Pretty Camera Strap Covers
I’ve been wanting a pretty camera strap cover for a long time, so I took a break from my quilt blocks for the Sew Can She Sewalong and did some selfish sewing this morning.
Last April we featured this super little tutorial that I knew would be perfect. It’s very, very easy. Kind of like making a padded purse strap and not having to make the purse.
Click on the photo to the right to visit the actual tutorial, or see it and our other crafty little things to sew in the Sew Can She Archives.
This is some delicious fabric that Mary at Fabric Tree sent me last year. I’ve been saving it for the perfect project. Since one camera strap only requires two 5.5″ x 23″ rectangles of fabric (one outer and one lining) I decided it would be easy to make extra to give as gifts.
Okay, I have to rave about Fabric Tree right now. This has never happened to me before. All four of their fabric pieces were cut so perfectly square that I didn’t have to trim any away before cutting my project.
{I emailed Mary about it and asked her if I could say this, since I didn’t want to put too much pressure on her to always cut perfectly. She wants you to know that they pride themselves on quality service!}
Here’s my lining fabric that came from that big fabric-store-that-must-not-be-named. Okay, I know I could name it but I wanted you to know how I feel about it.
This piece is actually an example of their finest work. I swear, sometimes I want to return fabric to them because so much is unusable due to sloppy cutting.
Okay… rant over. Here are some more fun pictures. I serged all the edges not because I needed to, but because my serger goes faster than my sewing machine.
At quilt market last October we were given nice big samples of double sided fusible fleece from the Warm Company. I decided to try it out. So instead of fusing single sided fusible fleece to the strap and then turning (like the tutorial suggests), I turned the pieces right side out, pressed them, and then inserted my double sided fleece down the middle.
It’s a little bit easier if you tuck the ends inside before you press to fuse the fleece (you might guess why my actual photo of that is the second strap I fused). And be sure to press from the center of the strap toward the ends.
The only other change I made was to topstitch the second side of the strap after sewing the two long edges together. I just think it looks nicer that way. I really wish I had some cute tapes that said ‘SewCanShe’ on them to label the stuff I make. Every time I go shopping for them on etsy I get sensory overload with so many different shops, styles, and sizes that I end up deciding to decide later.
So here are my four adorable straps. I must admit that my initial desire for a pretty camera strap was fueled by vanity, but it turns out that these make the strap wayyyy more comfortable around your neck too.
Happy sewing and picture taking, everyone!
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
How funny, I just made myself a camera strap last night! The ones you made are so cute!
Thanks Brie! Did you use a tutorial?
It’s so funny you posted this. I found this in the archives and gathered all the supplies to make a few of these this week!
Wow! I love all of them, and they look so cushy! I think I’m going to use this to make one for my father-in-law, in some manly fabrics. I would make one of the chevrons for myself…but I don’t have one of those fancy awesome cameras…yet.
Love this! What great gifts for people.
I made my own tags for the things I make. I designed that I wanted and then went to spoonflower.com and had my own fabric printed with the design I made. Now when I want a label, I just snip one off of the fabric, turn the edges under, and sew! Tip: an 8"x8" swatch is only $5!!! I fit something like 40 labels onto a swatch. I got two swatches (because I couldn’t decide between two of the different types of fabric) and I think I ended up paying a total of $11 for the two swatches with shipping. $11 for 80 labels?…I’ll take that.
I agree with wishing you could return fabric because so much of it is unusable. There is a reason why I buy the cheap stuff there when it is my only choice or fat quarters. If you are going to sell fabric, teach your people how to cut it first. Take your time. /endrant By the way, cute camera straps 🙂
I want to use regular batting instead of fusible, I have so much regular, going to try it and see how it works.
Hi! I LOVE this and was wandering are all camera straps the same width?! Wanting to make one as a gift for a photographer friend…Thankyou
I use BoodyBabies for my labels. They do a great job!