BATHROOM TP STORAGE

 

If you have a powder room with a pedestal sink, chances are you have this same bathroom dilemma – no storage for spare rolls of TP.  My solution is a small basket that holds just a couple of rolls placed in the corner of the room.  I like this better than just stacking them on the back of the toilet, or heaven forbid – no backup rolls at all!  I also like the idea that guests know exactly where the spare rolls are, rather than having them go through cupboards even if they are available for storage (the same concept is used here in another one of our guest bathrooms)...

 

I took the time to line both of these baskets.  However, please learn from my experience.  The first basket didn’t have clearly defined corners so I don’t think it turned out as nice, despite the time I took to make custom fit liners (the corners are ‘bunched up’ against the basket material on the interior of the corners).  So…look for baskets with corners that are clean and defined like this one...

 

A good thing about these types of liners, is they keep the toilet paper rolls from getting ‘snagged’ on the inside of the basket.  They are also an opportunity to add some color.

Here is the step by step on creating one of the liners…

(1) Get a basket that fits a couple of rolls

(2) Cut out paper templates that perfectly fit the lining of your basket.  (Mine are labeled “old” because they are not the final templates with the seam allowance that I use to cut the fabric pieces)

 

(3) Create new fabric pattern templates (from the original paper templates above) with the appropriate seam allowance – I added ½ inch for the bottom and sides and 1 inch for the top to create a finished edge.

(4) Use your new templates with the seam allowance to cut out your fabric pieces.   Cut two pieces for the long sides and two for the short sides.

(5) Pin the top of the four side pieces to create the finished edge by turning them down ½ inch and ½ inch again.

(6) Stitch the tops of your four pinned side pieces to create the finished edge you will see at the top of the basket.

(7) Pin the bottom piece to one of your long side pieces (right sides together of course) and sew a ½ seam.

(8) Do the same with the other side so you end up with something like this…

(9) Pin and sew one of the small side pieces to the ends of your liner.  Right sides together and a ½ inch seam.

(10) Do the same with the remaining small side piece…

 

(11) Do a test fit of the liner inside the basket.  If it’s too big – you can always sew the seams a little wider.  Also, trim the seams especially where the top of the liner meets the corners of the basket.

(12) I started by hot gluing the corners of the liner to the basket first and then ran a bead of glue along the sides.

 

 

NOTE: As I mentioned above, the corners of this basket did not turn out as neat as my other one.  Because the basket started out with a “not-so-clean” corner – the end result with the fabric doesn’t look as nice.  Consider this when choosing a basket (or find an oval or round one so you can avoid the corner issue altogether).