Beach Bucket
by Heather Harden
As a child, we took empty plastic bread bags with us on walks to the beach. Inevitably the bags broke and we lost the shells or something really stinky ended up on the floor of trunk.
This month we will make a sturdy, leak resistant bucket that can be reused all season.
Please read through the entire instructions before starting the project.
Tools:
- Craft knife or utility knife
- Sewing pins
- Paper punch - ¼ or 1/8 inch hole
- Large sewing needle – Size 18 to 22 chenille or tapestry needle or any needle with a hole large enough to accommodate the upholstery thread
- Permanent marker
- Tape measure
- Sewing machine
- Large safety pin
Materials:
- Empty 1 gallon container – A milk or water jug is fine. Any container that can be easily cut, punched and that did NOT contain toxic substances.
- Fiberglass window screen - Measure the circumference of your jug + 2 inches for the width and 12” is an adequate length. Many local hardware stores sell this type of screen by the foot. A 24” or 30” wide piece of screen should accommodate most containers.
- Upholstery Thread – This can be purchased at most large sewing stores.
Braided nylon rope – 3 – 4 ½ feet of 3/16” or 1/8”. These are available at most local hardware stores by the foot.
- Duct tape or wide electrical tape
Preparing the jug:
Make a line all the way around the jug just below the handle. The line should be roughly the same distance from the bottom of the jug all the way around.
Use the craft knife or the point of the scissors to start the cut. I found the craft knife made a cleaner cut to start with, but found it easier to cut the rest of the way with the scissors. Trim any rough spots with the scissors.
With the paper punch, punch holes about a ¼” from the cut edge and about ½” apart all the way around the jug.
Preparing the screen for the bucket top:
To determine the width of the screen to cut, carefully measure around the cut edge of the jug. In this example, the jug measures 21 ½”, adding 1” for seam allowances ( ½” seam allowance on each edge), your width would be 22 ½”. The amount of screen you want above the jug determines the length of the screen you will cut. The bucket in the example used a piece of screen 22 ½” by 12”.
Fold the screen in half matching the short sides. Pin this edge. Mark a seam line ½” from the cut edge of the screen. On one end of the seam line, make a mark 2” from the end of the seam line. This area will be left unstitched to make the casing for the drawstring handle.
With your sewing machine, stitch on the seam line using a medium zigzag or a straight stitch. Make sure you stop at the 2” mark. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seams to secure the stitching.
Flatten the seam to the right and press the seam line firmly with your fingers. This is called finger pressing.
To finish the edge of the drawstring casing, you will need to clip the left seam allowance perpendicular to the seam at the point where the stitching stops (2” mark). This will allow the edges of the casing to be folded back and stitched. Fold each of the casing edges and pin.
ZigZag or straight stitch to secure the each edge of the casing.
To make the casing for the drawstring handle, fold a ¼” hem along the open end of the tube and pin. Fold this over again about 3/4” and repin.
Finish the casing by sewing close to the inside edge of the casing using a zigzag or straight stitch.
Next, the other end of the tube needs to be hemmed before being sewn to the bucket. The hemming reinforces the edge of the screen where it is attached to the jug. Fold a ½” hem all the way around the unfinished end of the tube and pin. Fold this hem over again another ½” and repin.
Stitch close to the inside edge of the hem, using a medium zigzag or straight stitch.
Joining the screen to the jug:
Thread the hand sewing needle with the upholstery thread using about 2 yards of thread. Align the two ends and make a large knot in the end of the thread. You will be sewing with the thread doubled. To make a knot, wrap the end around your index finger and rub the threads between your finger and thumb, rubbing the thread towards the end of your finger. Remove the loop from the end of your finger and tighten.
Insert the needle into the wrong side of the hem and take several small stitches to secure the thread.
Align the right side of the hemmed end of the screen with the punched holes on the jug. Put the needles through the hem and out through one of the holes on the bucket. Pull the thread firmly and insert the needle one hole to the left.
Again pull the thread firmly. From the inside put the needle out through the original hole and pull the thread firmly. Put one hand inside the bucket holding the screen firmly to the edge jug. Now that the screen is secured to the jug the stitching will be much easier. Insert the needle into the hole that the needle just exited and bring it out one hole to the left. Don’t pull the thread through until the needle has exited both holes.
Make another stitch in the same manner in the same holes.
Repeat this process all the way around the jug. Each set of two holes will be sewn twice.
When you run out of thread, take the thread to the inside of the screen and make several small stitches in the hem to secure. Knot the thread and trim. Start the new thread the same way as the original. When you have sewn all the way around the bucket secure the thread and trim.
Making the drawstring handle:
The drawstring handle can be customized for the user of the bucket. An average adult would need 4 to 4 ½ feet of rope for a comfortable drawstring handle. Two to three feet of rope would make a good handle for a child. To keep the end of the rope from unraveling, wrap the spot to be cut with wide electrical tape or duct tape before cutting the rope. Make the cut in the center of the tape.
Hook the safety pin into the end of the rope and feed it through the casing.
Align the ends of the rope and tie with a simple overhand knot. Then stand back and admire your handy work
Enjoy collecting YOUR treasures!!!!! Show us where you collect treasures! Send us pictures of you and your family collecting treasures.
Got cool spirit crafting ideas? Send them into SpriritLiving at submissions@spiritliving.org and please include pictures of the steps!
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