A DIY Ice Bucket Upcycle to Match Your Decor!
I wonder if other avid thrifters notice the same odd objects seem to be ubiquitous in thrift stores. For instance, I always see vintage ice buckets, bread machines, and those bedside phone cord organizer thingies by the score.
In a recent thrifting venture, I noticed this ice bucket sitting on a shelf without a price tag:
It’s dirty. It’s stained. It’s sad.
But look at that lovely faux tortoiseshell & gold trim! This ice bucket is just dying to be made pretty!
I brought it up to the counter. What followed was the most awkward conversation I had all week. And all for an ice bucket, friends.
Me: “Hey! I found this on the shelf over there, but noticed it didn’t have a price sticker on it.”
Cashier Guy: “Yeah, we stopped putting prices on anything, because folks were just swapping out the stickers.”
*AWKWARD PAUSE*
Me: *Looks at Cashier Guy and raises eyebrows*
Cashier Guy: *Stares blankly*
Was I really going to have to force him to tell me the price of this thing? Or should I just stay in the pause until he learns how to pick up on basic social cues?
Me: “So…”
Cashier Guy: *Staring Blankly*
Me: “Um…How much do you want for it?”
Cashier Guy: *Looks at me, narrows his eyes, then looks at the bucket, then back to me*
“I’ll give it to you for $2.”
Me: *Sigh of relief to be near the end of this transaction*
“Awesome, Thanks!”
Harrowing stuff, right?
Anywho…I now had my prize in my possession, but had no idea how I was going to upcycle it.
Everything idea I had seemed wrong.
Should I paint it? No, the paint wouldn’t adhere well to the slick surface, and I wouldn’t be able to wash the thing.
Should I use spray adhesive to cover it with fabric? No, because then the exterior could get stained and gross, and would also not be waterproof.
Then it hit me! I could just make a removable cover for my new ice bucket! That way I could wash it throroughly after each use, and the cover could just be thrown in the laundry if/when it ever got splashed with a cocktail at one of our soirees!
For some reason, I had been holding on to this fabric scrap for years.
It was part of a large remnant I thrifted and made use of by making a couple of throw pillows and a cute little curtain for my dining room.
I could not believe my luck! I had exactly enough fabric left over to make one final project that would make future party guests think I was super fancy/hired an interior decorator or something. Who else has an ice bucket that matches their curtains and pillows?
I cleaned my ice bucket thoroughly. Then, I measured.
I traced these dimensions on a piece of pattern paper, adding two inches to the width and one inch to the height for a seam allowance.
Since I only had the tiny scrap of fabric, I could not afford to get these measurements wrong, friends!
So, after cutting out my template, I made sure it would fit around my ice bucket, like so:
Then, I laid my template over my fabric scrap, making sure to align the pattern.
I used my tailor’s chalk to outline my pattern.
I cut out my pattern, and then started making my hems!
To make this ice bucket sleeve easily removable, I decided to make a velcro closure. I only wanted to fold the vertical sides over once, since the velcro additions would add bulk to that part, and I didn’t want it to be too bulky.
If you’re attempting the maneuver at home, make sure to put the velcro on opposite sides of the fabric, like this!
After my seams were nicely pressed, my DIY Ice Bucket Upcycle was complete!
Here’s what it looks like from the back:
I’m really happy with how this project turned out! And all from a $2 thrifted ice bucket!
Time to celebrate!
Cheers!
42 Comments
Laura
Wow! Awesome idea! I’m mentally thinking of different things I could do this to. I love it when I know I held on to some fabric for a good reason!
Kimberly Ellen Purser Huss
I Love it! You know what’s best? Okay, there’s 2 BEST things! First, you leave us with so many options that way….. a birthday sleeve, a Christmas Sleeve, A Valentine’s Day one……. SECOND! and awesome! Is how you show/tell us your “mistakes” or opportunities for learning! Incredibly inspiring & gives me the belief we can all try these fun ideas. I look forward to all your new posts
adventures of making
Awesome! it’s funny how there seems to be a cultural element to the ubiquitousness of certain items. I don’t think I have ever encountered an ice-bucket in Dutch thrift-shops. Maybe we are just not fancy like that?
Cheryl Shipman
What a great idea! Thanks. I love your posts. Always so creative, but doable!
VRGJS
Great!
Bree
Hey, this was lovely!! Great job…
Kay
Genius! Not only am I reminded to appreciate my stash of fabrics, not despair of its size, but now have fresh, fun ideas for Easter baskets, Christmas, and more. The Velcro is the game changer for me. That makes everything click. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the energizing post and great tutorial.
CAROL GORNTO
I absolutely LOVE this re-do! You are the Mistress of “SOOOOO clever”
!
redbam
Simply amazing! Very clever and classy. Well cone.
Lee
That is an awesome idea! And the fabric looks so perfect against the gold and tortoise shell pattern.
treadylady
I did this with plastic faux clay pots… Was your table cloth thrifted?
Emily Ann Dietrich
I love it! So bright and cheery!
Mariann
I have made outdoor pillows out of same fabric..maybe I could borrow ice bucket for summer party! LOL
Carol Joann Blakeman
Great idea. I got an ice bucket a few years ago. My kids think it looks like rich old guy stuff, but hey, it is better than the nothing I had before. It has a coat of arms looking thing on the front, but if I made a fabric cover, and put the crest on the back side, it would probably work.
Melissa
I love love love this!!! I don’t think I would have ever thought to put on a removable cover! Brilliant and that fabric scrap is gorgeous <3
eva @ CostumeTakeOut
so cool! at first when i saw the picture, it looked like you painted it…but love the idea more that it can be changed out!
i love anything lucite or tortoise shelled! and the story at the thrift store is hilarious…one thrift store locally won’t sell an item without a price tag on it….it goes to the back to get repriced and then you have to wait until the next day to see how much it costs…..so frustrating when i actually like something
Kathy L
Love it! You have so much vision….I would have just seen an old ice bucket LOL So thankful I can get ideas from you.
Karen Welk
This turned out so well!! I would love to see more small projects like these- this seems like something I could actually complete!
Gill
Awesome! So many wonderful ideas! Thanks
Christine R
I have always believed you were so Clever! This was a Clever Idea & I know why you kept that fabric…..It is a happy creative Print…and helps bring Inspiration….So I think
Susan
Good idea!!! It looks great.
Anne Stibich
This is so cool! I’m not sure I can copy clothing redos, but maybe something like this I could do!
Queen of Fifty Cents
Great fabric – I’d have held onto it for years too!
June
Great! I did something similar several years ago to cover an ugly crock pot I was going to use at a party.
Murielle
What a wonderful idea! Brilliant–as always!
Adrianna - Adzik tworzy
Great fabric and idea for that transformation is so amazing! <3
Jen from Ottawa
Love it!
You should do sequins for New Year’s!
Lisa
You are amazing! Love your how-to’s!!!! I so look forward to your posts!
alisondeluca
I love this one. The fabric is gorgeous, and that ice bucket will add a festive pop of color to any party. Amazing!
Michelle Van Ellis
This looks fantastic. I love a good fabric/velcro project. I did a similar thing with fabric inside the glass paned doors of my DVD cabinet.
Lisa
Great Idea !!
Amy Levengood
This is genius! What an artist you are!
Maureen
Love, love, love it!
Pat Stoughton
One less thing for the landfill pile if no one bought it. It’s so cute. You could swap out covers made for the holidays.
Stephie G
Very cute! Love how you coordinated it. What are you going to do with the scrap of the scrap?
Denise Richard
So cute!
Karem
Love it! Dress it for every holiday or party!
TEMA
Great job on the ice bucket… It was a find from the beginning… the sort of thing a thrifter hates to pass up… but what you’ve done with it really takes it to a new level. The way you sewed the material and had everything fit so nicely is awesome!
Janice
CUUUUUTE! * Very nice for your dining room
Whoever donated it will want it back!!!
* not as cute as BENSON
Jennifer Andersen
Great idea! Now the next time I see an ice bucket at the thrift store I’m going to rescue it and do the same!
Rebecca Turner
That turned out so well! Great idea. Looks like you had a small bit of fabric left? I saw a tutorial on YouTube recently for a fancy wrist pincushion by Annika Victoria. She used a jar lid and some elastic plus a really small scrap and some extra fabric scraps as filler to make it. I’m planning to make one myself. That fabric is so pretty it would make a pretty one.
Myrna
Pure awesomeness!