Before & After - Dollar Store Skirted Sink

This old house, while quirky and full of charm, is not without its challenges. Case in point: the wall-mounted porcelain sink in our upstairs bathroom. Love the high-back splash guard; hate the exposed plumbing. 

Right away, I imagined a fabric sink skirt with a large box pleat, trimmed in grosgrain ribbon. You see them all the time in magazines. But when I checked with an upholsterer in town, for a self-adhesive skirted sink with trim, it was going to cost $750! And that's without the fabric! Enter: Designer DIY. A couple of months back, while shopping the Dollar Tree for a Dorothy Draper-inspired table setting, I came across a bunch of plain, white flour sack cloths. They're simple, beautiful and, best of all, washable! For the table, I trimmed them in green grosgrain ribbon, then used them as napkins. But as luck would have it, they would also be the perfect length for a skirted sink, made from Dollar Tree towels!

After a quick stop at Jo-Ann's for Stitch Witchery and Velcro, out came the sewing machine and glue gun. First, using Stitch Witchery, I adhered black grosgrain ribbon to the bottom edge of every towel—11 in all. Next, to make the skirt, I planned and pinned each towel to Velcro, layering them to achieve a box pleat effect. After a simple stitch to sew it all together, I adhered one side of the Velcro to the apron of the sink, then attached the skirt. Finally, I hot-glued grosgrain ribbon across the entire top edge, just to give it that finished, decorator look. The only difference is mine cost about 15 bucks!

I love the tailored box pleat effect. I think it's sophisticated and masculine. The extra storage space is great too!

And would you believe I finished this little project about three minutes before our friends Seleta and Peter arrived for the weekend? Guests are so good that way. They make us get up and do it!

Comments

[Karin]

I do love the Dollar Tree. You never know what will inspire you there. Your sink skirt looks all of the $750 price tag it would have cost you to have someone else do it. I think your economical, chic solution is just perfefct.

[Vicki B]

Wow...your sink skirt is fabulous & looks like a million bucks!!!

[Lindsey]

Love it!!!

{ Lindsey }
www.coveiter.com

[Deana]

Eddie, Looks awesome. The Dollar Tree rocks! Deana

[Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS]

I skirted my ugly builder laundry tub on legs with a Target shower curtain, (so it would be water-tolerant and easy to clean), with the same aesthetic and storage benefits. I used the leftover material in a matching window valance. Laundry is never fun, but at least it's more fab now!

BTW, my blog post this week is on bath updates for $150 or less.

[laura @ the shore house]

How fabulous that the towel length worked out! (And...$750?! Didn't you move OUT of the city to get away from prices like that?!? lol!)

[Lynett]

Yay for the dollar tree! That looks amazing!

[Denise]

Vintage chic! Do we get to see more of this bathroom soon? I hope so.

[.amanda.]

oh goodness, I wish I saw this before I ripped mine out last summer! What a great idea!

I am now trying to decide what to do with the sink, maybe an outdoor planter? Too tacky?

[Sanity Fair]

This is SO pretty. I've always been scared of skirt sinks (lace toilet paper holders and ducks are rarely far behind) but this is just a fantastic look, and so sophisticated. I have a sink with exposed plumbing and I've just been stumped on what to do about it. I think this is the answer! P.S. Love the use of the wedgewood plate too.

[Paloma {LaDolceVita}]

This is incredible! You never fail to impress, Eddie.

[alice]

Love it!
The black grosgrain looks so sharp.

Part of the fun of having guests are the projects that get done before they arrive:)

[Sylvie]

You are so smart. Don't you love Stitch Witchery. You might appreciate my pillows-out-of-placemats project:
http://sosylvie.typepad.com/so_sylvie/2009/04/simple-pillow-project.html

Cheers! Sylvie

[The Undomesticated Wife]

Very cute! I did something very similar when I was in college and lived in the dorm. We had horrible sinks though, and I made a skirt for it. I think I used either velcro or a pressure rod. I can't remember which. Anyway, it looks great!

[Arlynn from Fleur De Licious]

This is too stinkin' perfect : ) Seriously. I LOVE this idea & am already thinking of how I might be able to use it within my own home...

At the moment I'm trying to recover from an estimate from an upholster & am really thinking hard about trying it myself. If can do curtains & duvets, why not a sofa?

Thanks again for the great inspiration!

[Angela]

love it love it! love your creativity and resourcefulness. now, if I could only learn how to use a sewing machine!! :) thanks for sharing.

[decorpad]

SHUT UP!!!!! :) Fan-freaking-tastic!

[cj]

$750!! I think prices like that inspire you to think outside the box. You got it just right. I recently made curtains for my granddaughter's room with $1 a yard material from Ikea and also trimmed her dollhouse windows using velcro. Its very 70's blonde wood chic.

[Kathy :)]

LOve it and LOVE Dollar Tree....

Kathy :)

[suzq]

One teensy, weensy quibble, if I may...

I did the same thing to an exposed wall mount in the upstairs bathroom in my house. But I affixed the fabric to the underside of the sink, not the front. That way, the fabric hung down, but drips did not catch on the top.

I don't know how washable grosgrain ribbon is. And my bathroom is used by my two young boys, who are experts at dripping.

Putting the velcro underneath allows you to remove it whenever you'd like and not have velcro exposed on the topside, too.

[Julia]

This looks fabulous. I've used fabric and velcro before to make a sink skirt, but you're SO clever to use sack cloths!

[julie - eab designs]

So charming and practical!! Love it. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Pink Wallpaper]

look at you! such a cleaver idea!

[Libba]

Isn't Stitch Witchery the best? It has joined the ranks of duct tape in my book!

[Becky]

You are hilarious. I keep my Hermes boxes under the bathroom sink too! But seriously, I love the look, and you are the Wiz of Stitch Witchery!

[Susan]

You have such incredible and sensible solutions up your sleeve! I am always amazed and inspired each time I visit! Can't WAIT to see more pictures of the farmhouse!

[Renovation Therapy]

Love it!!

I tend to favor buying yards of "curtain lining" from the remnant rack at Calico Corners for things like that, but your solution is super easy & obtainable by everyone, there are thousands (literally) of those Dollar stores across the country. Rock on!

[Margaret]

Everything you do is so chic. Amazing! Your new house is going to be stunning when you're all done with it!

[LIMOM]

I die. Amazing. Love it.

Good God man start a summer camp so I can send my kids, better yet I could work there as a counselor!!! You strike my as one of the funnest, funniest people. And the handicrafts would be amazing.

[stacilyn]

it's so cute! i do love a bargain up-grade these days - who doesn't?

[Clara]

Eddie,When is that book coming out of all your ideas and more. Can't wait to see the next project.Everyday is like a birthday when I log on and see another project you have come up with .So So Great.
Thank you.

[layersofmeaning]

Eddie!
Everything you create is wonderful!

[Miranda]

Hello, Eddie. You are a genius! This looks beautiful and I admire your creativity. I really enjoy your blog.

[tartanscot]

o.m.g. I'm totally going to do this in my bathroom. yay, a project for this weekend.

[sophia garcia]

wow! i love seeing your before and afters! great job! i love this idea because there isn't a lot of sewing involved!

[Artie]

This is a fantastic idea, Eddie! Very chic, and perfectly appointed for the style, shape, and age of the sink and your house! I love it!

[Sarah's Fab Day]

I adore skirted sinks and this one with the grograin trim is so pretty. I may have to try this with my not to cute pedestal sink.

[Phillips Phamily Mama]

I agree with you that having guests is a sure-fire way to get those lingering projects DONE! Love the sink skirt. $750 is OUTRAGEOUS!