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Turn old jeans into a lined storage bin with a denim exterior, batting for body and a fabric lining. Betz White’s Make: tutorial gives patterns for three sizes and explains how to adjust the dimensions for your needs.
Choose a bin size
The finished sizes below are from Betz White’s Make: tutorial, “Denim Do-it-All Bins,” published April 25, 2011; the page also displays May 22, 2015. The measurements are pattern instructions, not tested load or durability ratings.
| Size | Finished height and diameter | Denim panel instructions | Cut circle diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large | 10 inches tall, 10 inches in diameter | Two leg pieces about 15 inches long; side panels 16 inches across the top, 14 inches across the bottom and 14 inches tall | 9 inches |
| Medium | 9 inches tall, 8 inches in diameter | Two leg pieces about 14 inches long; side panels 14 inches across the top, 12 inches across the bottom and 13 inches tall | 7 inches |
| Small | 8 inches tall, 6 inches in diameter | One leg piece 12 inches long; side panels 16 inches across the top, 14 inches across the bottom and 11 inches tall | 5.5 inches |
The tutorial allows you to change the dimensions. It does not provide revised pattern measurements for other sizes, so treat its cutting figures as the instructions for these three versions rather than recalculating them by eye. A bin can gather yarn, magazines, craft supplies, small toys or other items; the tutorial does not specify how much weight any size can hold.
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Gather fabric and tools
The listed quantities are for the large bin. You may already have some supplies; the amounts are not a requirement to buy new materials.
#1 Best Overall
- INCLUDES SIX CUBES: Keep your home tidy and organized with this set of six cloth storage cubes
- EASY PORTABILITY: Each collapsible fabric storage cube comes with one sewn-in fabric handles.
- STURDY YET LIGHTWEIGHT: Made from lightweight yet durable fabric, these cube storage bins offer both strength and breathability
- MULTIFUNCTIONAL USE: These fabric cube organizer bins can be used as either open-top bins or as drawers in a storage-cube organizer (not included
- STORAGE SPACE: Each collapsible fabric cube storage bin is suitable for organizing a variety of items
- One pair of jeans
- Half a yard of lining fabric, such as lightweight cotton or mid-weight twill or canvas
- Half a yard of interfacing if using lightweight lining fabric
- Half a yard of quilt batting
- One yard of rickrack, ball fringe or other trim
- A heavy-duty sewing machine needle for denim, a fabric marking tool, ruler, fabric shears and iron
The tutorial does not name a needle brand or model. The batting sits between the denim and lining to give the bin a layered construction; interfacing is specified only when the lining fabric is lightweight.
Sew the denim bin
- Cut and open the jeans. Choose leg sections long enough for the size you are making, then cut along the inseam to open each leg. You can keep the decorative flat-felled seam visible as a design detail.
- Prepare the side panels. Remove the hem, square the bottom edge and mark the trapezoidal side panels using the dimensions for your chosen size. The small bin uses a folded single piece for its outer assembly.
- Cut the lining, batting and base pieces. Use the denim as a template for the lining and batting side panels. Add interfacing to the lining if it is lightweight. Cut matching circles for the base from lining, batting and leftover denim; two smaller denim scraps can be joined if one scrap is not large enough.
- Join the side seams. Sew the angled seams on the denim and lining/batting assemblies with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, then press the allowances open. The small version uses a folded single piece for the lining assembly as well.
- Attach the round bases. Match seam and fold marks on each circle to the corresponding marks on the side assembly. Sew around each base with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, then trim the allowances to 1/8 inch.
- Add the trim. Pin trim around the denim shell’s top edge and stitch 1/8 inch from the edge.
- Join outer shell and lining. Put the denim shell inside the lining/batting shell with right sides together. Align the top edges and side seams, then sew around the top with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, leaving a 4–5-inch opening for turning. Trim the seam allowances to 1/8 inch except at the opening.
- Turn and finish. Turn the bin right side out through the opening and tuck the lining inside. Press, taking care to observe the trim’s heat tolerance; close the opening and topstitch around the top 1/8 inch from the edge. Roll down the top edge if you want to show the lining.
Follow the original pattern
The full project, including its materials list and instructions, is available in Betz White’s Make: tutorial for Denim Do-it-All Bins. The construction described here follows that tutorial; no independent sewing test or durability assessment is claimed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- INCLUDES SIX CUBES: Keep your home tidy and organized with this set of six cloth storage cubes
- EASY PORTABILITY: Each collapsible fabric storage cube comes with one sewn-in fabric handles.
- STURDY YET LIGHTWEIGHT: Made from lightweight yet durable fabric, these cube storage bins offer both strength and breathability
- MULTIFUNCTIONAL USE: These fabric cube organizer bins can be used as either open-top bins or as drawers in a storage-cube organizer (not included)
- STORAGE SPACE: Each collapsible fabric cube storage bin is suitable for organizing a variety of items
Rank #4
- INCLUDES SIX CUBES: Keep your home tidy and organized with this set of six cloth storage cubes
- EASY PORTABILITY: Each collapsible fabric storage cube comes with two sewn-in fabric handles
- STURDY YET LIGHTWEIGHT: Made from lightweight yet durable fabric, these cube storage bins offer both strength and breathability
- MULTIFUNCTIONAL USE: These fabric cube organizer bins can be used as either open-top bins or as drawers in a storage-cube organizer (not included)
- STORAGE SPACE: Each collapsible fabric cube storage bin is suitable for organizing a variety of items
Rank #3
- INCLUDES SIX CUBES: Keep your home tidy and organized with this set of six cloth storage cubes
- EASY PORTABILITY: Each collapsible fabric storage cube comes with one sewn-in fabric handles.
- STURDY YET LIGHTWEIGHT: Made from lightweight yet durable fabric, these cube storage bins offer both strength and breathability
- MULTIFUNCTIONAL USE: These fabric cube organizer bins can be used as either open-top bins or as drawers in a storage-cube organizer (not included)
- STORAGE SPACE: Each collapsible fabric cube storage bin is suitable for organizing a variety of items
Rank #2
- A set of six fabric storage bins offering versatile organization in a classic black finish
- Perfect for Modern, Minimalist, or Transitional interiors, pairing seamlessly with shelving and décor
- Use it to hold books, art supplies, linens, or excess clutter in closets, dorms, or living rooms
- Made of strong poly‑woven fabric with sturdy chipboard sides and a silver grommet front handle for easy pull‑out access
- 11.0" L x 11.0" W x 11.0" H
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