Basketball bag




My younger sister is 14 years old and it's getting quite difficult to find her a good Christmas present. One thing I am sure to know about her is that she loves basketball. I used to give her some tips and now she is better than I ever was. This project is dedicated to Emy.

Here's how to turn a punctured basketball into a cool sports bag. A basketball is just big enough to fit the necessary items for a game : t-shirt, shorts, water bottle and socks. Here is a step by step solution for a cheap and original use for your old game balls.


You will need :


1 basketball (volleyball, soccer ball, beach ball, football...)
1 strap
1 zipper
1 cutter
2 key rings
some rubber glue






1- OPEN THE BELLY

It's time to make a «Jack the Ripper» of yourself. Get a new blade for your cutter and cut a clean straight line on top of your basketball. Make sure the cut is about  2 centimeters longer than the length of the zipper.









2- STICK THE ZIPPER (facultative)


Put a generous amount of Neoprene (rubber) glue on one side of the zipper and on the inner surface it is going to be attached to. Use a flat tool to spread  (keep your fingers CLEAN. You don't want to put glue everywhere). Wait 10 minutes before to stick both surfaces together. 
Do the same thing with the second part of the zipper and wait 30 minutes. You can use something to keep everything together while it dries. 







3- HOLES


Make two small holes about 2 cm wide above the middle line of the basketball. Use the diameter of the key ring to know the distance between them.





4- RINGS


Now slide the rings trough the holes and stop once they are half way. The rubber will be squeezed in the ring and you'll have a firm grip to the basketball. 












5- CLEAN


Use grid 120 sandpaper to remove the excess glue and the unwanted logos. It also gives a nice surface to the basketball. Put a mask on so you don't breathe the dust.