Water bottles have become the new "it" accessory. Everywhere I look nowadays (my own desk included), there are beautiful water bottles in bold colors, chic metallics - like my copper canteen here! - and modern styles that put all those disposable plastic ones to shame! While I'm all for the reduction of waste, I'm also all for the rad new way to express your style *and* quench your thirst simultaneously.
In honor of these wonderful water bottles and all the adventures I can't wait to take with them this summer, I created a chain water bottle purse from some spare chain we had in the office and a few jump rings! Check out the tutorial above and see the step-by-step instructions below!
Prep It:
About 2 yards of thick chain About 3 yards of thinner chain Jump rings in 2 sizes (larger and smaller) Wire cutters Thin nose pliers Water bottle - I love my Ayurvedic copper bottle!
Do It!:
- The first step is to measure the length of your shoulder or cross body strap. Wrap the thicker chain over your shoulder like you would a cross body bag strap, then hold up the water bottle to your hip — decide where you want the bottle to hang and how you want it placed. Once you've got that figured out, use the wire cutters to cut the thick chain to that length.
- Working on a table or flat surface, stand your water bottle on the end of a piece of the thinner chain. Pull the chain up the side of the water bottle and measure to the top of the bottle (plus a little excess, you can always trim later), then cut. Use this piece to measure and cut 3 more identical lengths of chain.
- Again, stand your water bottle on the end of a long piece of the thinner chain. Pull the chain up the side of the bottle and measure about 3/4 of the way up, then cut. Use this shorter piece to measure and cut 3 more identical lengths of chain.
- Position a larger jump ring on the table and place the 8 chains around it, putting 2 shorter chains between 2 longer chains and mirror image it. So the order will be: long short, short, long, long, short, short, in a circle. Using pliers, open the jump ring and string on the 8 chains in the order they were laying (long, short short, long long, short short), close the jump ring.
- Lay the jump ring and 8 chains down flat again, spreading the chains out. Place the water bottle on top, centered over the jump ring as best as possible. Pull two of the long pieces of chain (that are side by side) up the side of the water bottle and measure about 1 inch up from the bottom. Place a small jump ring in that loop. Repeat with the other two long pieces that are side by side.
- Now remove the bottle and count how many loops up the jump ring was placed. Count that many loops up on the shorter chain next to it and connect them at that point using the jump ring in place on the longer chain. In my case, I went up 8 links of chain for the first jump ring and then doubled that number (16) to create the diamond shape. The shorter length of chain was attached 8 links up to the center of the diamond. *Refer to the diagram to clarify this step.
- Replicate this step on the other chains starting with the other two long chains that are side by side and connecting the shorter chains into the diamond pattern. It helps to keep the chains laying flat during the first steps, and to work one chain at a time, attaching it to the one next to it before moving around clockwise or counterclockwise, whichever works for you! Once you've connected the first couple jump rings, flip your water bottle over and lay the chains over the bottom so you can finish connecting the jump rings in the diamond pattern around your water bottle. It makes it much easier because the chains don't lay flat after they get connected and it's easier to see the pattern if they're laying inverted down around the bottle.
- When you've reached the top of your bottle, you should have the 4 longer pieces of chain (two sets on opposite sides of the bottle) remaining unconnected in the diamond pattern. Connect these two sets with a large jump ring to each end of the shoulder/body strap chain.
- And you're done!! Throw in any water bottle you like and enjoy being oh so stylishly hydrated!
