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No-Sew Zipper Cases…from old SODA (or water) BOTTLES!

I’ve been organizing several rooms in our house lately, boxing up out-grown clothing, donating un-loved toys, and throwing away stashed garbage and crumpled art projects.  My kids are hoarders.  Especially the older two (cough-elliandconnor-cough).  But it’s not completely their fault. They’re kids and need to be taught…and that’s partly my fault.  So, I have sat with each of them and together we’ve made a pile of things they want to keep, another pile of things they are willing to donate, and a 3rd pile of things they have outgrown and would like to save for a younger sibling.  Done, done, and done.  Luckily, Oliver doesn’t speak yet, so he doesn’t care what I keep or get rid of. ;)

 

And coincidentally, this month’s challenge as part of the Michaels Makers team, was to get a little more organized this year and tackle something that I’ve been putting off.  Yep, going through drawers and closet corners is something I have definitely been avoiding.  As we were de-junking, I realized their craft supplies are unruly.  And make me want to pull my hair out.  Crayons and markers come in little boxes….but they always seem to get crumpled, bent, and fall apart.  Yep, useless.

 

So, I put together a few Zipper Cases for all their supplies — made from some old soda bottles, a few zippers, and some hot glue.  Seriously, easy as that! :)

 

 

 

After making 3 of these Zipper Cases, I realized I need to drink a few more bottles of water, soda, juice, or whatever….because these things are PERFECT!  They are sturdy little cases, made from a few bottles that would have ended up in the trash. :)

 

 

 

Elli has a bunch of those Rainbow Loom rubber bands that need a home too…..so I’ll be making another one for those.  Plus, she has beads, paper clips, and all sorts of tiny little supplies that need a home.  But I could see Connor loving these for his special Lego sets.  Wouldn’t that be perfect to keep them separate?  (Or is my kid the only one that likes to keep each of the specialty sets absolutely separate???)

 

 

 

Each of the cases use the bottom from 2 plastic bottles.  They are attached together with one zipper, making it nice and simple for little hands to access whatever is inside.

 

 

 

Chloe got right to work testing out each of the cases.  She thinks it’s pretty cool that I was letting her use Elli’s colored pencils —-shhhh, don’t tell! ;)

 

 

 

Such a perfect storage solution for so many things.  And a sure fire way to conquer the clutter!

 

 

 

 

Ready to make your own?

 

SUPPLIES (for one zipper case):

  • 2 water bottles (the same size and brand)
  • 1 zipper (long enough to fit around the circumference of your bottle)
  • Hot Glue
  • heavy duty scissors

 

Begin by cutting the tops off each of your bottles.  Decide how long you want your case to be and cut down your bottles to appropriate size.  (Keep in mind, if you are creating a case for longer items like pencils or markers, you want to have bottle longer and the other short.  That way, the pencils can fit mostly down inside the longer end of the case and the shorter end will fit over the top of the pencils.)

 

 

 

Next, be sure that your zipper fits around the bottle, with a slight overlap at one end.  (If your zipper is too long…cut some of the zipper length from the two free ends, not the end with the zipper stop.)

 

 

 

If you have enough of an overlap, glue the ends under as much or as little as necessary.

 

 

 

Now, begin gluing one side of the zipper down to the INSIDE of the bottle, with the correct side of the zipper facing OUTWARD.  Be sure the zipper track is about 1/8 of an inch away from the bottle, so that the zipper pull can function freely, without running into the edge of the bottle.

 

 

 

Continue gluing the zipper around the inner lip of the bottle edge, making sure you aren’t getting any glue onto the tracks of the zipper.

 

 

 

Once you reach the end, overlap the ends of the zipper fabric onto the other end of the zipper, and glue in place.

 

 

 

Now, begin gluing the other side of the zipper to the other plastic bottle.  Start with the free zipper end and be sure that your bottle is positioned correctly.

 

 

Continue gluing until the other half of the zipper is completely attached.

 

 

Insert your supplies……and that’s it!

 

 

All nice and organized!

 

 

 

Enjoy!

-Ashley

 

 

For other organizational inspiration, check out these other ideas:

 

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Ashley Johnston

Administrator at Make It & Love It
Ashley Johnston is a professional DIY costume maker, sewist, crafter, and owner of Make It & Love It. She is a mom of 5 and a wife to a very patient (with the craft clutter) husband. In case you’re wondering, she always chooses crafting/sewing/designing over mopping/dusting/wiping base boards……but bathrooms/laundry/full bellies are always attended to. Whew!

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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