Sew a water bottle carrier: free sewing pattern
Keep your hands free and your water bottle near with our easy instructions for a made-to-measure carrier. By Suzanna Drew-Edwards
You will need
● For the outer: 30cm x 30cm piece of non-stretchy fabric we used corduroy because its sturdy
● approx 30cm by 30cm lining fabric
● 1m of webbing
● 20cm length of 1cm-wide elastic
● A water bottle
Measuring the width for the main body fabric
Loosely measure the circumference (all the way round the thickest part) of your water bottle you dont want it to be too snug. Add 2cm to that measurement for seam allowances.
The resulting figure is the width of your main body fabric. Ours was 23cm.
Measuring the height for the main body fabric
Measure the height of your water bottle we wanted ours to finish where it begins to slope up to the lid. Add 5cm to this measurement (1cm for the seam at the base and 4cm for the casing for the elastic at the top).
Our height measurement was 25cm.
Cut out one rectangle in outer fabric measuring the width x the height.
Measuring the base
Work out the diameter of the base.
To do this divide the width of your main body fabric by Pi (this is 3.142).
So for our carrier, our base diameter is 23cm divided by 3.142 = 7.32cm (we rounded it up to 7.5cm).
Cut a circle with a diameter of 7.5cm.
For the lining of the carrier, cut out the same two pieces, but trim 4cm from the height of the lining piece.
This is what you should have (image 1).
Stitching the side seam
Take your main body fabric and fold it in half width ways matching raw edges for the side seam. Stitch down the side for 1.5cm, then leave a gap for 2cm and then continue stitching right down to the bottom (image 2). This gap is for inserting the elastic into the casing.
Repeat with the lining main body, but dont leave a gap.
Stitching on the base
Take your outer base piece and, with right sides together, pin onto the bottom of the cylindrical main body piece. Stitch around 1cm max from the raw edge.
Repeat with the lining base and main body (image 3).
Attaching the lining to the outer
Turn the lining the right way round so that the raw edges are inside.
Now insert the right way round lining into the wrong way round outer (image 4).
Match up the top raw edges.
Stitch all the way round, 1cm from the top (image 5).
Turn in the right way round
Unpick a 5cm hole in the lining (not the outer). Pull all of the carrier through this hole so that it all turns the right way round and the raw edges are nicely hidden inside (image 6).
Push the lining down inside the carrier and with your fingers work the edge so that the gap you left in the outer fabric is at the top ready for your elastic to be threaded through (image 7).
Stitch around the carrier 2cm below the top edge.
Attaching the strap
Decide how long you want the strap to be cross body or over the shoulder and stitch securely inside the carrier below the elastic casing.
Inserting the elastic
Put a safety pin through one end of your piece of elastic and push it through the hole at the top. Work it round until youre back where you started from (image 8).
You want it so you can get the water bottle inside, but also so its tight enough to grip the bottle and stay up.
Tie a knot in the elastic or stitch together.
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