• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

  • home
  • about adrianne
  • buy the books
    • DIY T-Shirt Crafts (2015)
    • DIY Stamped Metal Jewelry (2016)
    • Rock Painting for Beginners (2019)
  • videos
  • crafts
    • diy beauty projects
    • kids’ crafts
    • paper craft projects
    • polymer clay
    • sewing projects
  • jewelry
    • bracelet projects
    • earring projects
    • necklace projects
    • jewelry tools & supplies
  • metal stamping
    • beginners’ tutorial
    • video tutorial
    • project ideas
    • metal stamping supplies
  • recipes
    • cocktail recipes
    • appetizers
    • main and side dishes
    • sweets and treats
  • by season
    • birthdays
    • new year
    • valentine’s day
    • st. patrick’s day
    • easter and spring
    • mother’s day
    • patriotic
    • fall
    • halloween
    • christmas
    • thanksgiving
  • privacy

Happy Hour Projects logo

03/07/2016

15-Minute DIY Water Bottle Sling

Good morning friends!  We are coming up on warmer weather in my neck of the woods (finally!) which means we’re venturing out a bit more to visit the park, take walks, and all those other things that it’s difficult to do with a foot of snow on the ground.  I mentioned a few months back that it’s my goal to get my family to drink more water, and I became an Absopure brand ambassador, sharing the things I love about our home delivery service.  It has been wonderful having a water cooler in our home, and they also deliver bottles that we can take on-the-go.  Today, I’m sharing a project that makes it even easier to bring a bottle of water along – a DIY water bottle sling for both kids and adults.  This sewing project only takes about 15 minutes to make (less, if you’re really familiar with your sewing machine) and you’ve got a hands-free way to bring your water with you!

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Now, it may not seem like much, but simple things like letting my daughter choose her own pattern for her own sling really got her excited about carrying her water.  Anytime you can make it easy and fun to choose water over those less healthy alternatives, it’s a win.  We rarely drank water when I was a kid, and it’s hard for me to choose water some days.  I’m trying to make it easy for my kids, and Absopure makes it easy for me by bringing it right to my door once a month.  So, let me show you how to make up a sling – or a whole set for your family – that’s perfect for field trips, hikes, and traveling.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

For this project, you will need to cut the following pieces from any kind of cotton, flannel, or canvas.

  • 1 piece 18″ x 10.5″
  • 1 piece 3″ wide x 48-72″ (strap length can be fitted to anyone)
  • 1 piece batting (or felt) 9″ x 10.5″

I made the pouch more sturdy by quilting it, but if you are using a heavy fabric like canvas, you can skip this step.  The quilting not only makes it look more polished, but it also offers a little bit of insulation as well.  Iron all pieces out flat before beginning.

I mentioned above that you can use a bit of felt instead of batting.  Because this is such a small project, I can’t justify buying even a craft size roll of batting.  Unless you keep batting on-hand in your craft room, or you plan to make several slings, a $1 sheet of craft felt will do the job just fine.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Fold the 18″ x 10.5″ panel in half so that you have two sides measuring 9″ x 10.5″.  Slip the batting inside, between the sides of the fabric.  I quilted quick horizontal lines for my sling, but you can be as creative as you want to be here!  Trim away any uneven edges and square up your quilted panel.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Next, sew the two 9″ sides together, creating the sleeve for your water bottle.  If you have a specific inside and outside, be sure that you’re sewing with the inside layer facing out.  We’ll be turning this pouch right side out at the end.  Stitch along the bottom edge (the rough edge where the batting shows) as well.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Next, prepare your strap.  The strap can be fitted to any size person – just measure from the hip, up over the opposite shoulder, and back down to the hip.  Add 6 inches to this length.  For my 5 year old daughter, 48 inches was the magic number.  (You can also make the strap adjustable by adding a slide, but I’m keeping the pattern ultra-simple for beginners.)

Fold the strap in half so that the long edges line up with the wrong side of the fabric facing out, and stitch along the edge.  Turn the strap right side out – I like to use a big safety pin for this.  Just secure it to one side of the fabric, close the pin, and feed it back through the tube.  It will likely be wrinkly after you turn it, so press the strap flat with an iron before continuing.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Arrange the strap along the bottom edge of the pouch, allowing 1.5 – 2 inches to overlap the pouch.  Then, make a diagonal stitch 2 inches from the corner of the pouch.  This will both secure your strap to the inside of the sling and also round the bottom of the pouch.

Cut away the excess from the corners, being careful not to cut the straps.  Turn the sling right side out.  Finally, stitch along the top edge of the pouch, securing the straps in place at the top of the pouch.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Now, slip a full water bottle inside, and bring it along with you next time you’re on the go!  It’s also a great way to carry your empty bottle until you spot a recycling bin, or until you find a place to refill and re-use your bottle.

This pouch is designed to hold a 16.9 oz size bottle, but it can easily be re-sized to accommodate your favorite size bottle.

15 Minute Water Bottle Sling at happyhourprojects.com

Thanks for joining me for today’s project, and I’ll see you guys again soon.  Have a great week!

Adrianne Surian

Note: As an Absopure blogger, I get occasional free Absopure products in order to share crafts and ideas involving water initiatives and recycling with you, my awesome readers.  This post was not a paid promotion, and the ideas and opinions I share are all my own.

 

Filed Under: Parenting, Sewing Projects, Sponsored, Tutorials Tagged With: Absopure, beginner, DIY, easy, sewing, travel, water

copyright policy and terms of use

I love it when you love my work! All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

If you feature a photo, it may not be accompanied by the project tutorial or recipe, whether in my own words as it originally appears or paraphrased by you. This also includes personal sharing on social media and Pinterest. Publishing multiple photos from a project, or including instructions with an accompanying photo are not permitted and you will be asked to remove them.

I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, and please be fair when you share!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellis Erika says

    07/01/2021 at 7:48 pm

    Thank you for this pattern. I appreciate your work. I have made two holders now for myself. The second one I added a small pocket.

    Reply
  2. Tammie says

    05/27/2021 at 10:57 am

    Been sewing for over fifty years this is one of the worst pattern I have every used from on line..way to big.does not come out like pic.shame,shame

    Reply
    • Theresa says

      02/19/2022 at 7:35 pm

      That’s so uncalled for and mean. If you don’t have anything nice to say, keep it to yourself. This pattern never costed you anything, so if you didn’t like it, you should have just found a different one that is more suited to your needs

      Reply
  3. Me says

    04/04/2020 at 1:32 am

    ????

    Reply
  4. Claudette says

    07/22/2019 at 7:45 pm

    If I pay you can you make me one….beautiful work…

    Reply
  5. Jan says

    06/08/2019 at 11:20 pm

    Can’t wait to try this! What a great idea! Think I’m going to try to add a pocket for my cell phone..

    Reply
  6. Kimberly Anne Schmidt says

    02/14/2019 at 4:06 pm

    I CUT THE FABRIC THE EXACT MEASUREMENTS YOU MENTIONED, BUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TOO BIG FOR A 16 OUNCE WATER BOTTLE !

    Reply
  7. Erica says

    09/20/2018 at 1:54 pm

    Could you add more pictures of attaching the strap? The directions are not super clear and I’m not sure where to attach it.

    Reply
    • Caz says

      01/01/2020 at 1:19 am

      I found the strap instructions confusing and the picture was not very clear

      Reply
  8. kanchipuram sarees says

    08/18/2018 at 4:01 am

    nice post

    Reply
  9. golu dolls chennai says

    08/18/2018 at 4:00 am

    wow looking good

    Reply
  10. Patty says

    04/03/2018 at 11:39 am

    Thanks for great instructions. I handsew and this will look nice carrying water on walks. Happy day to you.

    Reply
  11. Anita Bower says

    03/21/2018 at 5:23 am

    Thank you! I made this yesterday afternoon.

    Reply
  12. HaiSmall says

    02/10/2018 at 12:53 pm

    I have checked your website and i’ve found some duplicate content,
    that’s why you don’t rank high in google, but there is a tool that can help you to create 100% unique articles, search for: Boorfe’s tips unlimited content

    Reply
  13. proxy list says

    05/21/2017 at 8:07 pm

    Hello,I log on to your new stuff named “15-Minute DIY Water Bottle Sling – Happy Hour Projects” daily.Your humoristic style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing! And you can look our website about proxy list.

    Reply
  14. Tami M says

    04/29/2017 at 3:16 pm

    OK…please help – where do I lay the strap at the bottom when I go to sew it on?

    Thanks – Tami

    Reply
  15. Laura says

    04/23/2017 at 5:21 am

    Very sorry, but the sewing instructions are not very clear. I am a seasoned stitcher and it’s easy for me to figure out in my head, but if I were new to sewing, I would skip this tutorial because it isn’t clear enough for a beginner to understand. Maybe more pictures would help? Thank you for the great idea! It’s a lovely project.?

    Reply
    • Cath says

      02/12/2022 at 6:56 am

      I’m new to seeing and videos are what I find most helpful…could a video tutorial be added to these written instructions?

      Reply
  16. Rachel says

    11/15/2016 at 7:01 pm

    Super cute idea! I’m trying to picture it in my head, are the straps coming up the entire length of the carrier on the inside and only attached at the bottom?

    Reply
    • Adrianne Surian says

      11/19/2016 at 10:03 am

      Yes, attached at the bottom, and reinforced again at the top so they’re secured in 2 places. I *almost* only attached them at the top, but I was afraid that over time the weight of the water might pull too heavily on those seams. You probably could by sewing the typical “X” reinforcement, but I also didn’t want the stitching to be evident on the outer quilting. So you could do this several ways! But I hid my stitching by sewing the straps into the bottom, then running a final line of stitching to secure it along the entire top edge of the pouch part.

      My daughter used this sling ALL summer, anytime we went walking. It hasn’t shown any wear and tear except a little kid-dirt! So while you should feel free to make any modifications or simplifications, this passes the durability threshold I had in mind when making it up!

      Reply
  17. Lake Lady says

    07/11/2016 at 11:49 pm

    Would like to see a picture of the bottom. I’m like Amy, got down to the exact same place with your instructions and was lost with how to finish. Need picture of the bottom and help with:

    Arrange the strap along the bottom edge of the pouch, allowing 1.5 – 2 inches to overlap the pouch. Then, make a diagonal stitch 2 inches from the corner of the pouch. This will both secure your strap to the inside of the sling and also round the bottom of the pouch.

    Cut away the excess from the corners, being careful not to cut the straps. Turn the sling right side out. Finally, stitch along the top edge of the pouch, securing the straps in place at the top of the pouch.

    Thanks for your help. Maybe it is the pattern on the fabric you are using that is making it confusing for me.

    Reply
  18. Janet dixon says

    07/02/2016 at 4:22 am

    This is a brilliant idea I have sewn one before but had problems with securing the strap, so was well happy when I saw your tutorial for a water bottle sling I have made three so far for my grandchildren I put a slider on the strap and made it longer so there can use it as they grow, now making one for myself thanks for such as easy to follow tutorial , I have signed up for your newsletter and look forward to seeing your future tutorials thanks Janet for sheerness in Kent England x

    Reply
  19. amy says

    06/14/2016 at 9:28 pm

    I got it. Just having a moment. haha!

    Reply
  20. amy says

    06/14/2016 at 12:23 pm

    novice here. I’m almost done, but I’m having trouble with this part.
    Arrange the strap along the bottom edge of the pouch, allowing 1.5 – 2 inches to overlap the pouch. Then, make a diagonal stitch 2 inches from the corner of the pouch. This will both secure your strap to the inside of the sling and also round the bottom of the pouch.

    can you help?

    Reply
    • Judy Hill says

      11/25/2020 at 3:33 pm

      I, too, am having trouble with this step. I feel a step is missing! I have sewn together the 2 sides, but am unsure how to attach the strap. Do I attach it along the entire length of the bottom 10 inches? Then the top has to be finished, but no instructions. I sure could use some more pictures. THANKS

      Reply
  21. amy says

    06/13/2016 at 11:55 am

    I’m so jazzed to have found this project! and its a recent post.

    Reply
  22. lola Pritchett says

    05/01/2016 at 2:22 am

    I have a question about the bottom of the bottle holder. I think I am a little confused on how to sew the bottom. It seems like a circle should have been cut out & sewn to the bottom of the holder. I know I must have missed where the bottom is sewn, since no one else have questioned it. Can you tell me how the bottom gets sewn? Thank you.,

    Reply
    • Adrianne Surian says

      05/01/2016 at 11:51 am

      You certainly can cut and sew a circle, but I wanted to keep the design very easy for beginners and pinning and sewing a circle can be tricky when you do it for the first time. When it’s inside out, just stitch across the bottom to close it off – and at this point, you should also sew the strap to the bottom of the pouch as well. Then, sew diagonally across the two corners about 2″ from the side and bottom. Cut off those triangles. This will give you a more square bottom than round, but as it’s a soft pouch, those corners won’t be very visible and they won’t be uncomfortable.

      Reply
  23. Toi says

    04/29/2016 at 2:46 am

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful project. I have a question though. If I wanted to use a product called Insulbright to keep the water cold longer would I have to use it in addition to the batting or would I be able to use the Insulbright alone? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Adrianne Surian says

      04/29/2016 at 5:57 pm

      I haven’t worked with Insulbright at all, but I looked it up to try to answer your question. Now, I’m not sure how easily you could quilt that type of layer? But I would use that instead of batting inside. The batting I used (and cheated by just using felt) was almost strictly for a stiffer form with the extra padding. So this design is exremely flexible about what you can put inside – I’d just use the insulbright if I were in your shoes. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  24. Abhi says

    04/05/2016 at 9:28 am

    This is so easy to make and something new can be made so easily. Nice Idea shared. thanks

    Reply
  25. Detroit Duchess says

    03/12/2016 at 3:27 pm

    What a great idea! I usually don’t bring water on walks because between the leash, bags and phone I’m usually out of pockets or hands.

    Reply
  26. Amber Louchart (Metro Detroit Mommy) says

    03/08/2016 at 6:26 am

    I need a couple of these for our family. I have lost a few water bottles (the refillable kind) in the past few years. I love this idea.

    Reply
  27. Ron Leyba says

    03/08/2016 at 2:40 am

    Looks cool and trendy. Love the whole look and style of this bottle sling.

    Reply
  28. Chris Lewis says

    03/07/2016 at 1:33 pm

    You make this look so easy and with so many types of fabric the sky is the limit to what I could do with this – how fun!

    Reply
  29. Rachel says

    03/07/2016 at 12:49 pm

    You make things looks so easy. i wish I know how to use a sewing machine. If I’d sit down and spend the time I would get it.

    Reply
  30. Bruna Camargo / StyleMile says

    03/07/2016 at 11:44 am

    That’s super cute! Good idea and good job making it!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Scrap Happy: Upcycled Bottle Sling – Joanne Inspired says:
    02/15/2019 at 5:36 am

    […] left over from the holidays and put forth an upcycle challenge.  Ha! I could do this! I found the 15-Minute Water Bottle Sling pouch pattern. It looked easy, quick, simple and would do nicely as a Scrap Happy project. The […]

    Reply
  2. DIY Water Bottle Sling - DIYCraftsGuru says:
    07/07/2018 at 6:38 am

    […] (via happyhourprojects.com) […]

    Reply
  3. Handmade Holidays Nov. 11: Quick and Easy Gifts | Sew Mama Sew | Outstanding sewing, quilting, and needlework tutorials since 2005. says:
    11/11/2016 at 11:00 am

    […] Bottle Sling Adrianne’s water bottle sling is a gift that is totally usable, every single day. Take it to work, on hikes, to the park, in your […]

    Reply
  4. Linky Thursday | StacySews says:
    03/10/2016 at 9:55 am

    […] Water bottle slings are a quick and easy sew that make a great accessory to take on long walks and trips to the park. Looking for something a bit more patch-worky? Try this version instead. […]

    Reply
  5. Tutorial: 15-minute water bottle sling – Sewing says:
    03/08/2016 at 8:40 pm

    […] 15-Minute DIY Water Bottle Sling, by Happy Hour Projects […]

    Reply
  6. CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave says:
    03/08/2016 at 5:29 am

    […] 15-Minute DIY Water Bottle Sling – 1 freebie(s)? […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country. I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!

BUY MY BOOKS!

Copyright © 2023 Happy Hour Projects on the Brunch Pro Theme