This is a surprisingly easy DIY…not a whole lot of instructions needed.
Materials needed for vessel sink:
- a serving bowl
- a sink pipe kit (like this one)
- sink drain (like this one)
- a faucet if you don’t have one (we recommend a kitchen faucet like this one since they’re taller, prettier and cheaper than special vessel sink faucets)
- caulk (bathroom, kitchen, or outdoor so it’s waterproof)
Basic instructions:
- Buy a serving bowl
This is probably the hardest part! I wasn’t looking for specific measurements, just one that looked good and that you can fit your hands in (you will look silly taking bowls off store shelves and sticking your hands in them as if you were washing—just like I did for several months 😀 ).
If you look at a pre-made vessel sink, it’s just a bowl with a whole cut out of the bottom.
Please keep in mind that it should be something that is water-safe and can also hold standing water.
Check the bottom of the bowl for any special instructions. For example: we currently have some serving bowls that say not to leave them submerged in water, clearly those would be a bad idea for a sink.
I ended up getting this one at Target, but Home Goods or TJ Maxx would be great options as well. - Drill a hole in the base of the bowl.
What you use to cut the hole will depend on the material the bowl is made out of. Ours is porcelain, so we used a carbide grit hole saw (examples here–affiliate links).
This was much easier than it seems like it might be. - Attach your sink to the vanity.
Apply a bead of caulk (made for bathrooms and kitchens like this) on the underside of the bowl. One circle around the hole, and another circle around the outside edge (both on the bottom of the bowl).
Line up the holes in the vanity and the sink base and put it in place. I recommend putting something weighted inside the bowl like a gallon of water to make sure the caulk cures flat and seals. - Attach your pipes and sink drain per the instructions that came with the fittings.
A seal should come with the kit, if not, you can use plumbing sealant under the drain. - Install your faucet according to the instructions that came with it.
The Hubs did all of the work on this particular project since it really is one person job.
The bowl was from Target, on clearance for $12. The faucet is from IKEA. We had a hard time finding any we liked that were actually made for vessel sinks, and they were quite expensive. So we went to the kitchen faucet department instead and not only did we like the looks better, they were nice and tall and they were cheaper!
If you have any questions about the process, I will certainly pass them on to The Hubs!
Hover over the image and pin it for later!
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