How To Make a Fabric Bucket

A couple of weeks ago, Tanna at Complete Organizing Solutions challenged her readers to come up with a creative way to use scrap denim that came from her son's cutoff jeans. And I was the one who won that opportunity. 

 

Considering the fact that she is a professional organizer and that her entire blog is dedicated to organizing solutions, I figured that I should probably gear my project toward something organize-y.  

Hence, fabric buckets. For stuff. You know, kid stuff, like little dolls, or blocks, or play dishes.

Using the denim as the outside fabric and child/western print as the interior, I got cuttin' (I'm using western-ish prints, can't I talk like a cowgirl?)

Here is where I had to use some math skills. Fun!

I wanted the bucket's base to measure 7" across (its diameter), and for it to be approximately 7" tall. So I cut one 7" circle from both the denim and interior fabrics, and a bunch of 7" tall pieces at random widths from the denim and interior fabrics. Then, I sewed the random strips so that they formed long rectangles. To determine how long the rectangle should be, I had to find the circle's circumference.

To determine the circumference you just multiply its diameter (7") by pi, which is about 22." 

Is it all coming back to you now? If it is I'm jealous; I thought it was pi times the radius squared, which actually would have given me the area of the circle. Thankfully the internet (my beloved) saved me from craft disaster. 

After I had my 22" strip, I attached the ends to form a tube. 

Then, pinned the 7" circle to one end of the tube, and sewed it on. 

I repeated the exact same process with my interior fabric. Then I turned the denim right side out, but left the interior fabric right side in. 

I almost have a bucket! I just slid the interior into the denim. 

To finish the top edge, I used double fold bias tape. 

I formed little handles out of 5" strips of fabric. I purposely made the denim a little wider, so that it would create a border. 

Then I folded them...

And finished the bottom edge with bias tape. 

Embellishing is always the best part. I sewed the handles to the outside, but to hide the ugly stitching from attaching them, I used wide ric rac all the way around the top edge. Finally, I used iron-on letters to spell out "my stuff."

I had to part with this one, but plan on making several more because they were so easy (especially now that I remember how to figure the circumference!). 

Wouldn't they make adorable baby shower gifts (made to match the child's room) stuffed with newborn necessities? Or imagine nesting buckets, where each one was smaller than the next? They could be used for anything! 

 

Yes, this is definitely something that I will make again.