Almost Free Bathroom Makeover- Part one: Junk-Hiding Sink Skirt!!
Hello Pink Friends!
I sit in amazement as I look at the calendar and realize that I haven’t blogged in a over a month! For shame! Bad, bad blogger!! I’d blame the fact that summer is here, but considering that the East Coast has been feeling more like the perpetually damp Pacific Northwest lately, I cannot fault having too many picnics to attend. Ah well.
But summer is indeed here! Hooray! I love the summer! Wearing shorts, sundresses, and sandals; sunshine at 8pm, popsicles, outdoor seating at cafés, BBQs in the park, smelling like sunscreen…aaahh. Another summer touchstone for me always ends up being a summer project. Freed from a seemingly endless New York winter hibernation; the blossoming of the Spring and Summer months always fill me with new found energy for re-organization and re-invention of my life and space. Not to mention, there is less freelance work in NY during the summer…so I have extra time on my hands!
This year’s summer project is going to be a No/Low-cost Makeover of my bathroom. Now, when I first saw my apartment just over a year ago, the bathroom was the first room I saw and sold me on the place immediately. Not the size, or functionality… but the awesome 1950’s pink and black tile covering the walls and floor… I mean, come on… this is me. But truly, it is a poorly designed space. Long and skinny, tub with 3 sides exposed, air-shaft window, one dim light fixture that also houses the ONLY outlet, and one miniscule medicine cabinet for storage. As you can see from this picture I took before moving in and cramming every extra nook and cranny with bathroom stuff:
I do love the sink... Totally old-fashioned (and I’m pretty sure original to the building), solid and heavy, utilitarian and simple and beautiful down to the exposed plumbing… perfect for shoving a bunch of stuff under!! Since this sink and bathroom was designed for an era gone by, storage for such things as blow-dryers, hair dye, extra bubble bath, and jumbo bags of cotton balls was not high on its list of priorities. I created some extra storage under the sink with these great little stackable shelves from The Container Store and some small storage bins I already had to contain extra bottles and such. It works just fine. But I have to be honest, a year later, I have grown tired of being greeted by my box of latex gloves and extra tubes of toothpaste every time I glance over at my sink…even organized, extra stuff still kinda looks like junk.
So, the first thing on the agenda for the Bathroom makeover was to conceal all the junk hanging out under the sink by sewing it up a removable skirt. I wanted the skirt to be simple, clean, and tailored…best for a tight dim space. I also needed it to be easily and completely removable for access, cleaning and hair dyeing. AND… I wanted to spend zero money on this project, by using supplies I already had on hand. I settled on re-purposing a white sheet, adding box pleats and black and white ribbon trim, and using both sew-on and self-adhesive Velcro to attach it to my unsuspecting sink.
I am really pleased with how it came out so I wanted to share how I did it and how you can too!!
Supplies:
Sink
Measuring Tape
Fabric (old sheet, extra table cloth, unused curtain, or regular yardage)
Sewing Machine, Thread
Ruler, Pencil, Pins, Scissors
Painter’s or Masking Tape
¾”Female Sew-On Velcro
¾”Male Adhesive Velcro
Ribbon or Trim (big enough to cover Velcro)
How To:
Measure:
First measure the height and total length around your sink. My sink sits about 31.5” off the floor and 35” around.
Cut your fabric:
I decided to recycle a white top sheet that no longer fits my bed. As I said, I wanted this to be a No-cost project, so I was happy to use “free” fabric. But, besides that, re-purposing a pre-manufactured fabric can also be less work. In this case I thought the thick hem from the Top edge of the sheet would look great at the bottom of my Sink Skirt. Plus, cutting into the sheet at the corner, meant I only had to hem the top and one side of my project.
Since I was going to box pleat my skirt I added an estimated extra 20” plus 1.5” for the hem. For the length I cut at 31.5” plus 2” for the top hem. If you are using unfinished fabric you will want at least a two inch hem on the bottom.
SIDE NOTE: You could also do a gathered skirt. For that you will want to at least double your finished width. (So for my 35” sink I’d cut a piece 70” wide.) Width x 2.5 will yield a poofier skirt. I decided to add box pleats to my skirt, in order to keep it slim and tailored. But really, depending on how complicated you want to be, you can leave it flat, or pleat or gather it as much as or however you want!!
Cutting out of a full-sized sheet proved to be kind of awkward, so I cut a little extra around and then trimmed down to the correct proportions.
Press and Hem:
I am a total cheater when it comes to pinning hems. I press my fabric and while it is on the board I measure and mark my hem, then fold and iron into place. I pin as I go. Fold, press, pin. Totally cuts down on time and uses less pins.
Hem top edge at 1” finished and the side at ¾”.
Stitch on machine where pinned… then press.
Pleat or Gather the Skirt:
If you are doing a Gathered skirt, gather it now. On the machine, stitch a gathering or basting stitch ¼” below your finished hem. Then gather to desired width. Secure thread tails with pins. Move on to Add Trim and Velcro.
I love to drape, and since my sink is a little oddly shaped I decided it would be easier to drape the skirt right on the sink and figure out the spacing and pleating that way.
I used painters tape to secure the skirt in place, then pinned the pleats where I wanted them. After removing the skirt from the sink I stitched the pleats down on the machine.
Then I pressed and starched my pleats in place. I starched the pleats, because I like the crisp look. You certainly don’t have to starch them. Also, I use the starch now to help keep everything lined up as I add the trim, and also so I don’t gunk up the trim with starch later.
Add Trim and Velcro:
First pin on your Velcro to the inside of your skirt, to the back of your pleats. Line the Velcro up so the hem line or gather line is in the middle of your Velcro. Pin and stitch along each outside edge of your Velcro.
Use the female (or soft fuzzy side) Velcro on the skirt. This way when you wash it, it won’t snag on other things.
Then Add Ribbon trim to bottom and front. Place the Ribbon trim along the bottom wherever you think it looks nice. Pin and stitch on each outside edge of the ribbon.
That’s my kitty Royale hiding behind the machine. She is helping. And by “helping” I really mean eating the thread while I try to sew.
Line up the ribbon trim for the top with the Velcro. You want to cover the stitches from the Velcro that are at the moment showing on the front of your skirt. I used 1” ribbon that easily straddled the ¾” Velcro. Stitch down the ribbon along each outside edge.
Press your trim and touch up your skirt, it is done!!
Apply Velcro to Sink:
Before you apply the adhesive Male (sharp and curly) side of your Velcro, you need to prepare the sink surface. Clean the sink edge with Glass and Surface cleaner, and then wipe down with water to make sure there is no residue left.
Slowly apply the Velcro to the sink… peeling off the plastic backing as you go. If you are worried about applying it straight and even, you can make some small pencil marks to follow first. I just eyeballed it about ½” or so below the edge of the sink. After all the Velcro is stuck on, rub it down with the side of a pencil or a ruler to really get it stuck on there.
Now stick on your skirt!! And you are finished!
I love how simple this project is, and how much a difference it has made in my tiny bathroom. Now everything is tucked away, looks lovely and clean, and still super easy to access when I need to blow dry my hair or run out of Q-Tips. That just makes me happy!
Stay tuned for more posts about my summer project as it happens… Next up: Hanging Product bags!
Happy Summer, don’t forget your sunscreen!!!
-Becca
Posted by Becca at June 30, 2009 3:10 PM 
Categories: Craft Corner,Decor,Organization,Stitch and Bitch
Categories: Craft Corner,Decor,Organization,Stitch and Bitch
You make me want to learn how to sew!
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