shelves are pre-primed and covered with vinyl wallpaper or self-adhesive tape.
As for doors, they are most often ordered ready-made from laminated chipboard sheets or mirrors and do not require additional finishing. And the side walls can be primed, puttied, covered with film, wallpaper or painted with permanent paint.
After finishing the work, you may end up with something like the following photos:
How to make an organizer box for a closet: master class
Nowadays there are many organizing boxes on sale that can be placed on shelves in a closet, but their sizes are mostly standard. If you need an organizer of a size or shape that is not commercially available, you can make it yourself. For example, I needed a narrow, tall and rather long organizer. Using the same principle, you can make covers for ready-made boxes, thus turning them into beautiful organizers in the same style. Another plus is that these covers can be removed and washed.
How to sew a textile box from fabric: master class + template
You will need:
- cardboard, a breadboard knife, a metal ruler, a pencil and masking tape for the organizer base box;
— two types of fabric: for outer and inner covers;
- pencil or fabric marker;
- fabric scissors;
- sewing machine and thread.
How to make a box: 4 master classes + video
Step 1
Determine the desired size of the organizer, draw out and cut out 5 parts from cardboard with a knife: the bottom, 2 identical long walls and 2 identical short walls.
Assemble the box and seal it with masking tape. It is better to reinforce the corners with additional tape and cover the edges on top with it.
Step 2
Cut out the fabric pieces.
The parts and their quantity are the same as those cut out of cardboard for the base of the organizer: 1 bottom piece, 2 long sides, 2 short sides from each type of fabric. In this case, all the side parts of the inner cover need to be increased in height by the width of your lapel (in our case, by 3 cm).
- for both bottom parts 1 cm on all sides;
- for all side parts, 1 cm at the bottom and sides and 3 cm at the top, for the hem.
You can cut out the details for the sides as a single fabric, or make it up from two or three parts - as much as there is enough fabric.
My fabric for the outer cover was fraying a lot, so I immediately processed all the allowances of the bottom piece and the side and bottom allowances of the remaining parts from this fabric with a zigzag.
Step 3
All side parts of the outer cover must be sewn into a ring. We fold the parts in the required order with the right sides facing inward and pin them together. We lay the lines, leaving 1 cm unsewn at the bottom. There are bartacks at the beginning and end of the lines.
Varieties
In order to highlight the main types of fabric cabinets, it is first worth understanding their design. The standard fabric storage model consists of metal tubes that are assembled into a single product. The parts are connected to each other using the included fasteners. After installation, a fabric cover with fasteners is attached to the frame. The last thing that is adjustable is the rubber feet, which protect the floor covering from scratching.
Modern fabric cabinets can be classified according to the opening method. The locks of all products work with a zipper, however, the type of its opening may be different:
- top type - to open such a cabinet you must first unzip the zipper. It is located along the entire upper perimeter of the product and connects in its center. In order to get an item out of the wardrobe, the zipper is unzipped from a certain side, after which the fabric flap goes to the side;
- bottom opening option. The zipper in this product is located along the entire perimeter of the cabinet, except for the top line - it is solid. The fabric in this model, after opening, is rolled up and neatly fastened to the top bar of the cabinet.
Top type
Bottom type
There is another type of model - an open storage cabinet. It has no fasteners or locks, its shelves are open. The disadvantage of this option is the constant accumulation of dust on clothes.
Modern fabric products for clothing can be divided by the number of sections. They are:
- single-section;
- two-section.
The first type is the simplest model of this piece of furniture. Its internal content implies the presence of one large department for clothes, as well as lower and upper shelves for shoes and accessories. Often such folding models open from the bottom up.
The option, consisting of two sections, is divided inside into 2 sections: the first of them contains a large number of shelves, the second - free space for shirts and blouses on hangers. These cabinets open from top to bottom. Open type models are usually represented by shelving. Clothes will only fit here when folded, because there is no space for hangers. But there are a large number of shelves.
Fabric hanging organizer
To unload the drawers in the closet , you can make a hanging organizer from fabric. You need to take colored thick fabric of any size. Mark on it where the pockets will be. Then, along the marked lines, sew strips of 12-15 cm onto it.
Before sewing on the stripes, edge the top edge with braid or contrasting fabric. We sew the strips onto the fabric on three sides, leaving the top edged edge free. Sew the strips crosswise to create pockets. Cover the entire product with braid, throw the top edge over a regular clothes hanger and stitch.
Now you can hang it inside the closet next to your clothes. This organizer can be used in the hallway to store small items: mittens, ribbons, comb. Can be hung on the bathroom wall to store tubes of creams, pastes, and body care products.
Advice . If you plan to use it in the bathroom, then it is better to make it from transparent waterproof materials.
A hanging organizer is also needed in the kitchen. You can only change the size of the pockets according to the size of your kitchen utensils.
Short course of rehabilitation
It happens that we inherit old cabinets from our grandparents. They are very strong, made not from MDF or chipboard, but from solid wood. Which in itself is valuable. But the appearance of such products does not always meet the requirements of modern design. Therefore, it is a pity to throw away old furniture and cannot be used. Restoration helps correct the situation. There are expensive, there are budget options and techniques. A detailed review will help you find out how to decorate your closet. But first you need to find out how to prepare for work.
Restoration must begin with an inspection of the object. Then dismantling is carried out. You need to remove the doors and shelves, disassemble the box, replace fasteners and fittings. If this is not possible, you should clean the removed metal parts from corrosion with sandpaper. Afterwards, the dirt is cleaned and the old coating is removed.
To do this, first, the disassembled elements are thoroughly washed with water, then they are dried for at least two days. The next stage is sealing defects. Construction stores sell special putties for wood. They are suitable for filling large cracks, holes left by nails, and scratches.
The mixture is applied in several layers. A new layer is applied to the well-dried previous layer. Minor defects can be removed with furniture wax. You can start decorating the old cabinet only after the preliminary work has been completely completed. The following solutions are suitable for this.
Gluing wallpaper
It is better to use vinyl rolls and special glue. They are glued to the furniture point by point. You can use them to decorate all external and internal parts of parts. In both the first and second cases, drawings and patterns are first made, with the help of them pieces are cut out from the rolls, and they are already glued to the surface of the cabinet, smoothed with a dry cloth or a soft rubber roller. Once reassembled, the result is fun furniture.
Applying a three-dimensional drawing
You can decorate the cabinet using textured plaster. Using it, a three-dimensional pattern is applied to defective areas. To work you need the mixture itself, a spatula and a stencil. It is prepared in advance according to drawn sketches or purchased at a hardware store.
The stencil is glued to the surface of the furniture with tape. Using a spatula, decorative plaster is applied directly on top of it. After it sets slightly, the stencil is removed. The drawing is thoroughly dried. At the final stage, it is coated with acrylic varnish. The result is an ornament that looks very interesting, and this is once again proven by the following photo.
If you want to decorate old furniture using painting or stenciling, you should choose no more than three colors to create them. It’s good if they match the colors of the decoration or textiles. In such a situation, the restored cabinet will become part of the interior and will not look like an alien object.
We cover it with fabric
Another original, affordable way to restore a cabinet is to cover it with fabric. You will need cotton material of a suitable color and pattern, PVA glue, acrylic paints and acrylic varnish. When everything is assembled, proceed as follows:
It is better to cover doors and sides of cabinets with fabric.
Mastering decoupage
A beautiful wardrobe decor is achieved by making an applique on wood. Art stores sell ready-made kits that contain everything: PVA glue, paints, fixatives, paper napkins with a pattern. The technique for creating decoupage is extremely simple:
- the surface of the cabinet is first cleaned of the old coating;
- then degreased with white alcohol;
- after the base has dried well, it is coated with glue;
- carefully remove the top layer on which the design is printed from the paper napkin;
- it is applied to a surface coated with glue and gently stretched on it;
- another layer of PVA glue is applied on top;
- when the drawing dries well, it can be further refined with paints and brushes, draw an outline, create shadows;
- At the final stage, the cabinet is completely coated with acrylic varnish in two layers.
The decoupage technique is easy to master; it helps to significantly transform the appearance of furniture. Many designers use this decoration technique and deliberately age new interior items. In this way, they emphasize the chosen style and create a cozy, homely, warm living space.
We paint old furniture
Experts, talking about how to update an old wardrobe, advise conducting “experiments” with paints. To do this, you need to buy paints of dark and light shades, two or three bright colors, transparent acrylic varnish and shellac, furniture wax and fine-grained sandpaper.
Using all this, you can restore furniture, emphasizing the effect of its wear. It is formed as follows:
- the thoroughly pre-cleaned surface is covered with dark paint;
- after it has completely dried, a layer of light paint is applied on top;
- The surface is fragmentarily cleaned with sandpaper and abrasion is imitated;
- The painting is manually applied with bright colors (you can also use a stencil);
- after drying, the pattern is treated with furniture wax, it is rubbed thoroughly with a brush, the ornament is completely covered with wax (it is important to achieve a uniform shade);
- After twenty-four hours the cabinet is varnished in two layers.
If you then attach new fittings to it, the restored furniture will look more presentable.
Making craquelure
There are compositions on sale that help turn old cabinets into antique pieces of furniture. To create this, you need to buy two-phase craquelure varnish, acrylic varnish with a mat texture, gold powder (it is made from fine powder of non-ferrous metals - bronze, aluminum, copper), and then perform the following procedure:
- apply craquelure varnish in one layer to the cleaned surface of the cabinet, wait until it sets, but does not completely dry;
- apply a second layer of craquelure varnish;
- We wait until characteristic cracks appear and dry well;
- dip a soft sponge into gold powder and rub the cracks with it;
- We cover the top of the product with acrylic varnish.
Anyone who doesn’t know how to decorate an old cabinet can watch a master class. It describes in detail each stage of working with special compounds. Instead of gold powder, sometimes specialists use bitumen wax or “dry pastel”. These are special compositions used by furniture manufacturers to create special decorative effects.
Schemes of cabinets and filling
Today you can find a variety of designs of sliding wardrobes:
- With two, three, four or more sections;
- with drawers and lower shelves for storing shoes;
- two-door, three-door and so on.
Before proceeding with installation, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the diagrams.
We will show you an example of how to assemble a wardrobe with your own hands in the second option. The diagram shows a cabinet with three sections 2400 mm wide and 2600 mm high. It has two doors and a corner exterior panel with rounded shelves.
The filling of the closet includes shelves, drawers, and clothes rails. It is these features that most often prevent a person from making a choice. Among the variety of furniture designs, it is sometimes difficult to choose what is right for you.
When choosing a wardrobe, consider the following details:
- The room where it will be installed;
- own requirements for design capacity;
- features of storage items (linen, clothes, shoes, etc.);
- budget.
The space inside it should be used rationally. You can store your trousers separately on the bottom section, and have a separate rack for your shirts.
Modern content is the key to assembling a practical cabinet. Behind the sliding doors today there are baskets for storing small items, hangers for ties, trousers, belts, retractable shelves and rods, and wardrobe elevators.
Having decided on the content and design, you can proceed to assembly.
Preparation of material
First you need to decide on the design of the cabinet. For example, to store clothes, choose a closet with doors, a compartment or a chest of drawers.
To make a high-quality and practical product, you need to properly prepare the necessary materials. Furniture board is a great option. Structures made from it are wear-resistant and look beautiful. At the same time, the material is budget-friendly. Do-it-yourself cabinets made from furniture panels are the optimal choice for economical and original owners for their home.
The best panels for making furniture are beech, oak or spruce. When you choose furniture panels for a wardrobe, you can be sure that the material is environmentally friendly and safe. Even a novice craftsman need not worry, since the sheet is easy to process.
Although panels are produced in different thicknesses, for the manufacture of furniture for the bedroom or living room, a thickness of 2 cm is taken. The material is used for the manufacture of not only side walls, but also for the facade. For shelves and drawers, pieces of plywood of different thicknesses are suitable. It is important not to forget about the fittings: handles, hinges, holders. Those who want to make their closet unusual use lighting elements.
What's inside?
What can you store in closet organizers? Various models are designed:
- For the most intimate
Women's underwear, like men's, looks great today, sometimes on par with real masterpieces of art. The most delicate natural fabrics, delightful and magical lace, ruffles and elastic bands not only decorate what is hidden from prying eyes, but also require delicate, careful and careful storage.
Of course, every wardrobe has a linen drawer. But whether there is order in it is sometimes difficult to say. A closet organizer with compartments is great not only for organizing a variety of panties, bras and stockings, but also for providing quick and convenient access to the necessary set. Moreover, choosing a suitable pair based on color and model will not be difficult.
Numerous pockets or compartments allow you to lay out your laundry after washing and ironing, and closed models of laundry organizers that have a lid are very convenient for transportation. They can travel with you in a suitcase or bag, and will also protect the most delicate wardrobe items from dust and dirt.
- Each pair has its own compartment
Most representatives of the fair sex are sensitive and emotional about both wardrobe items, accessories, and shoes, sandals, boots and boots. Shoes complete an amazing and harmonious look, emphasizing refined taste and status. Accordingly, its storage should be truly royal. Traditionally, cardboard boxes, in which each pair was packaged from the store, coped with this task very successfully. However, such a solution is not without drawbacks. This is bulky and bulky, especially if you have a lot of pairs of shoes in your wardrobe, which are matched to dressy and casual looks.
A practical and original solution is a textile organizer bag with dividers, each compartment of which allows you to place a pair of shoes or summer shoes. As a rule, making a shoe organizer with your own hands is not that difficult. And for convenience, it simply needs to be equipped with a zipper for comfortable opening and closing, a transparent lid and a suitable number of compartments designed to store 10-12 pairs of shoes.
- From trempels
A vertical closet organizer is a practical and compact solution for storing blouses, trousers, cardigans and jackets. His main secret for optimal use of space is that wardrobe items are not only arranged in the traditional way along the rods, but also use the space vertically. In practice, it looks like this: an organizer for a clothes closet is nothing more than several tramples connected and, thanks to a special fastening, located one slightly lower than the other. Externally, the product looks like a clothes hanger in a store, only personal items take their place on it: T-shirts and T-shirts, shirts and blouses, trousers and capri pants. Convenient, compact and practical!
- For accessories
