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!
