I’ve seen this idea floating around online for years and I’ve always thought it was totally ingenious. What does every mom of young children need? More storage. And what does every mom of young children have plenty of? Diaper boxes! Why not save money and minimize waste by turning those boxes into cute storage?
I love this idea and I plan on making several more. I simplified the versions that I’ve seen in the past and used a quick no-sew “doesn’t-have-to-be-perfect” method.
I didn’t line mine since this is just going in the basement for books and puzzles, but you certainly could line it if you want the inside to look as cute as the outside. You could also use any type of box for this, but since diaper boxes are plentiful for moms of young kids, that’s what I used.
Fabric-Covered Diaper Box Tutorial
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- Fabric
- Diaper box
- Box cutter
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Elmer’s Glue-All
- Glue gun
- Disappearing fabric ink pen
- Ribbon
- Buttons (optional)
If the sewing machine is your friend, here is a great tutorial for lined boxes: Positively Splendid. I actually used this for the cutting/measuring technique, and then just glued everything instead of sewing.
If you’re more like me and you prefer the “no-sew” method for virtually everything, then here’s a tutorial for you that shows an easy way to make the inside of the box look cute too: A Girl and a Glue Gun.
Step 1
First, I cut the flaps off of the box with a box cutter. Then, I laid the fabric out upside down on the floor, placing my box in the center.
I used a disappearing fabric ink pen to mark 2-inch long diagonal lines coming out from the corners. Then I used my measuring tape as a guide and marked perpendicular lines from the corner of my diagonal line to the end of the fabric.
This created squares in the corners which I cut out. This reduces bulkiness and prevents bunching in the corners. I then cut along my diagonal line, creating a slit at each corner. (See tutorial links above for more photos of each step.)
Step 2
I folded the long sides up first, gluing them to the sides of the box and smoothing the fabric out with my hands. I wrapped the “flaps” around so they overlapped the short sides, gluing them down.
After my long sides were glued on, I then started on the ends of the box (aka short sides). First, I folded the sides of the fabric in about an inch or so and glued them down, creating a hem.
Then I applied glue to the end of the box and folded the fabric up and over, gluing it to the inside also and smoothing it out as I went.
Step 3
After all of my fabric was glued onto the box, I then used my glue gun to attach the ribbon.
I applied glue to the end of the ribbon, adhering it to the box. Then I wrapped the ribbon around the box, folding the other end in about a half-inch and gluing it to itself, then glued it to the box. T
his creates a cleaner look and prevents frayed ends from showing. (Or, just place the fabric flowers over the point where the ribbon ends meet.) I made fabric flowers which I also attached with my glue gun, and I glued buttons to the center of a few of the flowers.
Will you be making some of these? What would you use it for?
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