Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Water Bottle Cover

I'm on a roll!! I saw one of these at the water store today when I went to get water, and thought it was an actual steel patterned bottle lol. The lady told me it was just a cover and a customer had been making them. It was made of white fabric with strawberries and I thought it looked so cool! I quickly assessed it and figured I could make it myself, so that's what I did!! I'm so proud of myself for making it from no pattern, and it turned out really well. I'm so happy with it! I came home and went through my fat quarter stash to see what I had, and decided that since my roman blind that I'm going to make for the kitchen is going to be from Farmer's Market that I would make this to match. I started by measuring the water bottle and adding in extra for my seams. I didn't want it to be one solid fabric, (since I don't have any lol) so I had to figure out how big around my bottle was and how many strips I was going to use. I used a Tupperware lid that was about 11 3/4" across to trace a circle for the top of the bottle, and then used my rotary cutter to cut it out because I am too lazy to use scissors.

Then I took seven strips 5 1/2" x 19" and sewed them together along the 19" edge using a 1/4" seam. I pressed the seams to one side. Before connecting them to make the "tube" I folded the bottom edge 1" and then folded it another 1" and pressed it. This is the pocket to insert the elastic into at the end.

Then I top stitched along both edges of the elastic pocket to give it a nice finished edge.

The I sewed the outside pieces together to form the "tube" that will fit over the bottle (right sides together). I stopped the seam before going over the elastic pocket, as we'll need to insert the elastic last.

Then I took it upstairs and the water bottle had it's final fitting. I found it waaaay easier to pin the round top piece on this way than flopping it around on my lap and trying to get it to lay right.

I started on one side, and then jumped across to the opposite side and pinned at each of the seams between the seven sections. (Getting the top piece on was the hardest part of this project).

Then I pinned the hell out of it, so I wouldn't get any bunching!!! (If you know me at all you'd know how much I hate bunching and puckering).

So once I had it pinned completely, I took it downstairs and sewed the top on, using a 3/4" seam, only because I measured the top a little big to give myself room (better too big than too small, and it's hard to measure as the bottle has a rounded top. Or bottom. Depending on which way you look at it.) You can tell by where the pins are where the seam needs to be.

This is almost done! I love how the material is so crisp, it stands on it's own! I didn't use a lining or interfacing either.

Then I took a safety pin and clipped it to a 14" length of elastic to work the elastic into the pocket at the bottom of the cover (where we left the opening earlier.) AND!! because we pressed the seams all one direction, if you pick correctly you won't have to fight the seams with the safety pin. Don't you love it when it all works out. I had thought about pressing them open but am glad I didn't because the pin slid right past all the seams this way. Then I sewed the elastic together at the end.

Then I pulled the elastic in, and it sits in the right spot to just fold that seam over and finish sewing it shut. So I started where I left off and sewed to the edge of the 1" pocket that we left open.

It looks good! I used 14" because I stretched out the elastic to the longest it would go to reach 35" around so it would go over the top of the bottle, and when the elastic was relaxed it was 14".

Kind of looks like a deflated hot air balloon now. It's totally done...are you ready?? Wait for it...wait for it...

Okay, now I forgot to take a before picture of my cooler and my bottle was almost empty so it moved a lot getting the cover on... so just pretend this plain old water bottle is sitting on my cooler. I already flipped it over for you to help with the image hehe.

So here it is!! Doesn't it look cute?? I love these colors and the cherries and apple dots are so nice for in the kitchen. My walls are yellow too so these colors all match my upstairs nicely.

This is the top view, it sewed together quite nicely with minimal puckering. I am so happy with the way it turned out!

And if I get bored I can just turn the cover, as it has seven different sections, and I can have a little different look for a while. I know I'm a total nerd for loving this so much, but I do! The only drawback is I can't see how much water is left, but I can tell from the sound of the water that it's getting empty, and I would much rather look at this pretty fabric than the water level in the ugly old water bottle.

So let me know what you think! I love this idea and may make more depending on what other fabrics I find, maybe I'll do a strawberry one like the one that inspired me in the first place! If you make it, let me know, I'd love to see the fabrics you choose :)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cute Rose- since you're so great at it make me one kay!! Strawberry would be great!!

Kathi said...

Oh. Now I see! I thought you were making a cover for a small take-a-long water bottle! Silly me. I like the idea. Might try to make one for my "littler" bottle!

MSC said...

You have such a pretty blog. Thank you for all your sweet comments. And Yes it should have been treasured. Thank you for that. I feel horrible I hope and pray no one uses that one on their scrap pages. Thats the second time I have done that first time with angels I spelled it angles. Again thank you!

TurboTim said...

First point, nice site. Inviting and not too cluttered as others.

This is exactly what I have been looking for. I'm wondering if you will make one for me and what the cost would be please? I looked online and the covers offered remind me of the 70's. Nothing original or interesting to look at, fun or even just comical.
For example; maybe 3 different one panel jokes would be a good idea. If would prevent the owner from getting too tired of the bottle cover too quickly as you'd have 3 different jokes to look at and could change from time to time, just by turning it around. Just a thought?
What I am looking for is something that was cool or different. Our bottle is out at the lake so something with camping stuff on it is what I'm interested in. Would you be interested in making something like that?
Thanks in advance,
Tim

Rose said...

Tim, thanks for the comment, I'm leaving this here in case you check back on this post, as your email is not activated on your blogger profile so I was unable to reply to your email. I don't feel comfortable selling things I make, if you were unhappy with it I don't think I could handle it! But anyone that can sew could follow the tutorial I did and make you one. Know anyone that sews? Also, there is lots of camping material out there, just go to a local quilting store and they should have something, or check on ebay, as there is lots on there as well. Good luck!

Sandra said...

That's a great tutorial, I followed it and had a nice result. you can peek it here:
http://blogdesandramaria.blogspot.com/2009/12/water-bottle-cover.html

Thanks for uploading it!

BTW Rose, can I make a suggestion? Love your blog graphic design, but it's hard to read the posts. Maybe if you add a translucid background to the entries body you could keep the cool graphics but it'll be easier to read. Maybe also changing the font color... Just a thought! :o)

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amanda heer said...

I wish I could pay you to make me one!!
I ordered one from a gal and she refunded me .....
guess said she could not redo her pattern all I asked for was a ruffle at the bottom...
guess I should dust off the sewing machine

Unknown said...

Awesome creativity seems to be with this bottle cooler you have made by your own. I really like the idea of creating it in home by various ways. Thanks for sharing your procedure, I'll definitely make a try for it. How is the cooling you experience with this Bottle Cooler that you have created.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much, just made a cover for our water cooler bottle this morning, your instructions for setting in the base and getting it together were very helpful. I'm off now to buy some pom-poms to go around the bottom, cheers! Deb

Rose said...

Thanks Deb, glad you found it helpful!!

Unknown said...

Great idea. As an fyi - I saw another one online where they put in a small plastic window so you can see how much water is left. Given that you used strips you could probably just make one of the strips clear vinyl and wah-la!

Unknown said...

I ALSO HAVE MADE THESE WATER COOLER COVERS AND I JUST LOVE THEM, VERY EASY TO MAKE AND THE PHOTOS SHOWN ARE JUST THE WAY TO DO IT, I TRIED TO PUT A VINYL STRIPE IN BUT FOUND IT JUST KEPT PULLING OUT WHEN SEWED TO FABRIC, IF YOU HAVE A SERGER THAT WOULD WORK REALLY WELL.



Unknown said...

You can make any type of cover for your water bottle and now a days when you buy water bottles , they will give you the bottle cover with it. So stress of making the cover for it also has been reduced.

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