DIY Storage Bins | Free Collapsible Box Tutorial

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When we arrived in Oregon for the summer I quickly realized that the few toys we brought were already everywhere and we had no where to put them away- hate that! So I made up these DIY storage bins or boxes to help keep me organized! I love them and they’re excellent for storage! Check out the tutorial below for a free tutorial to make your own DIY storage bin.

Make Your Own DIY Storage Bins | DIY Storage Boxes

The diy storage bins slides right under the changing table and keep everything nice and tidy.

and this girly has a lot of things that need a home

And the diy storage bins collapse down so they’ll be easy to move (and we move often) or store when not in use.

We use the collapsible diy storage bins for toys but you could use them for just about anything! Fabric, accessories, seasonal items (hats, scarves, beach towels, etc.)…

Let’s get organized!

DIY Storage Bin Materials

My storage boxes are 18x12x8 and fit perfectly under the Ikea changing table. To make 2 of the boxes you’ll need:

1 1/8 yard outer fabric- I used marine vinyl but you don’t need something quite that stiff for a box
2 1/4 yards lining fabric for the inside of the boxes
Cardboard or sheets of plastic canvas to stiffen the boxes sides
Hot Glue

Box Instructions

Box Step 1: First you need to cut out all of your pieces for the boxes. For each bin I used:

In outer fabric:

2 long sides: 19×9″
2 short sides: 13×9″
1 bottom: 19×13″

In lining fabric:

2 box long sides: 19×10″ (notice it’s 1″ taller- if you want longer to fold over the top adjust as needed)
2 box short sides: 13×10″ (again 1″ taller)
3 box bottom pieces: 19×13″
2 box handles: 10×4″

In cardboard:

2 box long sides: 18×8″
4 box short sides: 6×8″
1 box bottom: 18×12″

Box Step 2: Let’s start with the box handles. Fold in half and sew the long edges together. Turn right side out. Then I slid a piece of vinyl inside to stiffen them up but you could skip that. Turn the raw edges back inside the handle on each short edge

DIY Storage Bins | Free Collapsible Box Tutorial

Box Step 3: Sew the handles in place on the short edges of each bin. It’s a bit hard to see but I sewed down each end with a rectangular stitching pattern for extra reinforcement.

Box Step 4: Sew the sides of your bin pieces together forming one big loop- you should now have a bin in the liner and the outer fabric that’s just missing the bottom piece

Box Step 5: With wrong sides together line up the bottom edge of the liner with the bottom edge of the outer bin. Sew together at each seam and down the middle of the short piece- you’ll have to stitch half way, go around the handle, and then stitch the other half. This makes the compartments for your cardboard reinforcement pieces.

Box Step 6: With right sides together sew the bottom of the bin (in the outer fabric) to your upper bin.

Box Step 7: Take one of your bottom lining pieces and press all of the edges in 1/2″ so it’s the same size as the bottom of your bin. Sew in place around all edges to cover the seam allowances in the bottom of your bin. It’s a bit tricky moving it through the sewing machine but go slowly and you’ll get it to work out just fine

Box Step 8: Slide in all of your cardboard pieces- you may need to do a little trimming (sorry I forgot to take a picture)

Box Step 9: Fold the top edge of the liner over twice towards the right side of the box so the raw edge is hidden. Secure in place with hot glue

Box Step 10: With right sides together sew your remaining 2 bottom lining pieces together around 3 sides. Turn right side out.

Box Step 11: Slide your cardboard bottom piece inside and then turn the raw edges of the fabric to the inside and hot glue in place. Pop it into the bottom of the box and you’re finished!

To fold the box down just take out the bottom piece and fold the short edges in towards the middle

Uses for the Bins | Fabric storage Boxes

I used the boxes for toys and items under the changing table. Of course, they can used for anything. One popular use is as fabric storage boxes. The storage bin can also come in handy as crates in your closet or for DIY storage boxes in the kitchen or any other room of the house.

If you like this tutorial, we have another tutorial for a fabric storage bin that you might like.

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