Make your own Laptop Covers!

As much as I love making clothes, it's a time-consuming, complicated, and often frustrating endeavour. For a while I've been looking for a smaller, more instantly-gratifying project, and ladies and gentlemen, I  have found it! Laptop and Ipad covers! They are simple, easy, and fast to sew, plus there are endless different customizations to make them unique. In this blog post, I am going to take you through the steps of making a laptop or Ipad cover!

Step One: Choose two fabrics - one for the cover, one for the inside lining. If you fabrics are somewhat thin, you might also want to choose a third inner layer, as I have done for this tutorial.

Step Two: Measure your laptop or ipad. You want to measure the depth of the device, plus the thickness (the depth for an ipad might be really tiny), and then also the width. Now cut a piece of each of your fabrics that is TWICE the depth+thickness measurement.

Here's a diagram so you know what I'm talking about:

Next, arrange your fabrics carefully. You want the in between layer (if you're using one) to be first, and then the right side (the side you want showing) of your cover fabric and your inside lining to be facing each other as shown above.

Next, you want to sew all those layers together in the order I have described above. Sew up all the side *EXCEPT* one area at leas three inches big. Leave that one area open and un-sewed.

Now reach inside the whole you have made, and turn the whole thing inside out! If you do this properly, you should have the good sides or your cover fabric and lining showing on either side.

Yay! The hard part is over now and we're almost finished. Next, fold the whole thing in half with the outer cover fabric facing IN, Like above.

Now you want to sew the two sides of the laptop cover, leaving the top open.

Ok. Put your laptop cover aside for a minute. Now, Choose a fabric you like (I usually use the same fabric as my lining) and cut a piece about 4 inches by 1.5 inches (the length depends on how big the button you will be using is). Sew this up length-wise so you have a little tube.

This is what your little tube should look like.

Now, using a pen *with the cap on*, turn your little tube inside out.

Now grab your laptop cover again, and pick the stitches out of one side in the centre, just about one inch.

Ok, it's very important now that you grab the button you are using, and use it to measure how tight/loose you need the loop to be. Once you have measured and pinned it at the perfect length, stick then ends of the tube into the whole you have made on you cover, as shown above, and sew that in place.

FINALLY, just sew your button on to the *opposite* side that your loop is attached to, and VOILA YOU ARE DONE!!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!!

You can do a ton of different  variations of this style, including using a flap instead of a loop (show shown on the floral covers here)