How We DIY'd Our Van Sink for $6 (@van_gossamer)

By @van_gossamer:

When our initial idea for a sink set up turned out to be way pricier than we'd bargained for (expensive wooden slabs and small sinks that started at $80), we opted to research more inexpensive routes.

We stumbled across our idea for a sink on YouTube, which is how we ended up with a sink that is actually a $6 salad bowl from Walmart. It was intimidating at first to figure out how to cut a hole and find hardware that would fit, but after a little more research, we managed to find everything we needed, and it fits like a glove.

We found a piece of craft wood for our counter top (in the project specific wood section at Lowe's), measured the inside rim of the bowl (so that the lip would sit flush with the counter top), cut the hole with a jigsaw, and used a router to smooth the edges around the hole.

We used a hole saw and WD-40 for lubrication to cut a hole in the metal bowl for the drain. We then fit the drain hardware in and sealed it with plumber's putty, and attached the drain hose.

We also found our water storage at Walmart; we opted for three-gallon square-based, stackable water tanks because that size fits perfectly in our cabinets. Once we hooked up our water pump, our sink was ready to use!

All photos by van_gossamer