DIY Expedit Box — Part II

If you don’t know what an Ikea Expedit shelf is, just go out to the web or pinterest and do a search.  Apartment Therapy even calls it the Worlds Most Popular Bookcase.  It’s quite popular in our house.  We have five plus the desk attachment.  Cheap, versatile, and worth the drive to Tampa to buy them.

I’ve purchased a few Expedit storage boxes and they are relatively cheap.  But there’s always the challenge of making my own that match the room’s décor.  So I made a few for the guest room but wasn’t really happy with them.  While the boxes matched the rest of the room, the Peltex Interfacing was expensive and the boxes were a bit floppy.  Okay since I only store sheets and the grandkids’ clothes in them.  But I wanted better.  I wanted to use plastic canvas which is sturdy and less expensive.

DIY Expedit Box Part 2
This is Plastic Canvas. I use this for the bottom of my totes. You can get this size at Jo-annes.

I also wanted to use up some extra fabric from the sunroom update.

DIY Expedit Box Part 2

And I think the color combinations go really well with these storage containers that I purchased at Home Goods and are in my laundry room.

DIY Expedit Box-- Part 2
My laundry room is still a work-in-progress. I want to do something fun with these cabinets. Another DIY project!

And here they are:

DIY Expedit Box-- Part 2
Three Boxes for the Expedit Shelf

 

DIY Expedit Box-- Part 2
Have to say that I stole the insert idea from Michelle! She showed up one day with a tote that I made her and she had put inserts into it so she could safely carry homemade strawberry jam. These will be great to store candles and other breakable items.I just reused inserts from liquor boxes.  Perhaps having so many liquor boxes around could be a sign of a problem?

And I totally cheated on this storage box.  I had an almost perfect-sized liquor box and just enough fabric to cover the front.  I used modge podge to glue the fabric but I probably could have used spray adhesive.  I did sew the handle but that could just be a cut out for a hand-hold.

DIY Expedit Boxes - Part 2
No-sew version for Michelle!

These are the two Expedit shelves in the laundry room.  They are on 6″legs which you can also get from Ikea.

DIY Expedit Box Part 2
Two Expedit Shelves on legs.  There are two white storage boxes from Ikea on there, too.
DIY Expedit Box Part 2
Just another view.  Magazine holders are from Ikea, too.  I should own stock!

Okay, I cheated on the one storage box, but for the other two I followed the instructions from the blog Make It & Love It.  This was just what I needed but the fabric storage boxes from the tutorial were too small.  Just 9.5″ tall by 11″ wide by 8.5″ deep.  Basically, she uses fusible interfacing to make the fabric stiff then makes pockets for the plastic canvas on all sides and boxes the bottom.  Very clever.

So I got my thinking cap on and figured out a formula to use her instructions and create Expedit-size boxes.  13″ tall by 12″ wide by 13″ deep.  I did not use seam binding on the top of the boxes, I just turned them under 1/2″.  The first box I used plastic canvas for the inserts but on the second I used cardboard that I cut out of liquor boxes.  I actually liked the cardboard better–and it’s free.  I also tried two different fusible interfacings–one that was midweight and the other was craft.  I probably liked the midweight better but the craft was cheaper.  So you know I’m going with the frugal version in the future.

This is not an easy DIY because making the boxed bottoms is confusing and sewing the top edge is awkward since the inserts are already in them.  If you are interested in making your own Expedit boxes, I’ve created a PDF which you can click on below.

BOX FOR EXPEDIT PART 2

Any questions, let me know!  I might be able to answer them!

 

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “DIY Expedit Box — Part II”

  1. I have 2 Expedit shelves, so stylish and useful. I love the box front! “I would sooo do that”, I murmured to myself and then scrolled down…hmmm gotta find a box…

    Reply
    • So easy! But looks good. I thought about spray painting the box but then decided–I’m the only one who will ever see it. Other than the masses that read this post!

      Reply
    • Walmart! That’s about the only store we have around here. They come in lots of sizes and I have a bunch of them.

      Reply

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