Just in Case linky party

I love linky parties and am excited to share ideas with the "Just in Case" linky party over at First Grade Blue Skies. It's a party all about cases... from cell phone to iPad and Kindle to laptop. Any case you can think of!

Personally, I don't really have cases for all my little goodies (I know, shame on me) but I do have a bag I made for my laptop that kind of serves as a case since it is nice and thick and super sturdy. Plus, I made it myself! (That would be where the "Random" in Random Craftiness comes in!)

It's basically just felt and a LOT of hot glue (and a pinch of sewing for the base layer). I basically just measured all the way around my laptop and added a couple inches for the seam allowance and to make it easier to slip the laptop in. It ended up making it about 16" across. Then I decided how tall I wanted the bag. Cut out the pieces and sew up the sides to make a very basic bag. From that point it was just a matter of adding in the cosmetic portion of it ("scales", pocket, straps).

I was thinking about doing ribbon for the straps so I wouldn't have to sew but decided that, for better strength, I would make a few felt straps which was pretty much just cutting two long rectangles, folding them in half, sewing up the side, and turning them right side out.

Now this is where the glue comes in. I started with the pocket which is one long rectangle that stretches from the middle of the back to the middle of the front and glued a straight line where the pocket meets the bottom of the bag. I then glued the straps onto the bottom of the bag on either side of the pocket. Then I just started layering on the scales. Once the scales were on, I could finish securing the pockets and straps. And done!

I'm super excited to make a few more along the same lines. Maybe something in black and white chevron? Or even rainbow stripes? What do you think?

Katie Poyzer