Crochet Water Bottle Holder with an Adjustable Strap
A sling that carries your bottle hands-free to the gym or a hike — fits most 500 ml to 1 litre bottles, with a strap you can shorten to fit.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton, about 160 yd
- Hook
- 4 mm (G-6)
- Time
- About 3 hours
- Finished size
- Fits bottles 2¾–3½ in (7–9 cm) across
You'll need
- 100% cotton worsted weight (#4) yarn — about 160 yd (146 m)
- 4 mm (G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle and scissors
- Optional: a 1 in (25 mm) slider buckle for a fully adjustable strap
In this post
A bottle sling is one of those projects you use constantly once you've made it: to the gym, on a walk, at a festival, anywhere you'd rather not hold a bottle for an hour.
Cotton is the right yarn here — it takes the weight of a full litre without stretching the way acrylic does, and it washes when the bottle inevitably leaks.
Sizing it to your bottle
Measure around the widest part of your bottle:
- 8½ in (21.5 cm) around — a standard 500 ml bottle. Base of 30 sts.
- 9½ in (24 cm) around — a 750 ml sports bottle. Base of 36 sts (the pattern below).
- 11 in (28 cm) around — a 1 litre bottle. Base of 42 sts.
The body stretches a little, so match the nearest size down rather than up.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The pattern
Written for a 750 ml bottle. Worked in continuous rounds.
Base
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
- Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) 6 times. (18)
- Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) 6 times. (24)
- Rnd 5: (Sc 3, inc) 6 times. (30)
- Rnd 6: (Sc 4, inc) 6 times. (36)
Check the base against the bottom of your bottle — it should be the same size or a few millimetres smaller.
Sides
- Rnd 7 (BLO): Working in back loops only, sc in each st around. This makes the base turn up sharply. (36)
- Rnds 8–12: Sc in each st around. (36)
- Rnd 13: *Sc 4, ch 2, skip 2 sts.* Repeat from * around — this row of holes keeps the bottle visible and saves yarn. (36)
- Rnd 14: Sc in each st and 2 sc in each ch-2 space around. (36)
- Rnds 15–24: Sc in each st around. (36)
Try the bottle in now. The sling should reach about two thirds of the way up. Add or remove rounds to suit your bottle.
Top edge
- Rnd 25: *Sc 1, dec.* Repeat around to draw the top in slightly so the bottle can't slip out. (24)
- Rnd 26: Sc in each st around. (24)
- Rnd 27: Sl st in each st around. Fasten off. (24)
The strap
A double-thickness strap, because a single layer stretches under a full bottle.
- Row 1: Ch 7, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (6)
- Rows 2 onward: Ch 1, turn, sc in back loops only across. (6)
- Length: Continue to 40 in (100 cm) for a crossbody strap, or 22 in (56 cm) for over one shoulder.
Working in back loops only gives a ribbed strap that barely stretches. Fasten off with a long tail.
Attaching
- Step 1: Pin each end of the strap to the inside of the sling at opposite sides, overlapping by about 1½ in.
- Step 2: Sew each end down with a rectangle of stitches, then a cross through the middle of the rectangle. This is how bag straps are attached and it will not pull off.
- Step 3: For an adjustable strap, thread one end through a slider buckle before sewing it down.
Make it your own
- Team colours: stripe the body in your club's colours to match the team scarf.
- Festival mini: make the body 14 rounds tall for a can holder.
- Pocket: add a small flat pocket to the front for keys.
- Solid sides: skip Rnds 13–14 if you'd rather have no holes.
Common questions
Will it hold a full litre bottle?
Yes, with a 42-stitch base and cotton yarn. Make the strap double-thickness as written — a single-layer strap sags under that weight.
Why cotton rather than acrylic?
Acrylic stretches permanently under a heavy, repeated load, so the sling gets longer and baggier. Cotton holds its shape and washes well.
Can I make it fit a tumbler with a handle?
Measure the widest point and size the base from that, then leave the top round at full width instead of decreasing, so the handle clears.
How do I stop the bottle falling out?
The decrease round at the top is what holds it. If your bottle is narrow at the neck, add one more decrease round.
Take it to the gym and report back. 💧
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