Reversible Water Bottle Cozy

I have a few water bottles that don't have a handle of any kind to make carrying easier. I wanted a simple way to carry it or hook it onto something as my backpack and workbag don't have a specific water bottle pocket. This was also a great way to use up a bunch of small pieces of fabric I had

• Fabric
• quilt backing (optional)
• flexible measuring tape
• paper + pen/pencil
• pins/sewing clips
• sewing machine + thread
• paracord/shoelace/string
• cord lock
• flicker/lighter
• iron and ironing board (optional but recomended)

Select the water bottle you wish to make the cozy for. I chose the largest water bottle I use regularly. Using the flexible measuring tape find the circumference of the bottle and write this measurement down. Mine was 9 inches. Next, measure the height to where you want the cozy to end. I wanted mine to stop a little below the neck of the bottle so that it would fit my shorter bottles, and so I’d be able to twist the cap off the refill it without having to take the cozy off. My measurement for this was 8.5 inches. 

I added a seamallowance of ½ an inch to any sides that would be sewn together, accounting for a casing piece that I wanted for a drawstring. I also made a pattern piece for a loop so that I would be able to attach a caribeener to it and hang my waterbottle off my bag or a belt loop. A caution with this, hanging a large waterbottle that is fully filled from a belt loop could tear the belt loop. For the pieces, the main body of the cosy measures 9”x5.5”. The casing is 2”x10”,and the loop is 2”x5”.

For designing you can use as many colours as you want, mine is made with a quilted look on the outside and a plain green on the inside. Add whatever notions you want - buttons, ribbon, lace, etc! Get creative! I cut twow main body out of the outer fabric, 2 of inner fabric, and two of the quilt backing. If you want to make this for a travel mug or to carry hot/cold drinks you can use a heat-resistant/insulating fabric in the middle of the fabric sandwhich. Cut 1 of casing out of the inner fabric and cut 1 of the loop out of the inner fabric.

Hem the short sides of the casing, I did a quarter inch double fold - starting from the edege fold over a quarter inch then repeat and sew it down. I also basted the long sides closed - I folded the casing long sides together right sides out and stitched it closed with long stitches really close to the edge within my seam allowance. This will help when putting it all together.

This is where an iron will be a lot of help, though be careful as this is a tiny piece of fabric the iron can get close to your fingers, please be carful not to burn yourself. Fold the loop in half matching the long sides, use the iron to crease it or pressit hard with your fingers. Unfold and bring the edges of the long sides to that crease, press/iron. Next refold on that frist crease you made. Use clips or pins to hold it in place and sew alng the edge. The strip should now measure about half and inch wide. Fold in half, matching the short sides. Sew long stitches along the short sides.

If you want a quilted look start with that first. My fabric was actually pre-quilted from a previous project I made. For a quilted look you would sew strips or squares to the quilt backing starting in the center. Sew one edge of the strip/square to the backing right sides together (pretty/coulourful sides together), flip the squares so that the wrong sides are togther (the faded/dull sides). Repeat until you're happy with it.

Take your two outer fabric pieces and lay them colourful sides/right sides together. Sew the two long sides and one short sides together. With the wrongside still out/facing you; next pinch the corners of the bottom, linning up the seams as best as you can. Mark off about an inch down, draw a line and sew across it. Cut off the excess fabric and repeat for the other corner. Repeat all this for the inside fabric.

I recomend basting some of the pieces togther first so that there is less chances of anything and you end up having a hole somewhere. That being said, I started by basting the loop againt seam of the outer fabric on the colourful side/right side then basting the casing having the openings facing the opposite side where the loop was (also on the colourful side/right side). I unfortuantely didn't take a picture of the basting but hopefully the finishd product can help fill in any gaps my wording has. Now that we are all basted up let's put it together really. Have the outer fabric with everything basted on the colourful/right side facign outward, then turn the linning fabric wrongside out. You're going to put the outer fabric inside the linning fabric, matching up th seams and edges as best as you can. Lots of clips or pins! Stitch the top togther leaving about an inch and a half to a two inch gap.

Once that's stitched, use the gap you lelft to turn the cozy right side out. Ensure you dont have any fabric puckers or unintentional holes. For the intentional hole, fold and tuck the fabric acccoridngly, so that it looks "finished" - sew a line of stitches across that seam all the way around the cozy making sure to do the hole first. Double check to make sure all the layers were caught by the stitches. Cut paracord/string/ribbon to the length you want. Use a saftey pin to push the cord through the casing. Squeeze a cord lock and push the ends of the cord through, try to keep the ends even. Knot the ends and/or melt them with a flicker/lighter being careful not to burn yourself. Add a caribeener to the loop. You are now completely done, congradulations!