Every year in mid-December I take some time to reflect on the year and what I resolved to do. My list is often filled with cheers and jeers. Sadly, one of the more consistent jeers is not drinking enough water. I know I’m not alone. I can see that you’re nodding your head right now, too.
That’s where the SodaStream Power Automatic Sparkling Water Maker comes in. With a variety of sparkling drink mixes, your tastebuds will never be bored! There are great tasting flavors like Sparkling Gourmet Black Currant Lime and Essence Pear. The SodaStream Power machine and sparkling drink mixes can be purchased online from SodaStream or from your favorite retailer.
It’s easy to drink more water when it’s flavorful and sparkling! I am a huge fan of sparkling water, and know that the SodaStream Power machine is going to make it easier to achieve my daily water goals.
While we’re on the topic of goals, one goal that I am working toward is running a half-marathon. I am focused on my training and following my training plan each week. One thing I’ve noticed though, it would sometimes be nice to have my running gear with me in the car on the off chance I want to sqeeze in an extra run or a long walk with friends on a gorgeous spring-like day. [Today, for example, it’s 62 degrees and sunny. It feels like Spring!] I decided to whip up this cute bag to hold my running shoes and gear.
DIY Gym Bag Tutorial
Working with heat transfer vinyl is so fun! Using your home iron, you can transfer designs onto tea towels, canvas bags, t-shirts, and so much more. It’s a simple and fun way to customize otherwise boring products!
White Canvas Tote Bag [choose the size large enough to hold your running shoes and gear]
Heat Transfer Vinyl in your favorite color [hello pink glitter!]
Silhouette electronic cutting machine {or a sharp EXACT-O knife and a permanent black marker}
Your favorite design
For this project, I found the perfect silhouette of a girl running in the Silhouette design store. {She was one of four included in design #86661.}
Import the design into your software and mirror the image right away. This step is crucial if you have a design with text, but probably not such a big deal if it’s just an image.
Resize the image to your preferred size. I deleted the other three images that were part of the design, and reduced the size slightly.
Once your design is the proper size and you’re ready to cut, you need to change the settings to Heat Transfer Vinyl. I chose smooth and adjusted my blade to five. The software defaulted to three, but I knew that wouldn’t work. I’ve cut heat transfer vinyl several times and know the settings that work best for my machine. If this is your first time, please keep in mind that every machine is different and you should perform a test cut first!
When working with vinyl, I always use a mat to cut. If you can successfully cut without a mat, go for it! Whether you’re using a mat or not, load the vinyl into the machine with the shiny side down.
Make a test cut. {Trust me! Remember, Heat Transfer Vinyl is pricey!} Then you’re ready to go!
Once the design is cut, remove the unwanted vinyl from around your design. This process is called weeding. I’m much better at weeding vinyl than I am at weeding in the garden. Leave your design on the clear backing {also known as the shiny side}. If you need a little help with weeding your design, grab a pair of tweezers. They are amazing!
Now for the fun part! Place your design onto your canvas bag with the clear backing facing you and the vinyl touching the bag. Put your pressing cloth over the design and press your hot iron down on top of the design with as much force as you can muster for 40 – 60 seconds.
Remove the pressing cloth and slowly peel up the side of the clear backing at a 45 degree angle. If the vinyl does not stay adhered to the fabric, repeat the steps with iron.
Set your iron to the highest setting possible and ensure it thoroughly preheats.
DO NOT USE STEAM.
No pressing cloth? Use a handkerchief, t-shirt, pillow case or another tea towel.
To make this project without an electronic cutter, simply search for the image you’d like to use and print it out onto white paper. Trace the image on the back of the paper using a black permanent marker – this mirrors the image for you. Cut around the image to trim off excess white paper. Tape the design to the shiny side of the heat transfer vinyl and cut it out using an Exact-O knife. Be very careful, those knives are sharp! And they can cut you! Once you have your design cut out, follow the steps above to affix it to the canvas bag.
Now, every time I head out the door, I have a cute bag to carry my running gear. There won’t be any excuses for missing scheduled runs! A great thing about the size that I chose is there is plenty of room for a bottle of SodaStream Sparkling Water!
What flavors of SodaStream Sparkling Water are you most excited to try?
Stephanie says
Now I officially want both a SodaStream Power AND a Silhouette!!This is such a great idea. I should definitely do both -drink more water with the help of SodaStream and keep my exercise stuff in the car. No excuses! [client]
Mike Wilson says
We’ve been using Soda Stream for several months now and love it. It really saves on buying Peligrino.