Sew an iPod Carrying Case

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. 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. We'll start with a basic carrying pouch and then list variations to suit different sizes and needs.

Steps

Basic Carry Pouch

  1. Measure your iPod. Get all three dimensions: length, width and thickness. Add half an inch (1.25cm) in all directions for seam allowances.
  2. Cut two rectangles of cloth the size of your iPod plus seam allowances. A little extra is better than a little less at this point, so be generous with your measurements and cutting.

    • An easy way to do this is to just wrap the cloth around the iPod and cut an inch or so away from the edges.
  3. Trace the shape of your iPod's "face" onto the paper side of your fusible webbing. Take care and be as precise as possible with the tracing. Neatness at this step makes things go more smoothly later on in construction.
  4. Draw a line from the corners of your view screen to the outer edge of the clickwheel. This will form a rounded "triangle".
  5. Line up the tracing even with the material and approximately one inch from the edge on the "wrong" side of the material and iron the fusible webbing (with faceplate sketch) onto the "back" side or "wrong" side of your material.
  6. Lay your two pieces of material with "front" or "right" sides together and pin.
  7. Carefully sew around your rounded triangle shape. Stitch approximately a 1/16th of an inch (1-2 cm) outside the lines you sketched.
  8. Sew around the perimeter again, with the needle piercing just outside the first seam (0.5 cm or less).
  9. Cut a slit inside the rounded triangle area for your scissors to go through and cut the center area out, leaving a quarter inch (3cm) seam allowance.
  10. Clip the seam allowance up to, but not into, the seam line.
    • Note: This is why the double seam... if one stitching line gets accidentally clipped, we won't have to re-sew the line with the opening partially cut.
  11. Peel off the paper backing for the fusible webbing.
  12. Poke one rectangle through the hole and
  13. Smooth it.
  14. Iron the material flat. The fusible webbing should adhere the layers, so don't place the iron on the material until it is exactly lined up.
    • Note: You may also top stitch the edge of the "rounded triangle" opening to stabilize it.
  15. Test fit to see if the opening is shaped correctly for your iPod. It "should" fit, but if anything is "off" at this point, just start over with new cloth and tracings.
  16. Mark the EXACT edge placement directly onto your material with tailor's chalk or even pencil. Trace all edges while the view screen is placed correctly in the opening. Remember to mark the iPod's top,bottom and side edges on both sides (layers) of material.
  17. Determine where your top and bottom edges will need to be... and fold the edges over and between the layers accordingly.
  18. Pin the folded edges in place.
  19. Repeat for the "top" edge and pin in place.
  20. Test fit again... Measure distance between pinned edges and make any adjustments before sewing. The top and bottom pinned edges should be exactly parallel to each other.
  21. Top stitch both of the folded edges, leaving at least half an inch of folded edge unsewn at each end of the seams.
  22. Fold back one layer from the non stitched edge and pin. Repeat at the opposite end.
  23. Fold the entire thing so that the unpinned "flaps" line up.
  24. Test fit once more, and mark where your side seam should fall.
  25. Pin the flaps together and sew at your marked seam line.
  26. Test Fit again and make any necessary adjustments, either sewing a bit closer to the lines to snug the fit down or by ripping out the seam and sewing further away to allow more space.
  27. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4th an inch from the seam when you are happy with the fit.
  28. Unpin the flaps.
  29. Lay one flap down smooth over the seam. Pin it if necessary.
  30. Fold the remaining flap under itself and slip stitch or "blind stitch" the opening closed.
  31. Make an attachment point out of several layers of ribbon. The author used 8 thicknesses of 1/16th inch ribbon.
  32. Pass the ribbon through either a D-ring or other clip type ring.
  33. Stitch the ribbon ends together so that the ring cannot slide off.
  34. Open up a hole between the layers in the non-topstitched section of the top edge.
  35. Slide the sewn end of your ribbon attachment point into the hole between the layers.
  36. Top stitch the hole closed, backstitching several times to ensure that the stitching will not fail later.
  37. Test fit to determine the exact placement of the bottom edge seam. Mark the center.
  38. Top Stitch only an inch or so of the center. Sew through all four layers, and backstitch to prevent the seam unraveling.
    • Note: This will leave the "corners" open for your earphone jack and for access to the "lock" button.
  39. Finally! A view of the finished product!

Belt Loop Options

Note: These must be sewn prior to closing the side seam, while all of the layers are still flat. Choose placement carefully. For maximum stability, place the loops or buttonholes toward the top edge of the case rather than the bottom.

  1. Sew two button holes perpendicular to the top edge and spaced around an inch apart. The length of the button holes should be equal to the width of your belt(s) plus one or two centimeters.
  2. Sew a strip of folded material perpendicular to the top edge to serve as a belt loop. Fold the ends under and top stitch the ends directly onto the case. Make the length of the strip equal to the width of your belt(s) plus an extra two inches for folding under and top stitching the ends.

Tips

  • Take time to measure carefully or test fit at each step.
  • There are many sizes of iPods, but since they are all basically a rectangle, you can adjust these instructions to any size you need.
  • Another Make an iPod Carrying Case From Fabric to sewing in two layers is to sew ONE layer, cut any holes, roll the raw edges under to the "inside", then use iron-on fabric to line the inside. The iron-on material can cover all the raw edges and prevent fraying.
  • The "Classic" size presents some unique difficulties because of the size of its view screen and clickwheel. You can sidestep the problems associated with sewing two windows by cutting only an opening for the clickwheel. Otherwise, you will need to make a "top section" with a view screen opening and "bottom section" with the clickwheel opening to your cover and join them before completing the "Place and Trace" in step 18 above. The horizontal joining seam will need to be quite narrow, because it passes between the screen and clickwheel. Furthermore, the joining seam will need to be a "french seam" -like the one used on the side closure above- or the seam allowances will show when the product is finished.

Warnings

  • Scissors, needles etc are sharp. Handle appropriately.

Things You'll Need

  • Fabric scraps of sufficient size. (9x9 inches is enough for most MP3 players)
  • Hand sewing - thread and needle
  • Scissors
  • Fusible webbing - available at most sewing centers or craft stores. May substitute iron-on type interfacing.
  • Small D-ring or similar attachment point hardware.
  • Ribbon or sturdy narrow cording/webbing
  • Sewing Machine - While this "can" be sewn by hand, it would be quite tedious!
  • Iron

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