How-To: Make a Diving Ring
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective
If you’re in Austin, Texas, you know that swim season has officially begun. Though parks and recreation is keeping some of the pools closed until next week, we’ve already begun our quest of a swim-a-day. We’ve hit up the cold springs a few times, where the delightful water is a mere and constant 68°. And we’ve frequented several different pools including a nearby and nameless hotel pool that we love. But mums the word on that one.
So, as our bodies hit the water, our crafty thoughts turn to pool toys. Could we? Should we? Can you really craft up water toys? You bet your sweet Speedo we can.
This week we’ll make a diving ring, the first in our series of summer pool toys. And, as is true Future Craft Collective style, all the materials are found and/or thrift store scrounged.
Materials:
2 tech-fabric T-shirts in different colors Those tags you see are thrift store tags and the most we paid was $2.99 and you could do this project with just one color shirt for a monotone look. If you don’t know what tech fabric is, go to your thrift store, and ask for the active wear department. Look for the kind of shirt a runner or bicyclist might wear.
Jar of pennies
Sewing machine
Scissors
Bubble wrap
Directions:
Step 1: Cut a 7″ circle out of each of your tech shirts.
Step 2: Cut the circles each in half and match one of each color with the other, good sides together.
Step 3: Along the flat edge of the half circles, sew each set of 2 together, using as small a seam allowance as possible.
Step 4: Cut a slightly smaller circle of the bubble wrap and then cut out the inside of the circle so that you have an O.
Step 5: Sew the O of bubble wrap to the inside of one of your tech fabric circles by sewing along the outside and the inside of the O.
Step 6: Sew the tech fabric circles together (good side to good side) by sewing along the outside edge. Leave a small opening for turning.
Step 7: Now you should have the 3 pieces sewn together with the bubble wrap on the outside and 2 circles face to face. Cut out the inside of the circles, using the bubble wrap O as your guide, leaving ¼” all the way around.
Step 8: Turn your pieces right side out so that the bubble wrap O is in between the 2 pieces of tech fabric.
Step 9: On the inside of the O, you are going to clip the curve, making tiny slits about every ¾”, making sure that you don’t cut too much.
Step 10: This next part is a bit tricky to explain, but not as tricky to do. Topstitch along the inside of the O by tucking in the pieces as you go around. Just stitch and tuck, stitch and tuck, stitch and tuck. (If you’re sewing with a child, this might be a good step to take over so frustration levels don’t get too high.)
Step 11: Topstitch around the outside of the O. You should now have a flat and two-toned O.
Step 12: Cut a 5″×8″ piece of tech fabric.
Step 13: Fold it in half, good sides together, fold the top down ¼” and sew the sides together so that you have a little unfinished bag.
Step 14: Cut a 2″×10″ piece of tech fabric of the opposite color of the bag you just sewed.
Step 15: Sew the long piece together lengthwise so that you have a long tube. Turn it right side out.
Step 16: Fill the bag with 25 pennies.
Step 17: Stick the end of the tube inside the top of the penny-filled bag and sew it shut, going back and forth a few times with the sewing machine to lock the stitches in place.
Step 18: Wrap the other end of the tube around one side of the O, sewing all the way around to give it tuggable strength.
Step 19: Get thee to a pool and throw that baby in!
Come on back next week for more pool-time fun when we’ll be making a Pool Toss game the whole family will want to play with. And in the meantime, EVERYBODY IN THE POOL!!!
About the Authors:
Future Craft Collective is brought to you by Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll. Kathie is an accomplished seamstress, creator of Ramonsterwear Custom Western Wear, artist, and mother of two. Bernadette is a writer, co-founder of Slow Family Living, and mother of four. They have found renewed energy in their collaboration and are continuously amazed by the ideas, inspiration, and a-ha moments that have come from this shared effort.
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