How to… make a (Microfibre) iphone/ ipod case

Welcome back to this week’s How To – where I show you the perfect father’s day gift or gift for a loved one or sibling. I find “male” members of the family really hard to craft for – as they usually do not want “cutesy” or “lovely” gifts, but practical ones. My brother asked for a last minute home made gift: could I make him a micro fibre iphone wallet. So that the phont was protected by the wallet, but he could also use it to clean the screen with it. I gathered my upcycled materials, found some inexpensive microfibre swatches online and got crafting.

A perfect gift for men on Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day.

It took me about 10-15minutes to make. There is a little bit of “fabric placing magic”, that may appear confusing, but I am certain you can do it if you follow the below Step by Step…. and hey presto you have a great and quick (and upcycled) gift!

Materials: two pieces of fabric for the outside (old jeans in my case), microfibre (lining), ribbon/ elastic and a button

Large Cover piece approx 20cm x 10.2cm

Large Lining piece approx 15cm x 10.2cm

Small Cover & Lining piece approx 14cm x 10.2cm

The above shows the jeans material untrimmed. I then trimmed it to fit the lining.

1) As you may know, I am a little bit lazy and I do like to cut corners (see my 80-20 rule approach to life). I didn’t really measure my fabric out, but let my swatches and the iphone “measure” my pieces of fabric I did measure them afterwards for your benefit. So. Cut your material.

2. Take your larger fabric and lining. Put the right sides together. Cut your ribbon or elastic loop and pin it, loop facing down and between the pieces of fabric (later when you turn it right side out, the loop will face out).  Starting half way up your lining sew all the way round (leaving a 0.5cm seam), stopping half way again – this will become the flap of your wallet. (i.e. go from red arrow to red arrow – btw the photos are pretty much the same, one just shows the positioning of the phone.

3. Now take your smaller pieces of fabric. Put the right sides together and sew across the top edge ONLY. Flip the lining over, so that you know how the wrong side and the wrong side facing each other. Place next to the larger piece of fabric.

5. Lift the low half of the lining on the larger piece of fabric.

6. Place the smaller piece on top of the larger piece. The right sides of the fabric (in my case the jeans) will be facing each other. The top of the smaller pieces should be aligned with the flap you sewed earlier (i.e. where the two red arrows were).

7. Fold “flap” you lifted in 5 back down. You will have – at the top 2 pieces of fabric you have already sewn, at the bottom you will have 4 pieces of fabric – the two pieces of jeans facing each other and now the two pieces of lining “facing” each other.

8. Now sew all around the bottom half, leaving a 0.5cm seam. You will have one remaining opening – indicated by the arrows. (The photos in 7 and 8 are identical, I the red lines and arrows have just been added as markers for you). Use this to turn your cover inside out… and as if by magic you get:

9. Sew on your button and you are done!

This pattern is for private use only. Do not use it commercially. Copyright Red Ted Art.

What do you reckon? Do you think “he” will like it on Father’s Day or maybe Valentine’s? My brother loved his…