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5 Mar

DIY Wall Pockets

I’m Nike.  That’s Neekah and the lady behind Choose To Thrive and stay-at-home-mom of six kids age nine and younger. I wear flip flops rain or shine, put my makeup on in the car and survive on caffeine-free Diet Pepsi from the drive-thru at the corner gas station. AND…I love to make things like these DIY Wall Pockets.

diy-252520catalog-252520inspired-252520pockets_thumb-25255B1-25255D

My crafting adventures have taken a hard left the last few years since the Layoff Fairy visited our house–twice.  Not fun. Yet despite all of the financial difficulties that come with an unwelcomed experience like this, I’ve come to believe that a Rock What Ya Got approach to crafting and DIYing without spending a dime can still yield great results.

Case in point:

Recognize these beauties from the Ballard Designs catalog?

Wall pockets by Ballard Designs

I adore them. I need them. I cannot afford them.

So I made my own.

Cardboard + Fabric = Catalog awesomeness for $0!

Cardboard-252520Fabric-252520Pocket-252520Organizer_thumb-25255B1-25255D

*Swoon*

And making a sleek, customized organizer for all those homework folders/workbooks/mail/bills/receipts without spending any money makes me feel like Superwoman, even if I’m a week behind on laundry.

Want to make your own?

For the base and pockets you’ll need:

Pocket-252520Organizer-252520Supplies_thumb-25255B1-25255D

For the covering, you’ll need either paint or fabric. I originally planned on going the paint route, but my cardboard had been manhandled by my kids enough that it ended up looking like a painted, hacked apart diaper box instead of a catalog knock off.

So I went with the fabric.

I didn’t have any plain black fabric in my stash, but I did have this left over $1/yd. Walmart clearance fabric from seven years ago.

Wall-252520Pocket-252520Organizer_thumb-25255B1-25255D

No biggie. I just flipped the fabric over and used the back.

Making the Base

Open up two medium sized cardboard boxes and glue them together with a heavy coat of spray adhesive.  Make sure the folds are facing out and offset, otherwise the base will be more likely to bend and fold along those lines.  Trim to 15 3/4” x 49 1/2”.

Wall-252520Pocket-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B1-25255D

Fill any gaps along the folds with scrap cardboard and tape in place.  Secure the corners and sides with a few pieces of packing or duct tape to make sure the whole piece is solid.

Wall-252520Pocket-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B3-25255D

Cut slits on the base for the pockets to slide into using the dimensions from the pattern. (Download link at end of tutorial).

Mark 1” strips on a few box flaps … cut out …

Wall-252520Pocket-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B5-25255D

… and glue along the back edge making a frame all around the base.

Wall Pocket Organizer Tutorial

Making the Pockets

Trace four pockets pieces on good, thick cardboard …

Choose-252520To-252520Thrive-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B1-25255D

… then cut out and fold into pockets.

Slide the pockets into the base to make sure the fit is nice and tight.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B3-25255D

Once everything looks good, carefully remove the pockets and secure the bottom corners of each one with duct tape.  Set aside.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B1-25255D

Covering With Fabric

Coat the front of the base generously with spray adhesive and cover with fabric, smoothing out bubbles and wrinkles until its all smooth.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B5-25255D

Flip base over and glue fabric to the back frame using hot glue, making sure fabric is pulled nice and tight for a smooth edge.  Trim away the excess fabric.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B7-25255D

Feel along the front of the base for the pocket tab slots and cut a single slit down the middle with an x-acto knife ( kind of like cutting a button hole.)

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B9-25255D

Your base should look like this on the front and back.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B11-25255D

To cover the pockets, spray them liberally with spray adhesive–inside and out–and carefully smooth fabric into place, trimming away the excess material and hot gluing down seems as needed.

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B13-25255D

Assembling & Decorating ~ The Fun Part!

Insert pockets through the precut slots …

Wall-252520Organizer-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B15-25255D

… and glue the tabs towards the middle and top of the base with hot glue.

Pocket Organizer Tutorial

Touch up any gaps with marker, paint, whatever.

Pocket Organizer Tutorial

To personalize this design, I purposely left extra room above the top pocket so that I could add a monogram and family motto that were cut on my Silhouette.

Nike-252520Choose-252520To-252520Thrive_thumb-25255B3-25255D

Nike-252520Choose-252520To-252520Thrive_thumb-25255B5-25255D

The pockets were dressed up with simple cardstock labels cut from scraps using my Silhouette (label_1031).

Choose-252520To-252520Thrive-252520Tutorial_thumb-25255B3-25255D

To hang, I just rested the wall pockets on two existing screws that were left behind from an family chore chart. Worked great, sort of like an impromptu french cleat.

Nike-252520Choose-252520To-252520Thrive_thumb-25255B7-25255D

Ahhhh.

No more piles of clutter on the TV/coffee table/counter/shelf/floor/desk. Love it.

Creative-252520Guest-252520Choose-252520To-252520Thrive_thumb-25255B1-25255D

Hope you’ll stop by Thrive and check out the rest of my Rock What Ya Got projects, including the challenge this year to see how much no-money remodeling I can do with repurposing, trading, bartering and some mad crafting skills.

Thanks again U Create for letting me spend the weekend chatting on the Ucreate-Oprah couch with you and the amazing crafters who read and contribute to this site. You guys rock and inspire me daily!

(Download the pocket pattern with additional information HERE.)

 

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Previous Post: Stenciled Cardigan Tutorial
Next Post: Squeezebox Top Tutorial

Comments

  1. Rachael @ The Little Birdie says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    AWESOME! You totally rock Nike!

    reply to this comment >
  2. Susan @ homeroad.net says

    March 5, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    See… you can do anything when you put your mind to it! This is beautiful, better than some I’ve seen in the stores, and didn’t cost a dime!
    Congratulations! (and I hope the Job Fairy pays a visit to your house real soon)
    Susan

    reply to this comment >
  3. Esther@fleurcottage says

    March 5, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    gaw-gee-ous! ‘necessity is the mother of invention’…luv!

    reply to this comment >
  4. Fi says

    March 5, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Awesome project! Well done Nike – it’s amazing what you can do with cardboard, fabric and glue! I LOVE the quote and monogram you did with your Silhouette – very professional looking project!

    reply to this comment >
  5. NanyBrazilian says

    March 5, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    LOOOOVE it!!!! i will so make this some day…

    reply to this comment >
  6. Molly says

    March 5, 2011 at 11:19 PM

    Girl you did it again! You have mad skills, I am so impressed! It looks fabulous. I love your attention to detail too. I wish I had the stay-with-it-ness to create something so awesome and so well done! keep rocking!

    reply to this comment >
  7. ~Jordan and Samantha says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Hey! Nike is my husbands cousin! Hi Nike – cute project 🙂 I just might have to try this!

    reply to this comment >
  8. Courtney says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    I love love love the idea of your blog! I have SO SO SO much fabric and craft supplies laying around from projects I planed and never started etc. I need a bit of Thrive in my life!

    Also – I LOVE this project, I already have fabric in mind (from my stash) and know where I’d hang it. Now I just need to go pilfer the garage and find some cardboard!

    Thanks so much.

    reply to this comment >
  9. Karen Jerread says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    Great project. You are amazing. BTW, I am still so loving the Christmas stars I won. Just awesome.

    reply to this comment >
  10. melanzana says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Super ti je post.
    Eto kako se i za male novce može napraviti nešto lijepo i funkcionalno.Hvala na tutorijalu.
    Pozdrav.

    reply to this comment >
  11. Gerry says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    absolutely amazing.

    reply to this comment >
  12. Valerie says

    March 5, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    Wow!! You could have fooled me! Looks like the original! Way to go…

    reply to this comment >
  13. Aiming4Simple says

    March 5, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    What a great idea! I have so much desk clutter and so little money–this is the perfect solution.

    reply to this comment >
  14. alwayscharlie says

    March 5, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    Love it!

    reply to this comment >
  15. Jayna Rae says

    March 5, 2011 at 10:28 PM

    Oh my husband would just love if I made this and hung it in the hall.

    reply to this comment >
  16. Michelle@Somedaycrafts says

    March 6, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    Nike is a amazing woman! Love her rockstar thrift skills.
    another great project!

    reply to this comment >
  17. ≼mE aNd mY tℎrIfTy IdEaS≽ says

    March 6, 2011 at 1:15 AM

    Nike seriously never ceases to amaze me. Such an awesome, detailed and thrifty project! You have seriously raised the bar with this one! And a download too? Girl you rock what you got and you rock it well!

    reply to this comment >
  18. Maureen says

    March 6, 2011 at 1:48 AM

    I have been searching and searching for something like this!!! Cheap and light weight to hang on the wall!! So excited to get my diaper boxes apart!! Thanks so much!

    reply to this comment >
  19. Laura says

    March 6, 2011 at 3:38 AM

    That is amazing! Thanks for the great tutorial.

    http://www.beautifulwithabow.blogspot.com

    reply to this comment >
  20. Mary Ellen says

    March 6, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    So glad you introduced us to Nike!! What a great DIY and cheap project!!

    reply to this comment >
  21. the nayz says

    March 6, 2011 at 5:41 AM

    Thank you, thank you Nike. I have been looking for something EXACTLY like this for all our homework, paper crap laying around. I will be making this ASAP.

    thanks

    reply to this comment >
  22. Nena Nadine says

    March 6, 2011 at 9:44 PM

    Now that’s awesome!

    reply to this comment >
  23. Marlie @ Crafting, Cooking, and Cats says

    March 7, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    AMAZING! I was just thinking that I needed to search some blogs to find something like this and boom! here it is. It’s perfect!

    reply to this comment >
  24. MeenyMoe says

    March 7, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    That looks terrific! I can’t believe it is just made with cardboard! – Karen

    reply to this comment >
  25. Katie@The Baby Factory says

    March 7, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    Ummm…yes please! That is amazing!

    reply to this comment >
  26. The Mathis Family says

    March 7, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    I am totally impressed with your cardboard and hot glue skills!

    reply to this comment >
  27. Hayley says

    March 10, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    WOW! I had no idea they were cardboard until I scrolled down! AWESOME! book marking this project for my dorm room!

    reply to this comment >
  28. .:+Pearlofafrika+:. says

    March 11, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    amazing! I love it. love it.

    reply to this comment >
  29. Clara says

    May 6, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    I made one of these using old record sleeves, following your tutorial roughly for guidance.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6470695/mail%20organizer.JPG

    thanks!

    reply to this comment >
  30. Stephanie says

    September 2, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    Wow that is amazing! Every time you walk past it you should pat yourself on the back !! Great job!!

    reply to this comment >
  31. Anonymous says

    November 9, 2012 at 4:31 PM

    How much fabric did you use for this?

    reply to this comment >
  32. Brandy Shreve says

    July 13, 2013 at 9:09 AM

    Well I finally made them but I made 2 pockets for mail. And instead of fabric I used magic cover (Dollar Tree)that I had left over from lining shelfs. Feel free check it out on pininterest. My dimensions are different will post everything when I get on house computer. http://pinterest.com/pin/334673816029699570/

    reply to this comment >
  33. Aline Baldino says

    October 24, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    You’re so creative!

    reply to this comment >
  34. Jenny Summersill says

    January 28, 2014 at 3:01 PM

    Nike, or anyone else who has used the template for the pockets, is there a way to download the template for free? Scribd wants me to subscribe to them in order to download it. Thanks!!!

    reply to this comment >
  35. thedeerivertivv says

    April 3, 2014 at 11:27 PM

    sell them please! im too lazy to make it lol

    reply to this comment >
  36. Regi says

    May 11, 2017 at 4:28 PM

    Love this idea!!
    Does anyone have the pocket pattern? The download link seems to be disabled.
    Thanks! X

    reply to this comment >

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