DIY Tablet Case

Wow, so it has seriously been over a month?  I could have sworn I'd posted on here at least twice this month, but it must have been one of those "oh, I'm going to..." and then get distracted by something shiny moments.

Oh well!

This is one of my more involved projects, so hang in there!!

 First thing you'll need is some fabric of your choice.  I used some old PJs that were stained and torn and just no longer suited for PJ use.  The pockets came off of a really old pair of shorts and I thought one would look cute on the front.

 You're also going to need scissors and some felt to line the inside.  You want it nice and padded, but this isn't going to show, so if you buy multi-packs, like I do, then this is a great way to get rid of Those Ugly Colors That Never Get Used.

Of course, you'll need thread and needles and, if you choose, some cute patches, bows, buttons, beads, or other fun accessories to stitch onto it to customize it!

 Last but not least, you'll need some cardboard.  I cut a piece the size of the tablet to use when working with the case so that the tablet didn't get scratched when everything was all pinned up.

First, position the decorations onto the pocket and stitch them all in place.  This is way easier to do with the pocket off of the case than on it.

Now, I got really lucky in that these wide-leg capri pajama bottoms were the exact width of the tablet when stretched out, so I just lopped them off about two inches below the length of my tablet cardboard cutout.  I wanted to leave them a bit long to allow for the seam at the bottom and to be sure the top of the tablet would be covered when inserted.  I pinned the pocket where I wanted it to be, then flipped the leg inside-out once I had cut it off.

Once that was done, I pinned the bottom seam, then pinned the ugly felt to it to pad and protect the tablet once it was inside the case.  As you can see, I stitched the pinned pocket in place through both the leg of the pajamas and the felt to secure it all.  Once that was done, I popped a few stitches around the felt edges to hold it in place.  Repeat the pocket-and-felt-securing-process on the other side!  You will want to pop the cardboard tablet cutout in here a few times during the process to make sure you are leaving plenty of room for it to fit easily in the case.

All those scratchy beads and buttons are in there, so aren't you glad you have that silly cardboard cutout now?

Now that the stuffing is done, it is time to stitch up the bottom!  If you didn't have serendipity on your side with the width of the pajama leg, then you would also do the other two long sides at this point, as well.

I looped the fabric seam in over a large needle and then went around it once more for good measure to make sure the stitches were extra sturdy and the pouch could withstand a lot of abuse.  Just make a few stitches and move the needle up and wrap the seam as you go - it prevents tedious pinning and is much easier than I'm making it sound!  This will also help prevent dust and other things from having as many entry points into your case.

Flip that baby rightside-out and you're good!!

Here's the back...I chose to only decorate up one side of the pocket.

...and here is what it looks like with the tablet inside!

Pretty!

<3WW