Make an iPod Cover

iPod covers are cool and functional but can get pretty pricey. To make your own iPod cover, try one of the following methods.

Steps

Slip-On Duct Tape Cover (With or Without Openings)

  1. Trace the outline of your iPod onto a piece of thin cardboard. Find a large piece of cardboard about the thickness of a cereal box or the back of a notebook and trace the outline of your iPod onto it (leaving extra cardboard for later). Follow the contours of the bottom corners of the iPod. However, make sure the top corners aren’t blunted and round; instead, extend the line across the top of the iPod outwards and pull the straight lines along the sides of your iPod upwards to meet them so that the top corners come together in pointed, ninety-degree angles.
    • Don’t worry if your tracing doesn’t perfectly hug the edges of the iPod; instead, leave a slight overhang on all sides to allow the iPod to fit inside.
  2. Cut out front and back panels from cardboard. Place the cardboard on a cutting-friendly surface (ex. a cutting board or self-healing mat) and cut out the area of cardboard you just traced with a utility knife. Then, trace this cutout onto the cardboard and cut it out a second time, making sure the two are identical. When you’re done, test-fit them by sandwiching your iPod inside them. Make adjustments as necessary.
  3. Cut out edge panels from the cardboard. The edging will cover the top, sides, and bottom of the iPod and will fit between the two face panels you’ve already cut out. You will need two separate edge strips: one for the top edge of the iPod and another for the sides and bottom:
    • Measure the length and width of the top edge. Cut out a strip of cardboard that is the same length as but about 1/16 of an inch wider than this edge. Don’t worry about accounting for the contours at the top corners; these won’t factor into this piece of edging.
    • Measure the length and width of the two sides and bottom. Either fold a sewing tape measure around all three sides for a continuous measurement or hold a ruler in place, line the top of the cutout up with the 0 mark of the ruler, and roll the cutout along the ruler for a continuous measurement. Cut out a length of cardboard to size, extending its length slightly to account for the fact it will have to bend around the iPod. (You can always shorten it later.)
  4. Measure the length of the desired front flap. With this design, the cover flap sits over the front face of the iPod. If you don’t intend to use the iPod while it’s covered or don’t mind lifting the flap to access the front face, make the front flap the entire length of the iPod. If you want to make your cover functional, however, you can custom-size the front flap so that you can still access the screen and/or click wheel:
    • If you have an iPod touch, measure the length from the top of the iPod to top of the screen.
    • If you have an iPod with a click wheel, you can either measure the length from the top of the iPod to top of the screen (to keep both the screen and the wheel uncovered) or from the top of the iPod to the top of the click wheel (to cover the screen but not the wheel).
  5. Cut out a rectangular panel to form the front flap of your iPod cover. The width is simply the width of the iPod while the length is the measurement you made in the previous step.
  6. Measure and mark the necessary openings on your cardboard cover panels if desired. On the face panel, draw either a hole for the screen, a hole for the click wheel, or both; on the bottom, draw a hole for the cable; on the top, draw a hole for the headphone jack and/or lock button; etc. Do not cut these out yet.
    • If you will be fitting something through the hole, such as a cable or jack, be sure to leave a little extra wiggle room.
  7. Lay all the cardboard panels face-down and tape them together with scotch-tape. From top to bottom, the face-down panels should be: cover flap (upside-down), top edge (upside-down), back panel (right-side-up), bottom/side edge (centered horizontally), and front panel (upside-down). Make sure they are butted up against one another and tape them with scotch-tape for a light hold.
    • To make sure that the openings marked along the top and bottom of the edging are properly oriented, hold your iPod along these pieces as you set them in place, being mindful of whether an opening should be to the left or right.
  8. Duct-tape the panels together from top to bottom. Find a brightly-colored duct tape at a crafts or office supply store if desired. Depending on the width of your iPod, you will need to apply either one or two long strips of duct tape from top to bottom in continuous piece(s), allowing the excess to overhang for now. Then, cut custom-sized strips to cover the edging that sticks out to the left and right. Smooth the tape over the cardboard for tight adhesion.When you’re done, flip the whole thing over and, using the utility knife, trip the excess tape.
    • Taping the panels this way will not only hide the cardboard on (what will eventually be) the inside of the iPod cover, but also form interior hinges along the edges, allowing the whole thing to fold around the iPod at the seams.
  9. Cut the marked openings out of the iPod panels. Place the taped cardboard face-up on a cutting surface and cut the openings out with a utility knife, making sure to cut through the duct tape on the backing.
  10. Fold the taped cardboard around the iPod. Make sure the openings line up correctly and make adjustments as necessary.
  11. Holding it in place around the iPod, cover the cardboard shell with duct-tape. You can work horizontally, vertically, or both depending on what look you’d like and what makes the most sense for your iPod model, making sure to fold tape down over the edges of the cardboard as well. Just tape over the openings for now; you will cut them open again later. Be sure not to tape the front flap to the main body of the iPod.
    • Do not lay the cardboard shell out flat to duct-tape the bare side. Though it’s easier to apply tape this way, the shell won’t be able to bend when you’re done.
  12. Cut the tape away from the openings in the cardboard. Using your utility knife, slice across the openings so that you can fold the excess tape downwards through the hole, thereby covering the inside edges of the cardboard: if the opening is a square or rectangle, cut a big X between the corners and fold down the four triangles of tape to cover the interior edges; if the opening is circular, slice across the tape like pie as many times as necessary and fold down the resulting slices.
    • Do not simply trim away the excess tape, as this will leave the interior edges bare. (You could theoretically apply thin strips of tape here, but they would not last long on such a tiny area.)
  13. Attach a closing mechanism to your front flap if desired. Glue either snap buttons or Velcro to the corners so you can keep your case shut.
  14. Finished!

Slip-On Felt Cover (Without Openings)

  1. Cut a piece of felt to size. The length should be twice the length of the iPod plus a flap; the width should be the width plus twice the depth (i.e. distance from the front to the back of the iPod). Mark these measurements on your felt and cut.
  2. Place your iPod in the center of the felt. Fold up the bottom of the felt so that it covers most of the front of the iPod. Pin the felt into place nice and tight.
  3. Remove the iPod and tidy up the pins so that they are all straight. Slip the iPod back in to make sure it fits snugly. Be careful not to scratch it with the pins.
  4. Slip the iPod out again and cut off any excess felt at the sides. Snip the corners of the flap so that they are rounded.
  5. Sew the sides of the iPod cover.
  6. Remove the pins. Turn the whole thing inside out.
  7. From the white felt, cut out a “screen”, a large “click wheel”, and a small “click wheel button.” Base these on the measurements of the actual screen and click wheel and stitch them into place as shown.
  8. Attach snap buttons. Take a snap and stitch the top half of the snap to the inside of the flap. Stitch the bottom half of the snap on to the top of the inside flap. Insert iPod.
  9. Finished!

Tips

  • Consider using Velcro or a button in place of the snap to keep from scratching the screen/surface of the iPod in the pouch.
  • Buy some funky felt that has a fun pattern on it for some extra color!
  • Sew a heavy cloth strap on the back of the cover to act as a belt loop. Add Velcro pieces to the bottom end to make attachment and removal easier.
  • Make them in different colors and change them every few days for a new look.
  • For those teens that look for extra cash, especially right before the holidays, make these, and sell them to friends and family.
  • These photos of the felt iPod cover are done on an iPod mini but could be easily duplicated on a iPod Video, Nano, or other iPod.
  • Instead of duct tape, you could also use electrical tape.

Warnings

  • Be careful when handling the iPod. It could break, even with a cover on it.
  • Always be careful when working with needles and scissors. Children should have adult supervision.
  • If making the duct-tape case, do not make your cardboard shell too snug; once duct tape is added to a tightly fitting cardboard case, the iPod will no longer fit inside.
  • Use a thimble if you are worried about pricking your fingers when hand sewing.

Things You'll Need

Felt Cover

  • White and coloured Felt
  • Sewing needle
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Pins
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Snaps
  • Sewing thread
  • Markers

Duct-Tape Cover

  • Thin cardboard (ex. cereal box)
  • Utility knife
  • Cutting surface (ex. self-healing mat, cutting board)
  • Scotch tape
  • Duct tape (classic or fluorescent); alternatively, electrical tape
  • Sewing measuring tape or ruler
  • Snap buttons or Velcro

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