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With December 1st just 8 weeks away, it’s time to think about how you’ll be counting down to the big day this year!
We have a huge range of advent calendars to offer that are super easy to make and really quick too! You could even make them with the kids and make memories together.
♻️ Hands up if you’re trying to reduce your plastic waste! Ditching plastic bottles of water in favour of a refillable water bottle is a no-brainer, right? Then you’ll need our free pattern for a water bottle carrier, for sure!
And our pattern is really cleverly crafted too!
We’ve designed this water bottle carrier with children in mind… so us grown-ups can feel less like a cart-horse & empower the youngsters to carry their own water 💦
The clever thing about this pattern is the multi-way strap – kids can carry their water on their scooter, their book bag OR wear it cross-body
Watch the multi-way strap in action to see what we mean below
AND the wadding we’ve chosen is amazingly effective – we’ve used Insul-Bright – a Thermal Insulated Wadding which will help to keep water bottles cooler for longer…
And – let’s face it – it’s not just for kids… Grown-ups would love one too!
You can feel proud of your sewing prowess, whilst helping the planet at the same time!
A sewing project for: A Confident Beginner
Finished Dimensions: 19cm x 9cm approx (excluding strap). This carrier is sized to fit a water bottle with a 23cm circumference and fits most water bottles we tried
Sewing Time: Sew in an afternoon
Disclaimer: Strangulation hazard: Children must be supervised at all times.
Request The Free Pattern For A Water Bottle Carrier here:
| Item: | Amount required: | We used |
| Fabric A: Cotton fabric for Outer Top Contrast | 1 Fat Quarter | Fabrics from the Acorn Wood Collection |
| Fabric B: Cotton fabric for Outer Main | 1 Fat Quarter | Fabrics from the Acorn Wood Collection |
| Fabric C: Cotton fabric for Lining | 1 Fat Quarter | Fabrics from the Acorn Wood Collection |
| Fabric D: Insul-Bright | 40cm x 50cm | Insul-Bright |
| 25mm Webbing | 2m | 25mm Cotton Canvas webbing |
| 25mm Slide buckle/ Glide buckle | 1 | Hemline Slide Buckle |
| 25mm Dog hooks/ swivel clips (20mm will also be ok) We used | 2 | Metal Heart Shaped Swivel Clip |
| 25mm D rings | 2 | Metal D-Rings |
| KAM snaps size 20 | 2 sets | KAM snaps |
Sewing Equipment You Will Need:
Make Life Easier With
Firstly, grab your Free Pattern For A Water Bottle Carrier here
Using the pattern pieces as templates pin & cut out the following from the fabrics *:
From Fabric A:
From Fabric B:
From Fabric C:
From Fabric D ( Insul-Bright Insulated Wadding):
* For directional fabrics the shorter edge on the pattern pieces runs top to bottom of the finished carrier
It’s time to sew!
1. Align the bottom edge of the outer top contrast piece with the top edge of the Outer Main piece right sides together & pin
2. Sew, then press the seam allowance open
3. Draw a line 1cm up from the bottom of the outer & lining pieces on the wrong side
10. Trim back the Insul-bright bulk. Press the seam allowances on the outer & lining panels open.
11) On both the lining & outer panels snip around the bottom edges; make cuts that stop 2mm from the 1cm marked line, approx 1cm apart
12) On both outer & lining pieces, mark ¼ points on the base circles & bottom edges
of the side panels:
a) On the side panels, fold the fabric on the seam & smooth & fold it across;
the seam line is a one-quarter point & the fold crease is another. Bring
those points together & smooth the fabric out to the sides; mark where the
next 2 folds form.
b) For the base circle, fold it in half, make marks at each end of the fold line.
Fold it in half again and mark both layers of fabric where they fold.
13) One at a time, match up the quarter points on the side panels & base circles & pin
14) Pin the fabric between the ¼ points, using the snips to help ease the fabric
around the outer edge. Aligning the fabric edges & pinning where the seam line will be sewn will help accuracy.
15) Sew the base circles in place. Dropping your stitch length to 2mm will help you
sew the curve. Keep adjusting the fabric on your sewing machine to ensure you don’t
sew in any puckers.
16) Trim back any Insul-Bright in a seam to reduce bulk
17) Turn outer piece right side out
18) Cut 2 x 32cm (12 ½ “) lengths
of webbing
19) At one end of each length,
Create a double fold – turn over 1cm, then another 1cm & sew to hem with a longer stitch length (If your sewing machine struggles with the bulk here, just fold one
hem & seal the webbing end with Fray Stop or a zig-zag stitch)
20) Position the unhemmed strap ends between the notches on the outer piece, edges aligned & clip
like the photo.
21) Baste each strap in place with a 5mm seam allowance
Eleanor Harris (American, 1901-1942)
22) Position the outer panel inside the lining panel, right sides together, seams
aligned, straps sandwiched between the layers & clip around the top edge
23) Starting at the centre back seam, sew all the way around the top
24) Turn the bottle carrier out the right way & press. A Tailor’s Sleeve Roll is a handy
tool here
25) Machine sew the opening in the lining closed, or hand sew using a ladder stitch
26) Topstitch around the top of the carrier
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27) Add male KAM snaps at the marked positions on the carrier, with the smooth cap on the inside:
c) At the centre of the snap placement mark use an awl to make a hole through the carrier, ensuring the fabrics are smooth
d) Thread the cap prong through the hole from the inside of the carrier
e) Slip the male snap socket onto the cap prong on the outer of the carrier
f) Sit the snap cap flush into the black dish of the plier base
g)Position the pliers on a solid surface & press firmly (lean into the pliers for added force) until the snap is fixed in place
28) Add the female KAM snaps to the strap ends – When positioning, ensure the snap cap is clear of the hemmed strap end or it may be too thick to attach properly
a) Use the awl to make a hole 2cm from the end, central to the width of the strap
b) Thread the cap prong through the hole from what will be the outside of the strap. Double check the female snap will fit the male part without your strap twisting before applying the snap
c) Follow the steps as before, using female snap piece
Watch our video tutorial on how to attach KAM Snaps here or check out our Beginner’s Guide to KAM Snaps post
29) Using the remaining webbing, thread 1 end through from the underside of the
strap slider. Bring the end over the central bar then thread back through to the
back
30) Sew the end to secure – a zipper foot can make this easier
31) Thread a swivel clip onto the strap, hook on the opposite side to sewn hem near the slider32) Checking the strap isn’t twisted, thread the unsewn end of the strap through the slider
33) Thread the unsewn end through the remaining swivel clip
34) Sew the strap end down to secure the hook around the final swivel clip
35) To add the strap to the carrier, thread the D rings onto the grab handles then clip and go!
Do you agree that adding piping to your cushions elevates the look? If you’ve wondered how to sew piped cushions then we’re here to help!
Not only that, we’re going to walk you through how to sew a cushion with piping AND a zip! We’ve used woven interfacing to stabilise this cushion to make it so much easier
What You Will Need:
45cm square quilting cotton fabric
45x48cm quilting cotton for cushion back
0.5m Fusible interlining. Woven interlining gives best result
2m Piping
Want to follow along with printed instructions instead? We’ve got you covered!
Click the button below to download this step-by-step printable tutorial.
Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here
Step 1:
Cut out the following using the measurements above:
1 Cushion front and interlining the same size
1 Cushion back and interlining the same size
Step 2:
Apply the fusible interlining to the wrong side of the front and back cushion pieces following the manufacturers instructions.
Step 3:
Measure and mark a line 11.5cm from the shortest edge of the back piece.
Step 4:
Cut along the line to for the zip opening.
Step 5:
Tidy the 2 raw edges of the zip opening using an overlocker or zig zag stitch.
Step 6:
Clip or pin the 2 sides of the zip opening right sides together.
Step 7:
Baste along the zip opening (it’s important to use a large length stitch for easy stitch removal later) Use a 1.5cm seam allowance and contrasting thread.
Step 8:
Once stitched, Press the seam open.
Step 9:
Align the zipper teeth along the seam line.Position the zip pull side down zip bar at the bottom of the project, pull overhanging the top.
Step 10:
Tape or baste the zip in place.
Step 11:
Starting at the end nearest the zip pull, begin sewing using a 2.5 length straight stitch and a zipper foot. Backstitch at the start then sew down to the bottom of the zip. If the zip has a metal bar be careful near the bottom.
Step 12:
Stop sewing just below the bottom bar. Turn and sew across the bottom carefully. Backstitch for added strength.
Step 13:
Turn and sew along the other side of the zip teeth to the top and backstitch
Step 14:
Turn the cushion back over and unpick the basting stitches using a seam ripper. Remove all loose threads (a lint roller can help with this) then test the zip.
Step 15:
Fold the cushion front panel in half to find the bottom centre. Mark it with a pin.
Step 16:
On the right side of the cushion panel, pin the piping in place from the centre mark leaving a 5cm tail:
Step 17:
Baste the piping in place 8cm from the centre bottom mark. Stop sewing 8cm from the centre bottom leaving a 16cm gap. When sewing, use a zipper foot and sew close to the piping cord.
Step 18:
To join the piping take the tail from the right, move the left to one side. Position the piping tail along the bottom edge overlapping the centre bottom pin.
Step 19:
Align the crease of a spare piece of piping (or the other tail end) along the left of the pin. The spare piping should be at 90 degrees to the tape being attached.
Step 20:
Mark the piping to be attached along the left side of the tape from step 19.
Cut along the marking.
Step 21:
Repeat steps 18 to 20 for the left side, marking and cutting the tape right of the pin. The ends will form a small overlap
Step 22:
Unpick the 2 ends of the piping to the seamline from step 17.
Step 23:
Trim the ends of the cord, NOT the piping casing, to the pin mark.
Step 24:
Open out the ends of the piping casing. Line them up right sides facing at 90 degrees to each other in an L shape and pin.
Step 25:
Draw a line from the recessed casing corner on the left, to the recessed corner on the right. A triangle shape should form between the 2 outer edges and the drawn line.
Step 26:
Sew along the drawn line with a stitch length of 2.5, backstitching start and end.
Step 27:
Cut off the corner to leave a 5mm seam allowance and press the seam open. Tuck in and align the cord ends then finish basting the piping in place.
Step 28:
Align the cushion front and back rights sides together. Vertically pin the opening end of the zip then unzip it by 10cm.
Step 29:
Clip or pin the 4 sides of the cushion pieces together.
Step 30:
Sew the cushion front and back together using a zipper foot. Sew inside or along the basted piping seam to achieve a snug fit and hide the basting stitches Carefully backstitch over the 2 tape ends for strength.
Step 31:
Clip the corners and turn the cushion out the right way.
Step 32:
For a polished finish, press the completed cushion cover.
Voila! You’re all done! We hope you feel proud of your accomplishment and will enjoy your new cushion.
Want to follow along with printed instructions instead? We’ve got you covered!
Click the button below to download this step-by-step printable tutorial.
Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here
Don’t forget to share your finished makes with us – tag us @PlushAddict as we LOVE seeing your projects!
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial!
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