How to make a large storage case?

May 23, 2009 3 Replies

I bought an inflatable water slide



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don't have any place to leave it up, so will have to deflate andstore it. It came in a box about 2' x 2' x 1', which I could use,except that I have not been able to get it down to even double thatsize. It's worse than one of those compact raincoats. ;-) The slide is made of vinyl. It's very think vinyl, but I don't want to just toss it in a corner of the garage. I'm afraid that it will get punctured or abraded. So, I think I need to make some kind of storage / carrying case that will protect it. This raises two questions: (1) What type of fabric / material? and (2) What pattern?


(1) The fabric.



My first inclination is some type of canvas. Is there a canvas that is light enough that it can be sewn on a home machine but is tough enough to protect the water slide?



Is there something else that would be better?



Or will anything I can make at home be too light?


(2) The pattern.



Let's say that I can get the slide down to about 3' x 3' x 2'.



Left to my own devices, I would probably just buy enough fabric to wrap it up (like a Christmas present) and tie it with a rope. If I could find fabric that was at least 7' wide (3' plus 2' on each side), I'd get a piece about 15' long, put the deflated slide on one end, wrap or roll it up, and tie with a rope. The rope would serve as a handle. I imagine that this might have a tendency to to come undone.



If I were making a case (without a pattern), I'd get three pieces: a middle and two ends. The middle (the wrapper), would be about 3' x 12' and the ends 3' x 2' each. I'd sew the ends to the middle on three sides leaving a 3' x 2' opening with a 2-3' flap. The flap could be secured with velcro or a rope.



It there a pattern I could get somewhere that would be better than that?



I don't care much how it looks -- just that it works.


Why not just find a bigger box? Say an appliance box, Range or refrigerator.

Buy a tarp -- no sewing needed.

Joy Beeson

Do you mean just roll it up in the tarp and tie with a rope instead of making a case? That has the advantage that it isn't size sensitive. The thing is unweildy and difficult to fold up. I may not be able to get it folded up in the same size and shape every time.

These guys have a lot of choices:

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