Oct 26, 2023

Bring out the Beautiful Bins - DIY Waste Bin Kit

When is a waste paper bin, not just a waste paper bin? When it’s been made using a fabric you love using a Needcraft Waste Paper Bin Kit!

Whatever your level of crafting skill, our cleverly engineered Waste Paper Bin Kit means you can make a stylish waste paper bin with a wide range of woven fabrics, ranging from glamorous velvets to beautiful, printed linens. Today, we’ll look at what to consider when picking a fabric for your Needcraft Waste Paper Bin Kit, hints and tips for getting a professional finish and of course a dose of inspiration from our professional makers.

Easy as 1,2,3

If you’ve never used a Needcraft Creative Kit before, or haven’t dabbled in any kind of making, our Waste Paper Bin Kit is as easy as 1,2,3 to make. Much of the work is done in advance for you, for example, we’ve pre-cut the self-adhesive panel to the exact size needed and added extra strong bonding tape, known as Seamstick to the panel seam, all of which makes this a true beginner’s DIY project.

All you need, in terms of tools, is a pair of fabric scissors, a small pair of scissors to cut your tape, but these can also be optional and a clean flat surface – for example, a dining table or even kitchen worktop – and you’re ready to start making!

Working with Patterned Fabric

Anything goes with the style of fabric you choose, as long as it’s woven – stretch fabrics don’t work with any of our Needcraft Lampshade Making or Creative Craft Kits, but when picking out a fabric to match your space, there are a few things to think about:

Scale

The Needcraft Waste Paper Bin Kit measures 30cm in height, therefore if you’re looking to capture a larger motif featured on your fabric, it’s worth considering in advance how this will fit. The Waste Bin below from @berryandgrouse featuring Angel Strawbridge fabric Les Animaux is a great example of a bin with impact!

Linear patterns

If stripes or a linear pattern take your fancy, linear patterns will not truly stay straight due to the panel being slightly curved to accommodate the wider top ring and the smaller bottom ring of the waste bin. For this reason, we suggest linear patterns with more detail, which don’t draw the eye as much.

Smaller prints

Smaller prints work well with our bin kit, especially all-over prints, which can add that subtle 'pulled together interiors' feel, we all dream of! This Willow Bough Linen Waste Paper Bin from Harrison Cropper is the perfect example.

Willow Bough Linen Waste Paper Bin - www.harrisoncropper.com

Type of fabric

If you’re a first-time Needcraft Creative Kit maker, then we recommend working with a stable fabric such as polycotton or cotton which will always give the best results. These fabrics adhere easily to the Stick It Waste Paper Bin Panel and create a crisp edge, along the top edge of the waste bin. Our Chic Fabric Range has over 35 coloured fabrics and is a polyester cotton mix, which at 110gsm is the perfect weight for waste bin and lampshade making alike. Watch out for fraying fabrics though, such as linen, as your waste bin is a functional item and over time fraying fabrics can disintegrate.

In terms of thickness, anything similar in weight to an upholstery weight cotton will work, so velvets, brocades, jacquards etc, are also an option but before starting, check out our tips for using thicker fabric when making a lampshade, as these can also be applied to waste bin making too.

CTA - Read our Blog Post for Thicker Fabric Tips - LINK once live

Folded Edge Seam

Many of our professional makers divert slightly from the Waste Bin Kit instructions and add a Folded Edge Seam to give it an even more professional finish.

Here’s how to do this with our Needcraft Waste Bin Kit:

1. Cut your fabric in line with steps 1-6 of the Folded Seam Tutorial, so there is a 1cm margin of fabric along the short edge of the bin kit which has the tape applied.

If you don’t have any spare Stick It Lampshade Making PVC available for the 3x1 cm pieces, you can use cardboard adhered with the double-sided tape in the kit.

2. Remove the tape backing and fold the fabric over starting in the centre and working outwards.

3. Using Seamstick, tape onto the fabric overlap starting just below the top edge of the PVC panel to the bottom edge.

4. Continue to make your Waste Bin Kit as per the instructions in the kit.

Adding a trim

Similar to getting creative with one of our Needcraft Lampshade Making Kits, the same can be said for our Waste Paper Bin kit. The top ring is the perfect place to add a fun trim, to add that extra eye-catching touch.

Preparation

Make your lampshade as per the instructions to rolling the bin rings to create your bin shape.

1. Apply double-sided tape around the top of the waste bin after rolling using the top edge as a guide.

2. At the point of closing the seam, peel away from the inside seam, around 5cm of the tape backing. Continue to pull the tape backing away, gradually applying the trim.

TIP: Our trim has bobbles on, which we trimmed away at the starting point to prevent gaping.

3. Once you reach the outside seam edge, trim back to a 1cm overhang and tuck under.

4. Continue to tuck in the fabric margin as per the instructions.

Adding a Rigid Metallic Trim

Our range of metallic trims are not just for lampshades! Creating a classy and durable edge for a your Waste Paper Bin, both our Hockey Stick Trim or Contoured Profile Trim are easy to apply and are available to buy by the metre, with just one metre being enough for the top of your bin!

Read our post Metallic Profile Lampshade Trims + How To Apply Them to make your bin bling!