Happy April 2025.  This April we have a mix of heaven and earth.  We will be celebrating or observing Passover, Easter, Tax Day, and Earth Day.  As for me, I am looking forward to finding some daffodil blooms to cheerfully decorate my home and I hope to see some baby ducks and baby bunnies around Laguna Woods Village.  Now, let’s talk trash!

When you get finished cutting and trimming fabric at your cutting mat, what do you do with all that debris?  How about putting that debris into a convenient and colorful rubbish bin?  This tidbit gives you instructions to make your own cute rubbish bin.  
For this project you will need the following: 

fabric (read through the tidbit to determine how much you will need)
    measuring tape
    paper and pen or pencil to take notes as you measure
    fabric marking pen
    rotary cutter, cutting mat, and cutting ruler
    paper cutting scissors
    fabric cutting scissors
    sewing pins
    empty small cube Kleenex box
    sewing machine and thread
    strong shipping tape
    white school glue
    some clips or clothes pins
    table or surface protection (i.e. piece of cardboard, paper towels, newspaper)

First you need to remove the plastic from the top of the empty Kleenex box.
 
Measure the box and write down those measurements.

Around the perimeter of the box

From top to bottom of the box (or bottom to top)

Across the top or bottom of the box, length and width

Add one half inch to each measurement for seam allowance (or more, if you prefer). 
 
If you plan to sew a seam at each corner rather than use one continuous piece of perimeter fabric, you will need to measure each side of the box individually.  I discovered that the four sides of the box do not measure the same.  The two sides with the horizonal piecing in the cardboard are smaller than the other two sides.  Make sure to add seam allowance as you cut your individual pieces.

For continuous fabric:  I cut my fabric 18 ½ inches in length and 6 inches in width.  Next, I cut a square for the bottom of the box at approximately 5 ¼ inch square. Before cutting a 5 ¼ inch square, alternately, you can place the box on the fabric with the right side down and use a marking tool to trace the bottom of the box on the fabric.  Then when you cut, make sure to add seam allowance.

Also, I cut a 3 inch strip by 18 ½ inches for facing to finish the top of the cover and to tuck inside.  To finish the bin cover, we will glue the facing down inside the box.

Using scrap fabric:  I cut each of the four pieces based on which side it will cover.  Make sure to add your seam allowance to each individual piece.  For the facing, I pieced fabric to create an 18 ½ inch by 3 inch strip.

 
Continuous Fabric:  Sew the ends of the perimeter length fabric strip together to make a tube.  

Scrap Fabric:  Sew all 4 pieces together and make a tube.  Make sure to place the pieces in the correct order based on the side measurements you made earlier.
Turn the tube right sides out and try it on the box to check for fit.  Make adjustments before moving on to the next step.
Turn the box on its side and place a pin at each corner of the cover at the bottom.  Carefully, cut ¼ inch clips at each pin.  Remove the cover from the box.  Set the box on top of the bottom square of fabric (fabric face down).  Trace around the box on the fabric.  This will be your stitching line.
With right sides together, match the clip marks of one side of the tube to the traced line on the square and pin in place with the square on top, as shown in the picture.  Stitch from corner to corner.  Back stitch at the beginning and end of seam.  Note:  Do not sew all around the perimeter of the square, you need to sew one side at a time, on the stitching line between the two corner clips.  Remove from the sewing machine and remove pins.
Pin the opposite side and repeat.

Turn the piece and sew the third and fourth sides, beginning and ending at each corner.  
This shows the other side of the seam showing how each seam begins at the corner clip.
Without turning inside out, try the cover on the box to check for fit and make adjustments as necessary.  Once you have checked the fit and made your adjustments, remove the box from the cover and clip the corners as shown below.  You do this step to reduce bulk at the corners, be careful not to cut the seam thread. Turn the cover right side out.  Carefully push the corners to make them square as shown in the picture.  Set aside the cover.  The next steps involve preparing the cardboard Kleenex box for gluing the cover.
To make the box ready for gluing, you need your paper cutting scissors and strong packing tape.
This step ensures the strength of your rubbish receptacle.  Do not cut off the top.  

With your paper cutting scissors, cut each corner of the top at a diagonal as shown in the picture.
Tape down each resultant flap with your strong tape.  Make sure the tape is secure on the inside of the box.  Press it in place with your fingers, as flat as you can.

Go back to the sewing machine.  Make a tube of the facing strip and sew it on the top of the fabric cover, right sides together.  After sewing it on the top of the cover, fold the facing inside to cover raw edges and stitch in place.  Put the cardboard box inside the cover, pushing the box down and pulling the cover up.
Place the covered box on top of a piece of cardboard or a paper towel to protect surfaces.  You are now going to use white school glue to glue down the facing inside the box.  

Place the box on its side.  Slather the facing fabric and the inside of the box with white glue, turning the covered box as you glue down one side at a time.  Press the fabric down against the cardboard and smooth out any wrinkles, especially paying attention to the corners.  Wipe away excess glue.  
 
Turn the box upright on its bottom and secure the facing inside the box using clothes pins or clips (these are chip clips).  Leave over night to dry and remove the pins.  
Voila!  
I made 4 of these receptacles for various areas in my house where I create dry rubbish from thread and small bits of fabric (i.e. sewing machine desk, cutting areas, and ironing board).  Two are made from fabric strips, and two are from pieced scraps.

Hope you have fun making your own rubbish bin!

That is it for this topic.  I hope you have a great April.  If you think of a topic, you would like discussed in a future educational tidbit, let me know.  Blessings to you and your family.