How to Make a Vanity Organizer

Organizing your cosmetics or jewelry atop your vanity cuts down on clutter and a disorderly dressing table. Make a simple organizer using a casserole basket, a sewn liner and fabric-covered cardboard dividers. Individual cubicles in the organizer can store cosmetics or jewelry with like items for easy location and usage. With moderate sewing skills, in one afternoon, you can create a charming vanity organizer.

Instructions

Sewing the Organizer Liner

1

Place the 18-by-15-inch fabric rectangle on a table. Measure a 3-by-2.5-inch rectangle at each corner. Cut out each rectangle.

2

Form a box by lifting up the edges of the cut rectangle and touching the right sides of the fabric together. Pin the corner edges of the cut rectangle on the wrong side of the fabric to create the liner.

3

Using a straight stitch and a -inch seam allowance, sew vertically each corner on the wrong side of the fabric. Remove the pins.

4

Fold over the top edge inch against the wrong side of the fabric, and pin it. Sew it with a straight stitch and -inch seam allowance to form a hem. Remove the pins. Fold over the top edge inch again. Sew to form a casing for the cord. Leave a 1-inch opening on the casing to feed the cord through. Remove the pins.

5

Connect a safety pin to one end of the cord. Attach a safety pin to the other end of the cord and to the 1-inch casing opening. Feed the safety pin/cord through the casing until it emerges on the other side.

6

Place the liner, right side of the fabric visible, into the basket. Tie the two ends of the rattail cord into a bow, and tuck the bow between the liner and basket.

Create the Organizer Dividers

7

Place the narrow cardboard rectangle dividers on top of the fabric fat quarter. Cut two 4-by-9-inch fabric pieces and one 4-by-13-inch fabric piece. Fold the fabric over each individual cardboard divider along one longer edge, covering both sides of each rectangle. (It's not necessary to cover the bottom longer edge or two end edges because they will be against the inside or bottom of the organizer basket and, therefore, not visible.)

8

Apply rubber cement to the individual rectangles. Glue the cardboard inside of the fabric so the fabric covers each rectangle.

9

Place the 13-by-1.75-inch fabric-covered cardboard rectangle into the organizer running down the basket center.

10

Measure the halfway point on the 9-by-2-inch rectangles. Cut a 0.25-by-1.75-inch length slit at the 4.5-inch mark. Trim away the slice of cardboard and sliver of fabric.

11

Place the slit of each 9-by-2-inch rectangle down on top of the longer rectangle, spacing one rectangle about 4 inches from one end of the organizer. Place the other rectangle 4 inches from the first, creating three sections. Push down on the divider slowly.

12

Use the glue gun to glue along the bottom of the rectangles connecting the fabric-covered dividers to the fabric liner of the vanity organizer.