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Water Bottle and Phone Carrier – Free Sewing Pattern

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Water Bottle and Phone Carrier - Free Sewing Pattern

Whether you’re heading out for a hike or just a day sightseeing, a water bottle and a phone are a must.  Even if you’re traveling light, it’s critical to stay hydrated and to keep a phone with you to take all the photos.  But water bottles are heavy and kind of awkward to carry.  Emily at Life Sew Savory has a free sewing pattern to make this water bottle carrier that’s perfect for sightseeing and hiking. 

This is such a great design!  Not only does it have a pocket that holds your water bottle, there’s also another pocket that holds a phone.  Now you can keep your most essential summer sightseeing items right with you and hands free.

The strap on this water bottle carrier is nice and wide to be comfortable on your shoulder.  Because who wants to deal with a strap digging into their shoulder?  The water bottle pocket has a drawstring closure that keeps your bottle from slipping out but it also easy to open and close.  The phone pocket has a zipper for a more secure closure.  With all of these handy features, this bag is sure to become your go-to water bottle carrier for whenever you travel.

If you’re looking for more travel accessories to sew, check out our round up of 1ThistT4 handy travel accessories you can sew.  So many good ideas on that list!

The Buckthorn Backpack from Noodlehead would make a great backpack for hiking or weekend trips.  You can purchase the sewing pattern here.  The pattern includes options for a backpack and a tote bag.

This quilted travel duffle is another great option for packing for travel.  It has hand straps and also a long shoulder strip, plus it can attach to the handle of a rolling suitcase for easy airport travel.  This pattern is free from Sew4Home.

When was the last time you cleaned your water bottle? Beneath the surface of  these seemingly innocuous containers lies a potential health hazard that many of us overlook: mold. 

Exposure to mold in water bottles can lead to a variety of health problems, particularly for individuals with compromised immune systems or respiratory conditions.  Inhaling or ingesting mold spores can trigger allergic reactions, exacerbate asthma symptoms, and even cause fungal infections in severe cases. Furthermore, mold-produced toxins known as mycotoxins can contaminate the water, posing additional health risks when consumed. 

How often should you clean your water bottle? it’s recommended to clean your water bottle thoroughly after each use. I know how overlweming the thought of that could be, so I set out to find a quick and easy solution, these bottle cleaning tablets, drop into your bottle, let sit for 20 mins then rinse and your bottle is all clean. 

Have you read?

My Great Fabric Flea Market Experiment – Should You Sell Your Fabric Stash?

You know that moment when you open your fabric cupboard and it groans at you? Yeah. That was me last month. After years of cheerful hoarding (“Ooh, this linen will be perfect for… something!”), I’d reached critical mass. My stash had officially become a fire hazard and my husband said no more fabric. 

So I did something radical: I loaded up my car with unloved fabric and took it to the local flea market. No fancy booth, no display—just me, my boot (trunk for my US friends), and a handwritten sign that said “FABRIC – MAKE ME AN OFFER.”

What followed was equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and mildly chaotic.

The Good, The Bad & The “Wait, What?” Moments

The Bargain Hunters

Within minutes, a woman in a neon pink sunhat descended on my car like a fabric-hungry hawk.

Her: “Is this silk?” (Holding up very obviously cheap polyester)
Me: “Uh… no?”
Her: “I’ll give you 50p.”
Me: “Sold.”

Turns out she makes carnival costumes and needed “anything shiny.” Godspeed, glitter queen.

The Emotional Connection

One lady nearly teared up over a scrap of 90s Laura Ashley floral.

Her: “My mum made my wedding dress from this exact print!”
Me: “Take it. It’s yours.”
Her: “But I don’t even sew!”
Me: “Then frame it and yell at it occasionally like it’s your mother-in-law.”

She left cackling. Mission accomplished.

The Unexpected Haggler

A very serious 8-year-old approached with a £1 coin and the negotiating skills of a Wall Street broker.

Him: “I need fabric for my guinea pig’s birthday party.”
Me: “That’s… specific.”
Him: “He likes blue.”

Obviously I gave him ALL my blue scraps plus a ribbon for the guest of honor. Best sale of the day.

The Surprising Joy of Letting Go

Here’s what shocked me: I didn’t miss a single piece. Not the “I might use this” chiffon. Not the “too nice to cut” Japanese cotton. Watching people light up as they found their perfect project fabric? That was the real dopamine hit.

  • The quilting club ladies who squabbled over my batiks like seagulls over chips
  • The art student thrilled to find cheap muslin for her sculpture project
  • The retired tailor who tutted at my folding skills but bought 5m of wool “for teaching the grandkids”

Every piece went to someone who’d actually use it—no more guilt-tripping me from the depths of my stash cupboard.

 

What I Learned (So You Can Do It Too)

  1. Price Everything at “Please Just Take It” Levels
    • My pricing strategy: “Would I rather have £3 or closet space?”
  2. Embrace the Chaos
    • Let people rummage. Half the fun was watching two strangers bond over the same floral cotton.
  3. Bring Backup
    • Shoutout to my friend who brought a flask of tea and periodically hissed “That’s vintage, charge more!” like my fabric pimp.
  4. Take Pictures
    • For every sad “I never used this” moment, I got three “look how happy this makes someone” moments. Worth it.

The Aftermath

My car is lighter. My sewing room breathes easier. And somewhere out there, a guinea pig is living his best blue-fabric-life.

Will I stop buying fabric altogether? Don’t be ridiculous. But now I ask: “Will I love this enough to keep it forever, or is this a future flea market treasure for someone else?”

Your Turn:

  • Could you sell your stash, or does the thought make you hyperventilate?
  • What’s the weirdest fabric purchase you’ve ever made? (I once bought 10m of glow-in-the-dark satin. Why? No one knows.)
  • Should I make this a yearly tradition?

Spill your stash confessions below – and if you’re local, watch out for my boot sale sequel: “Notions I Bought For Hypothetical Projects” coming this autumn…

(P.S. For those asking – yes, the guinea pig’s party was a success. He wore the ribbon as a cape.)