Makeover: Plastic Storage Drawers

You can buy plastic storage drawers from any WalMart or Target and use them for a variety of things. They’re great for make-up, toys, socks, craft supplies, and papers. I have some rather large cabinets in my bathroom, but that’s exactly what they are… large. No shelves, no dividers, just a big space.

So to make use of them I buy plastic storage drawers to keep everything in since we also don’t have a medicine cabinet.

Plastic Storage Drawer Makeover

My bathroom is far from pretty. This house was built in the early 1950’s and the décor in here was awful. In fact, there are still traces. See the Victorian wallpaper and contact paper still inside the cabinets? We’ve made some changes such as painting the green cabinets white and adding some DIY décor to the walls.

While my storage containers have been doing a great job, they were looking pretty dingy. The labels were handwritten and peeling off and the plastic was getting dirty.

Not only were they looking bad on the outside, they really needed to be reorganized too. So I took this opportunity to empty everything out, wash them up and give them a facelift.

I used Americana acrylics in these exact colors: Whispering Turquoise, Sea Glass, Banana Cream and Melon. You can also find Americana paints at Michaels and at Joann’s or you can use your favorite paint colors. You’ll also need a decoupage medium such as Mod Podge or Decou-Page.

After washing all of my containers, I prepped the fabric with decoupage on some waxed paper. Don’t leave it there too long or the waxed paper will stick! Remove it after about 20 minutes and simply move it to another piece of waxed paper to dry more. Prepping the fabric this way will keep the fabric from fraying when you cut it.

While that was drying, I created templates for my drawer fronts using a piece of paper and creasing it along the edges of the drawers. When the fabric was ready, I traced the pattern onto the fabric with a pen and cut the shapes out, cutting right inside the pen lines.

Once I lined up the fabric on the drawer front and trimmed anything that needed it, I applied a thin coat of decoupage to the drawer front and to the back of the fabric. Then I placed the fabric onto the drawer front, smoothed it out and applied decoupage over the top.

While the drawers were drying, I painted wooden oval shapes with the acrylic paints, each one matching the corresponding drawers. Contrasting the colors would have been cool too! I used a micron pen to write on each oval. With the drawers standing on end, I attached the ovals with white craft glue and allowed them to dry.

This was a fun project and now my bathroom cabinets are organized once again! A great way to start off the new year.

Next is my laundry room. I’m always looking for ideas, especially inexpensive ones. I found this project on how to dress up simple dollar store containers for keeping things organized in the laundry room! And I recently made this laundry symbols printable to help me with identifying those cryptic washing instructions! Now I just need to make a cabinet to hold homemade laundry detergent and other washing supplies.

In case you’re curious, here’s a list of the decor pieces that are hanging in my bathroom (tutorials for each):

1. Beaded Seashell Jellyfish on Canvas
2. 3D Tropical Fish Painting on Canvas
3. Beach Flag Sun Catcher
4. PB Inspired Weathered Painted Oar
5. Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag
6. Textured Glass Canisters
7. Weathered Newport Beach Sign
8. Beach Starfish Plaque

These storage drawers would be great for a craft room too! And if you’re looking for ideas to get your craft supplies organized, here are 20+ ways to do that at DIY Candy. Here’s another fun bathroom craft.. crochet some bath scrubbies with Make and Takes or you can make this awesome DIY mason jar bathroom organizer where you can keep your toothbrushes, q-tips, cotton balls, or anything you want in!

For even more check out these 30+ organization ideas for your home!

Print Project

5 from 4 votes

Makeover: Plastic Storage Drawers

Tidy up the bathroom with a makeover of your plastic storage drawers. Organization has never looked cuter by simply using decoupage, fabric, and some paint!

Age Group: Adult Crafts

Project Type: Home Decor

Supplies

• Fabric: I used fat quarters
• Decoupage medium or Mod Podge
• Plastic storage containers
• Labels of your choice

Americana acrylic paints:

• Whispering Turquoise
• Sea Glass
• Banana Cream
• Melon

Instructions

• After washing all of my containers, I prepped the fabric with decoupage on some waxed paper. Don’t leave it there too long or the waxed paper will stick! Remove it after about 20 minutes and simply move it to another piece of waxed paper to dry more.
• While that was drying, I created templates for my drawer fronts using a piece of paper and creasing it along the edges of the drawers. When the fabric was ready, I traced the pattern onto the fabric with a pen and cut the shapes out, cutting right inside the pen lines.
• Once I lined up the fabric on the drawer front and trimmed anything that needed it, I applied a thin coat of decoupage to the drawer front and to the back of the fabric. Then I placed the fabric onto the drawer front, smoothed it out and applied decoupage over the top.
• While the drawers were drying, I painted wooden oval shapes with the acrylic paints, each one matching the corresponding drawers. Contrasting the colors would have been cool too! I used a micron pen to write on each oval. With the drawers standing on end, I attached the ovals with white craft glue and allowed them to dry.

This post originally appeared here on Jan 25, 2015.