The "You're at That Age" Eye Glasses Case

So I went to the optometrist for a check up. And when I told the young, just out of college, doctor I have noticed my vision has been a bit blurry lately and I find I'm having to hold things further away to read them, she smiled and replied cheerfully: "Yep, you're at just the right age".

Which was just what I wanted to hear!... :-/

The good news is, I don't need prescription glasses yet and can get away with using the reading glasses they sell at the drug store. The glasses I bought didn't come with a case and, being absent minded and accident prone as I am, I need to have a way of protecting them. And I may be old enough to need reading glasses, but I'm not too old to have a little fun.

So here it is, my quick and easy glasses case. This one is not designed to be used for carrying the glasses in a purse or anything, since it is open at the top and not too sturdy. It's just to keep them from getting scratched or otherwise damaged when sitting on my nightstand or in my pencil holder. It would be a good project for kids who are getting their first pair of glasses. 8-)

Materials

Craft Foam
Scissors
Glue
Small container for glue
Toothpick for spreading glue
A straight edge or ruler
Pencil
Embellishments
And, of course, eye glasses

Measure and Cut

Using your glasses as a guide, measure out the amount of foam you will need. I did this by laying my glasses on the foam, folding it over top of them, and then sliding the edge back until it looked like I had a good fit. Then I drew a line and cut.

The exact measurements will depend on the size of your glasses. I started with a piece of foam that was 8.5 inches by 5.5 inches. My glasses are about 5.25 inches in length, so I decided to use the width of my foam, 5.5 inches, as the length for the case. I then trimmed 2 inches off of the length of the foam, leaving me with 6.5 inches for the width of my case. (If you're confused at this point, that's okay, so am I. I will try to explain this better later if I can.)

Remember to leave a little extra room for gluing.

Glue

Using a toothpick (or other suitable tool), spread a small amount of glue along the two shorter edges of your foam. Fold it over and press down firmly all along the edge. Hold with your fingers until the glue sets, or clamp it. The time it takes to set will depend on the type of glue used. I used an all purpose white glue, which I do not recommend, as it took too long to set and did not form a very strong bond. If I do this again, I will use something better.

Once the side has set, glue the bottom of your case the same way. Then leave it until you are sure the glue is completely dry. (Mine sat overnight, but this was only because it was late and I was too tired to wait. I am sure 30 minutes would be long enough.)

And that's it. You're case is done. All that's left now is to decorate it.

Decorate!

Decorate your case however you like. Cut out some foam shapes and glue them on, add some stick on gems and glitter, or just write/draw on it with Sharpies. I used some foam Easter stickers I had, just to make it quick. Then I used fine point Sharpies to draw a pair of glasses on the bunny, blue to match the colour of mine, and outline the little bows to make them look a bit sharper.

Bonus Book Mark

Using the small piece of foam I trimmed off, some curling ribbon, and the same little stick on foam bows, I made a matching book mark.

First, poke a hole in the foam with a toothpick. Then wiggle the toothpick back and forth, pressing firmly but gently against the sides of the hole, until you make it a little bigger. (Or you could use a hole punch, if you have one.)

Next, insert ribbons through the hole, tie them together, and curl them with a pair of scissors. (My ribbon was previously used so it was already curled.) Stick the bow on, and start reading!