The Soltow Family ♥: Reusable pail liner!

This is my first tutorial! I got so tired of seeing an ugly trash bag dominating my far too expensive bathroom trash cans (also, I hate using plastic!), that I decided to make my own pail liners!

Supplies Needed:

Fabric (I used a thicker quilter's cotton, but if you want a more waterproof fabric, you can use PUL)

1/4 inch wide elastic (this can be bought in a package or by the foot!)

Thread (I used a matching brown for the top elastic casing part, and a tan for the interior stitches that would not be seen when the liner is in use, because I ran out of dark brown thread. :P

Step 1:

PRE-WASH AND IRON FABRIC. ALWAYS. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!

Step 2:

Measure the depth of the pail (mine was 9 inches).

Step 3:

Measure the circumference of the top of the pail (mine was 26 inches).

Step 4:

Cut out fabric. My fabric was a rectangle that was 30 inches by 13 inches, which would leave me extra room (4 inches on both sides - which ended up fitting absolutely perfectly for my pail!) for seam allowances and so that the liner would lay flat on the bottom of the pail without having to cut a round piece for the bottom. This makes sewing the pail liner a LOT easier, because you are only dealing with one piece of fabric.

Step 5:

At the top of the fabric (which will be the top of your pail liner, i.e. the circumference measurement), fold down raw edge about 1/4 of an inch and iron in place. It's easier to fold as you iron it in sections. Then, fold down about 1/3-1/2 of an inch and iron. You are creating a casing for the elastic. The dimensions here don't have to be exact or perfect- I just eyeball it. Check out the next picture if you are completely confused by what the casing should ultimately look like when it's sewn.

Step 6:

Sew down the casing you just created. Since I don't measure, when I am sewing I use the right edge of the fabric to be my guide, not the left folded edge. As always, don't forget to backstitch at the beginning and end of the fabric.

Step 7:

Use a paper clip or safety pin to guide the elastic through the casing, ensuring that it is not twisted.

Step 8:

How much elastic you need is completely dependent on the circumference of the pail. Since my pail had a circumference of 26 inches, I wanted my elastic to stretch to just a little over 26 inches total, so that it would not be fully tensed when on the pail, which could cause the elastic to weaken over time (the great thing about this DIY project is that you can definitely replace the elastic easily if you ever should need to!). So, after stringing the elastic through, I folded the fabric in half (not yet cutting the elastic), and I held it up to my measuring tape which I had laid out on the table, and when I was fully tensing the elastic, I wanted it to be just a little over 13 inches (half of my circumference). After I got the elastic to the right measurement, I added one inch to one of the ends (so that I could sew the elastic together). Then, I cut my elastic, removed the paper clip, carefully laid the ends of the elastic overlapping each other, and sewed them together. TIP: getting the ends to stay together is the most tricky part of this project. The best way is to lay the ends flat on each other under the presser foot of the sewing machine, and use the foot pedal to get the needle into the elastic, before you even lower the presser foot, that way your elastic is already together. Then, you can easily let go of the fabric and lower the presser foot without fear of your elastic bouncing all over the place. ;) I used a zig zag stitch to sew it together. The key here is to make sure it is tightly stitched together, since it will have a lot of tension when it is being stretched during use, so use your reverse stitch a lot! It doesn't have to be pretty, and I can pretty much guarantee you that it won't be!

Step 9:

Slide the fabric over your newly stitched elastic and sew the sides together (including the bottom!). NOTE: This side of the pail liner will be on the inside of the trash can, so your fabric should have the right/front sides together as you are sewing!