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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

DIY Beaded Water Bottle Strap

Hi, guys!  Here's a tutorial for something a bit different.  Something utterly practical, simple and good.





What is it?  Why, a fancy water bottle strap.  One you can customize with any beads to suit your taste.  Look:



Perfect for walks in the forest, strolls in the city, fashion-forward day hikes, lost weekends at Comic Con.  Here's one modeled by my impossibly cute friend Jane.



A stellar handmade gift for those hard-to-bead-for people!  Also a terrific way to use up some of your beady stash.


So let's make one!  Find a rubber O-ring, a tiny bit tighter than the neck of a water bottle.  (Mine are 15/16" in diameter, 1/8" thick.)


Cut two pieces of skinny cord.  Make each piece long enough to go around your chest (like the strap of a cross-body bag).  Double each cord around the O-ring like this:


Now thread a whole lotta beads over the doubled cords, as pictured:




Lightweight, large-hole beads work best.  If you have trouble stringing your beads over the doubled cord, try my favorite trick in the whole world: those little blue flossers.  Use them to pull the cord through, it really works!






Once both sides are strung, tie a knot to join the two halves.  Trim the extra.


Done!



To add a water bottle, just slip the O-ring down past the cap.  It grips and stays like a champ.






 Then sling it over your shoulder and go.  See Jane go.


Go, Jane, go!






15 comments:

  1. A very practical DIY indeed! The ones we get here are very strappy (not sure if that is the right word to use) and not stylish so this would be great!

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  2. I like these! Someone gave me a water bottle strap at Christmas and it's not nearly as cool as these! And yes, your friend Jane is impossibly cute!

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  3. I'd have to carry around a suitcase full of these so I could sell one to every person who'd be stopping me in my tracks! Brilliant idea!

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  4. I've never seen a water bottle strap. These are brilliant and Jane models it so well.

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  5. Great idea! I'm going to try this!

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  6. I used to always carry around bottles with straps as a kid and would get teased about it a lot. I wish I had thought of a beaded strap then - it would have been so cool

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  7. Genius as always! I definitely need to make a few of these. Featuring when my party opens up tonight!

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  8. So perfect and useful.. very smart idea :) thank dear for this fun tutorial !

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  9. Jane! <3 her! And cool idea too, lol!

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  10. what a fun idea - would never have though of it!

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  11. Clever idea, Michelle, especially using the O-ring.

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  12. Such a great idea, perfect for festival season

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  13. I LOVE the use of the O-ring! You are a genius Mich!! Such an awesome idea!

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