★ Laptop Bag Patterns | DIY Camera Pouches, Phone Cases, iPad Sleeves & More!

In the modern age, it's very likely that you will be carrying around at least one gadget - whether it's your phone, a laptop or an iPad - and these valuables need protecting right? So if you are even slightly craft-minded and would like to save yourself lots of money by making your own unique case, please take a look through the list of DIY tutorials I have compiled below.

There are all kinds of options, from messenger bags to recycled sweater sleeves, and from molded leather pouches to knitted covers, and you will find lots of ideas covered on this page.

Many materials can be used for making cases, but try to use anti-static and smooth materials which aren't going to hold dust and aren't going to scratch your screens. To protect from damage, batting is the padding used between fabrics when sewing items, and foam is great too for extra protection.

I hope you find a project below which inspires you to have a go at making your own gadget bag :)

Hopefully after browsing this page you will decide to create your own unique bag or case from scratch, and if so, the books below are sure to help you out with lots of tutorials, tips and ideas. If, on the other hand, you decide you don't have the time or inclination to make a gadget case after all, you can always buy one ready-made!

A fun cozy knitted by Lauren O'Farrell from Whodunnknit.com - and the project itself is from the 'Stitch London' knitting book.

Method 1: Here, 3 layers are sewn together to create a padded fabric.

What You Will Need:

* Your outer fabrics; one piece of fabric will be the front and one will be the back. Sometimes the front piece of fabric (and the back - depending on the look you want) is made up of more than one section of fabric i.e. is a patchwork design.

Also, don't forget to wash the fabrics first because if they haven't been washed before they may shrink and you don't want this happening when you've already made the product!

* Batting; this is what will be sandwiched between the outer fabrics and will provide the padding.

* Spray baste, (curved) safety pins, sewing pins or a needle & thread; depending on the method you prefer. I think using a spray baste is the easiest, but safety pins are very popular.

* Sewing machine and thread. A free-motion sewing machine foot may also be required.

- The first thing to do is cut out the front/top piece of outer fabric, which (if making a laptop sleeve for example) will probably be a large rectangle. This fabric will be on show so pick something you like :)

- Cut out a piece of batting that is 1-2 inches larger than your front fabric on all sides.

- Cut out your back/base piece of fabric so it's the same size as the batting (but doesn't need to be accurate). This fabric piece will be the backing for the quilted fabric you are making and will either be hidden or, most likely, will be the inside of your case/bag.

- Layer these pieces of fabric as shown in the diagram to make a 'quilt sandwich'. The front fabric should be the right way up whereas the backing fabric should be face-down. Make sure that the batting and backing are lined up and the front fabric is placed centrally on top of the batting. Smooth out any creases.

- There are different ways to secure the layers together temporarily, including using safety pins, spray baste or using a needle and thread to loosely baste the layers together. Choose what you prefer and work from the center of the fabric outwards.

- Then you need to machine sew the layers together (removing any pins you have used along the way so you don't sew over them). If you have done it before or you are a more experienced sewer, then you will probably want to use free-motion quilting techniques. However, the simpler option is to simply sew straight lines (parallel, diagonal or criss-cross) evenly across the quilt sandwich.

Mark the lines in washable/disappearing fabric markers before you begin so you know where to sew.

- Now that you've finished the quilting you cut around the edge of your front fabric to give you a piece of quilted fabric that has 3 layers of the same size. You can now use this to make your gadget case/bag.

Click here if you would like to read more about quilting methods.

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Method 2: This method uses foam and is best suited when you want bulkier, more protective padding. You basically enclose foam in a pocket of fabric.

What You Will Need:

* Foam (1/2" thick)

* Large scissors or an electric knife

* Outer fabrics; one piece for the front, one piece for the back.

* Sewing machine and thread.

* Needle and thread

- First of all, cut out a piece of foam that is the size you want to use in your craft. Large scissors work but using an electric knife (if you have one) is easier and allows you to cut more accurately.

- Cut out two pieces of fabric (one for the front and one for the back) that are 1/2" larger on all sides than the foam piece.

- Put the two pieces of fabric right sides together so that the edges line up.

- Sew around most of the outside edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a gap that is just big enough for the piece of foam to go through.

- Turn the fabric right-side-out.

- Insert the foam piece.

- Hand sew the gap closed using a ladder stitch - click here for instructions.

- Finished! You can use this method to make chunky padded bags, and if you want to create bends/corners then you can use separate pieces of foam within the same fabric sleeve.

Batting is essential if you want padded sides on your gadget case/bag, and if you also want to add fun freestyle patterns to your quilting then free motion tools are what you'll need too.

On top of that there are of course a wide range of sewing machines available, and you'll easily be able to find one to fit your needs. And lastly, temporary fabric adhesive is really handy to have, especially if you hate messing around with time-consuming pins!

Whatever phone you own, you can always alter any of the patterns below to suit your specific requirements - so even if a tutorial only mentions an iPhone, you can still use it for other phones with a slight bit of tweaking :)

A fun and quick way to decorate your case - washi tape!

Photo and sleeve by Cakewalk Queen - Click Here for the tutorial.

There are variety of fastenings you can use including magnetic snaps, Velcro and zippers. For the bag straps, webbing, rings and buckles are often required, and of course you'll need some nice fabric too.