How to Make a Skirt for a Utility Sink

Although utility sinks help us take care of those heavy duty around the house jobs as well as provide us with ample under the sink storage space, they aren't always the most pleasing to the eye. Their strange shape and obtrusive water pipes cause quite an eyesore when entering the room. One simple way to not only improve the overall appearance of the utility sink as well as hide those stored items is to create a sink skirt. Sink skirts are simple to make, eye catching and improve the overall look of any room.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring Tape
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Velcro
• Hot glue gun
• Wash rag
• Soapy water or cleaner

Instructions

Skirting a Sink

1. Measure the dimensions of the sink. When measuring the height of the sink, measure from where you would like to place the skirt on the sink to the floor.

2. Choose a fabric that is washable. When requesting your fabric, request at least 3 inches more height and 1 1/4 inch more width than the exact measurements of the sink. This allows room for mistakes or miscalculations.

3. Clean the sides of the sink. This will remove any debris from the sides that may hinder the Velcro from adhering properly.

4. Attach Velcro. Some store-bought Velcro comes with an adhesive already applied to the back side of the strips. If you have purchased such Velcro, simply line up and adhere the Velcro to the front and sides of the sink. If you purchased non-adhesive Velcro, apply hot glue to the Velcro and apply to the sink.

5. Hem your fabric for a more sophisticated look. Using your sewing machine, sew up the ends of the fabric by folding the edges over 1/4 inch to 1 inch in length. Sew the edge in place and repeat on the other sides.

6. Iron the fabric. For a crisp, wrinkle-free look, make sure the fabric is ironed smooth before applying Velcro.

7. Attach Velcro to the fabric. Ensure that the strips you use will adhere appropriately to the Velcro already on the sink. Either stick the adhesive-backed Velcro directly on the fabric, or use hot glue to attach non-adhesive Velcro into place.

8. Line up the Velcro on the fabric with the Velcro on the sink and press firmly.

Tips & Warnings

• By using Velcro on your skirt, you are able to remove and machine wash the fabric when it becomes soiled, or you can even trade fabrics for a more festive look around the holidays.

References

• Ballard Designs: How to Make a Sink Skirt