Hidden Storage Idea: Table or Sink Skirt

How to Transform the area under a utility sink in a laundry room into a pretty hidden storage place.

Would you like to find a place in your home to create hidden storage that has easy access?  Or would you like to add some “pretty” to a plain piece of furniture or area in your home without having to do a major remodel or installation?

I accomplished both of these  – created hidden storage and added a bit of pretty when I made a fabric skirt for the functional, but plain utility sink in my mudroom.

The same style of skirt can be made to hide open cabinet shelves, a doorway, a vanity, any table… you can even make an easy-to-hang window valance or curtain this way.

I posted about the sink skirt before, but the old skirt was faded and I am slowly trying to update the room’s colors and decor so when I was at JoAnn Fabrics over the holidays and saw this fabric in one of my favorite colors on sale, I bought a few yards.

I also bought the fabric in another color to make a skirt for my daughter’s vanity. She just started a new job in a new town and has a wonderful bright and spacious apartment. I went to visit her over the weekend to help her add some decor to her bedroom.

To save money, I joined and seamed the fabric for the vanity skirt horizontally. Other than that the steps to make each skirt are the same.

The pattern runs vertically on the sink skirt. I pleated each of the skirts. I had more fabric for the sink, so there are more pleats.  If pleats are not your thing, the fabric can be gathered or simply wrapped around the edge of the sink or table and attached with Velcro.

Utility Sink: Before

I used to keep the cat litter box hidden under the sink, but we moved it upstairs about a year ago.   As you can see Trax still likes to hang out under the sink.  He thinks we don’t know he is there and then he pounces out to play when we walk by. He loves closed-in spaces. When he is not playing hide and seek, we store bulk packages of pantry items like paper towels under the sink.

I attached the skirt to the outside of the sink using sticky-back Velcro. It makes it very easy to attach the skirt to any surface.  I used my sewing machine to make the skirt, but you can also make it the no-sew way with fabric glue or fusible adhesive and an iron.

The decorative wood piece on the front of the tub: I bought at Home Depot.

Click here to see it—> Decorative Birch Accent Molding. More ornamental accent onlays  here and here.

I painted the decorative accent molding to match the tub and attached it with wood glue. I used caulk around it to make it look like it was molded to the tub.

How to Make a Sink or Table Skirt

To make the no-sew version of this skirt– follow the *NoSew directions at the end of the tutorial.

supplies needed:

• Fabric
• Sticky-Back or Sew-On Velcro
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Tacky glue or any fast acting glue
• Thread
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Tape measure
• Iron and ironing board
• *NoSew – fabric glue and or Heat N’ Bond Fabric Adhesive

To determine fabric yardage:

For height:  Measure from the sink bottom or tabletop edge to the floor,  add 2 inches to the measurement to create a finished top edge and bottom hem.

For width: Measure width of item or around item, add 2 inches for hems/finished edges.   If you plan to pleat or gather the fabric, double the measurement. If you want the skirt to look very full, triple the width measurement.

If you need to seam fabric together to make one long piece of continuous fabric, add 2 more inches to allow for joining fabric together.

Important – Before cutting fabric: If your fabric has a pattern on it, make sure to line the pattern up on each section of fabric that will be joined or seamed together.

If you plan on washing the skirt when it gets dirty – Wash fabric and dry before making the skirt to allow for shrinkage.

1. Cut fabric out to height and width needed. Seam together cut sections of fabric to create skirt width needed.

2. Pin edges of seam together then sew the edges together. Repeat for each seam needed to create one long width that will go around the item you are skirting.

3.  Press seams open.

4. To create the top and bottom hems. Fold the top unfinished edge of fabric over 1/2-inch and press, Fold over another 1/2- inch and press again.

5. Place pins along edge. Repeat the process for bottom edge and both side edges of the fabric.

6. Sew along the pinned edges to create a finished edge/hem.

7. To create pleats:  Starting from one end of the top edge of the skirt – tuck back 1-1/2” of fabric to make first pleat. Place a pin in to hold. Repeat the process all along fabric edge.

8. Pin or glue one side of Velcro to the back side of the top pleated edge.  If using sticky back Velcro – I would add more glue or sew it just to make sure the Velcro stays attached. 

9. Attach the other side of Velcro to the edge of the tub bottom or tabletop edge.  Use tacky glue to make sure the Velcro is attached well.  If using hot glue – use only a thin line of it. If you use too much the Velcro will not be flush with the surface.

I made the skirt in two pieces so there is an opening in the front for easy storage access.

Line up both sides of the Velcro and run your hand over it so that the skirt attaches.

 No Sew Directions:  How To Make Sink or Table Skirt

Follow the steps above, but where it calls for sewing, place a line of fabric glue or fusible adhesive.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the label of the product you are using for drying time.  I also use an iron to help with adhesion.

When pleating – fabric glue is easier to use. Apply a dab between each fold of the pleat.  As shown below:

When pinning, keep the pin to the side of  the glue or use clothespins to hold each pleat in place. When glue is dry – the pins will not be glued into the pleats.

Use sticky back Velcro to attach.

SaveSave