DIY Laundry Hamper for Every Bedroom!

Learn how to make this DIY laundry hamper for every bedroom in your house!

Once you see how functional and practical these DIY laundry hampers are, you’ll definitely want to make one for every bedroom – and then some! I first saw plans for a Foldable Laundry Hamper with a Reversible Bag online a few years ago.

So, I did what I always do and showed a picture of the hamper to my “master of power tools” (like when I showed these farmhouse bed plans to my hubby). That’s the title our grandson gave my husband – and it’s quite fitting. So, he took the concept (Thanks, Cami, for the inspiration!), tweaked it a little and made the frames for three laundry hampers, while I got busy making the fabric hampers.

We make a great team on projects like this DIY laundry hamper, my favorite tray from reclaimed fence pickets, my ginormous farmhouse clock, clock making and, well, pretty much any idea I have! Lenny picks the design apart and comes up with a better (more perfect) way of constructing just about everything. Then I get all the credit.

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Laundry Hamper Frame Supplies

I’m not sure exactly what my husband changed about Cami’s original plans, because I wasn’t involved in the build of the frames. But, I can tell you the supplies you’ll need to construct the DIY Laundry Hamper frame.

Sew a Reversible Laundry Hamper

Now for the fun part of this project! I love sewing. I just never seem to have enough time to do all the projects. I started out making this hamper for our bathroom and then it grew to each bedroom and before I knew it, our kids all wanted one for their own homes. I can’t even tell you how many we’ve made!

Supplies:

1-1/2 yards main fabric for outside of hamper bag (I used drop cloth)
1-1/2 yards contrast fabric for inside of hamper bag (I used ticking fabric)
9″X13″ – Pellon 70 Sew-In Ultra Firm Stabilizer
Scissors
Cutting Mat
Rotary Cutter
Ruler
Matching Thread
Sewing Machine
Pins
Wonder Clips (love these)
Iron
Ironing Board

Instructions:

Step One: Cut Pieces from Main Fabric

You’ll cut out the following pieces from your main fabric:

1 – 9″x13″ for base of hamper bag
4 – 3″x11″ for tabs
2 – 13″x24″ for front/back of bag
2 – 9″x24″ for sides of bag

Step Two: Cut Pieces from Contrast Fabric

You’ll cut the following pieces from your contrast or lining fabric:

1 – 9″x13″ for base of hamper bag
2 – 13″x24″ for front/back of bag
2 – 9″x24″ for sides of bag

Step Three: Cut Pieces from the Pellon Stabilizer

You’ll cut one piece from the stabilizer:

1 – 9″x13″

Step Four: Baste Stabilizer to Fabric

Baste the Pellon Stabilizer to the wrong side of the 9″x13″ main fabric base 1/4″ from edge of fabric. This will help to keep your stabilizer in place when you sew the hamper bag together.

Step Five: Prepare Tabs

Prepare the tabs as follows:

Fold each tab in half and press.

Open tab and fold edges so they align with the center fold and press.

Fold along original fold line and press.

Stitch along long edges of each tab.

Step Six: Assemble Bags

Lay the right side of one front bag piece face up. Lay one side piece face down on top of the bag front and stitch along long side edge. Do the same thing for all four seams on both the outer fabric and the inner/liner fabric.

Lay the bag bottom face up and pin the bag in place, matching corners. Stitch around all four edges of the bag bottom.

Step Seven: Attach Bags

Once you have each bag sewn, you’re ready to attach the inner bag to the outer bag. First, turn down 1/2″ along the top of the outer bag and press. It may help to place the bag on your ironing board like a pillow case, wrong side facing out.

Repeat with the inner bag, folding in 1/2″ and press.

Turn liner or contrast fabric wrong side out and fit it inside the outer bag (wrong sides together), making sure to line up side seams.

Fold tab in half lengthwise and pin in place at each corner of the bag, sandwiched between the outer fabric and liner fabric. I have found that it seems to work better if the tabs are placed so that the outer edge of the tab lines up with the side seam, instead of centered on the side seam.

Top stitch 1/4″ from edge of bag opening. You should have the liner/contrast fabric on the inside, the tabs at each corner and the outside or main fabric on top. Be sure to backstitch over each tab to reinforce.

Your reversible laundry hamper bag is now ready to hang!

Something we discovered after using our hampers for some time now is that the hamper itself wants to collapse to the floor when the bag is removed. To prevent this from happening, I took some of my outer fabric and made a strap that wraps around the cross bars at the base of the hamper front and back. I then sewed some velcro on the end of the straps. Now when the hamper bags are removed from the holder, it stays upright. Genius, right?!

I have been using these hampers and reversible laundry bags for well over a year now and I absolutely love them! In fact, we’ve even made some for our children: Phillip, Owen and Kristen all have handmade hampers with reversible liners. It’s kind of funny. When Phillip saw the hampers, he loved them and immediately asked if we could make him one. Of course, we did. But, he never asks for anything. So, for him to come right out and ask, he must have thought he’d really like it. Then our daughter Kristen (aka sailor girl) decided to take the one home from her old bedroom. I guess that means I’m technically short one hamper…. hmmm…..

If you have any questions about this hamper, just leave a comment below and I’ll answer as soon as I can.

Happy sewing! Til next time…