Easy DIY Storage Seating - Convert a Plastic Tote into a Pretty Seating Area

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I was inspired by this article from Apartment Therapy on how to convert storage boxes into No-Sew Seating.  The cover I made is a sewn version of their idea.  I couldn't stand staring at my blue storage tote in my sewing room I had absolutely no space for.  My fabric stash currently occupies a small space in the closet and in this big blue tote.  When I saw this article, I thought that was the perfect solution not only to cover up the tote, but add a cute little seating area!  It gave me an excuse to make some pillow covers too.  I made the owl print and pink pillow cover....those owls are so cute!

Materials:
1-1/4" yard of fabric
Thread
Foam Batting (optional)

1. Measure your tote

2. Write down your dimensions on paper. Add a half inch seam allowance to your measurements.
     I needed to cut these pieces as follows for my tote:

• 1 piece    20.5" x 24.5"
• 2 pieces  18.5" x 24.5"
• 2 pieces  18.5" x 20.5"

3. Lay out your fabric, mark and cut out each piece.

4. The top is a graphic diagram of my tote and the actual dimensions for the cover I needed to make. 

This is before my cover - not pretty...pretty messy

5. This is what my blue tote looked like sitting by my table.  it was getting covered with more and more material I kept purchasing. (we crafters never know when to stop!)  It looked like this for a while and I said enough...I'm making a cover...and a few pillow cases!

After - mess is covered and I have a pretty seat!

6.  Finished look! This is a small change, but a huge visual impact for my sewing space.  I just love how it looks with the colors and pillows on top of it.  You can use foam batting for comfort, but I didn't have any, so I just kept my extra stash of fabric on top and used that as a cushion.  It's not the softest, but I'm OK with it!

As it states in the article I linked in the beginning...this is my version of the project.  Check out the link above to see the no-sew version of this project, it's very creative and perfect for small spaces.  This storage is still easy to access, but only for items you don't use often.  This way you don't have to keep taking off the pillows and cover to constantly find fabric or items you plan to store away.

Do you have a way to make pretty storage? I'd love to hear it!  Thanks for stopping by!

Diana