Thursday, December 19, 2013

12 Days of Christmas: Day 6 - DIY Camera Strap Cover

This project is a combination of two different projects that ended up fitting perfectly together.

First, I had a goal of learning to make some crochet lace trims so I could embellish a tank top for my mom for Mother's Day. So, I started working on some of the trims from this book in some Vanna Glamour yarn that I had in my stash. I loved the way it turned out, but it was so not my mom's color, so it ended up sitting in a basket for a while.

Second, I love the idea of camera strap covers, but I hate having to take the strap off my camera to put it on. So, one day I decided to make a strap that Velcro-s on. I measured my camera strap and made a cover out of black cotton, using iron-on Velcro to close it. I used the simple fabric simply to try out my made-up pattern to see if it even worked. It did. So, now I had a boring black Velcro camera strap cover.

"I wonder if I could sew that trim onto the camera strap cover," I thought. Hmm, I grabbed some thread and got to sewing. It worked...and it looked awesome! However, it was missing something, so I added some pearl beads, and here is what I ended up with:


After this picture was taken, I realized that it would be better to use invisible thread to sew the crochet trim on, so that is what I do now.

You can purchase one in my etsy store, or you can follow the basic pattern below to make your own to give as a gift to the photographer in your life...or to yourself.

Materials:
  • Small-ish amount of fabric (you will need two 24" x 4.5" rectangles - based on a 23" x 1.5" camera strap, you may need more or less depending on your camera strap size)
  • Crochet trim pattern - you can also look for crochet bookmark or bracelet patterns. For this tutorial I used this one.
  • yarn and hook to match the pattern - for mine, I used Vanna Glamour and an F hook, which made the trim slightly larger than the pattern which called for thread
  • invisible thread
  • 5" of 3/4" width Velcro - I used iron-on, but you could use sew-in if you prefer
  • beads or other embellishment (optional)
Directions:

1. Follow the trim/bookmark/bracelet pattern and make your crochet piece 24" long when pulled taunt. I did 47 repetitions of my pattern.


2. Cut two 24" x 4.5" rectangles from your fabric. (This is for a camera strap that measures 23"x1.5"...if you have a different size camera strap use this formula: length + 1" and width x 3)


3. Sew around the outside of the rectangles, right sides together, with a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a 2" space for turning. Trim the corners to reduce bulk.

4. Turn the rectangle right side out (use a chopstick or knitting needle to help with the corners) and press.

5. Topstitch around the edge of the rectangle (being sure to close the opening). At this point, fold the cover around your camera strap to make sure it will fit.

6. Cut the Velcro in half, and then into small pieces, about 1". Use old scissors if you're using iron-on Velcro - they will get sticky

7. On one side of the strap, just underneath the topstitching line, place the Velcro every couple of inches. Then fold the top of the strap down, and place the matching piece of Velcro to the other side. Be sure one side of the Velcro is on the inside of the strap, and the other side is on the outside. Follow the directions on the package for attaching the Velcro.


8. Using the invisible thread, sew your crochet trim to the center of the strap section that will be on top of the camera strap.



9. Add any beads or other embellishments. I first hot glued the beads down, and then sewed them on for extra security.


10. Velcro onto your camera strap and enjoy!

Less than a week until Christmas. Have you finished your shopping/ gift making yet? Check back tomorrow for some great last minute gift ideas.

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