How to Make an Ipod Carrying Case From Fabric

With a bit of time and materials, you can make your own custom iPod carrying case... for a fraction of the price found in most electronics purveyors shops.With prices of iPod accessories so over-inflated, you could sew up ten of these for the price you'd pay at the electronics store.

The sewing level required is average to experienced, but a beginner could do this with a bit of patience and perseverance.

iPod and MP3 players vary in size and shape, but the general instructions would apply to any roughly rectangular shape.

Things you'll need:

- Fabric scrap
- Iron-on patch or mending material
- Needle and thread
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- 1/16th. in. ribbon
- D-ring, key ring, or similar for attachment point

Step 1

Measure your ipod's dimensions and add half an inch. Alternatively, you could just wrap the cloth around the iPod and mark an extra inch all around. Cut the material to size.

Step 2

Trace your iPod faceplate onto the paper side of some fusible webbing. Be as precise as you can. This will directly affect the look of your final product.

Iron the fusible webbing onto the back of your material, positioning it where you want the face plate in your final product.

Step 3

Cut slits in the center of the traced rectangle and circle of your face plate.

Cut radiating lines out from the center of the circle up to your traced lines. For the rectangle, cut to each corner. For the circle, cut equally spaced radiant lines.

Step 4

Peel off the paper backing from the fusible webbing.

Iron each cut section away from the center (where you cut the slit). Use only the tip of your iron to avoid getting your iron plate sticky.

Continue ironing the sections away from the center. Pull them slightly while ironing to enlarge the opening.

Step 5

Open up your package of Iron-on Mending material.

Trace your faceplate onto the back or "wrong" side of the Iron-on mending material.

Step 6

Line up the viewscreen and clickwheel of your ipod carefully next to the openings in your fabric and trace the outline of the iPod onto the back or "wrong" side of your material.

Step 7

Trim your material to no more than an inch around the tracing. Miter the corners if desired. This will make sewing them slightly easier later.

Step 8

Fold the top and bottom edges over, leaving at least half an inch between the marked edges for the iPod and the folded edge. Pin in place.

Measure to ensure that the top and bottom edges are parallel to each other. Adjust pins if necessary.

Step 9

Cut out the openings from the Iron-on mending material. Cut approximately 1-1.5cm outside the marked line.

Test fit the patch material to your other fabric and trim to size if necessary.

Step 10

Line up the openings carefully and iron the patch material into the back side of the other fabric.

Step 11

Fold the whole thing in half with the patch material to the outside. Test fit to your iPod and pin along the line to be sewn.

Step 12

Sew the side seam as marked and test fit. Adjust as necessary.

Trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch (3cm).

Step 13

Fold several layers of 1/16th ribbon (I used 8 layers of ribbon) and pass them through the attachment ring you chose. (D-rings, Keychain rings, etc. all will work well.)

Sew the ribbon ends together firmly.

Step 14

Place the ribbon ends along the seam allowance for the side seam and sew them firmly in place.

Topstitch the edge for additional reinforcement of the attachment point.

Step 15

Topstitch the center inch of the bottom edge to prevent the iPod from falling out...but leave the corners unsewn to allow the earbuds to plug in.

Step 16

Voila! You have a new ipod carrying case!