Home » Craft » 10-minute Sewing Tutorial: Sew a Camera Case or a Cell Phone Case

10-minute Sewing Tutorial: Sew a Camera Case or a Cell Phone Case

Easy tutorial to sew a padded case for a small camera or a cell phone. Step by step tutorial with photos.

Camera partway out of the case

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How to Sew a Small Camera or Cell Phone Case

Small Camera or Phone Case Materials

MATERIALS:

  • Enough fleece to wrap up your camera or cell phone (as if it were a gift) twice
  • Scissors
  • Thread
  • Sewing Machine

Step by Step Instructions

I made this small camera case using the method I described in my laptop cozy tutorial. I omitted the batting and the quilting steps, and instead used a scrap of fleece left over from this project (inspired by this year’s notebook sleeve).

  1. Cut out two strips of fabric large enough to cover your cell phone or camera with extra for your seam allowance and extra at the top (to create a fold). You are sewing a tall, narrow envelope.
  2.  Stitch the sides of both pieces of fabric shut, right sides together, to form an envelope – with the same amount of extra fabric left over on the top of each envelope.
  3. Place the envelope you turned right side out inside of the other one. The right sides of the two envelopes should face each other.
  4. Stitch the raw edges together, leaving an opening along the top of the envelope flap for turning right side out.
  5.  Turn right side out and hand-stitch the envelope flap shut the rest of the way. Or, skip this step by top-stitching the edge of the envelope using your sewing machine. I sewed mine shut by hand.
  6. Insert your cell phone or camera, and fold the flap into the opposite edge to create a neat little package.

Differences between this case and other cases I’ve made on this site

I made the top flap of this case slightly longer than I would for a normal case, because I wanted the camera to stay securely put while swinging from my wrist.

port opening in back of camera case

I also created a port for the camera wrist strap. I sewed the entire pouch together. Then I cut an opening in the back (see below) large enough for the strap to go through. Then I zig-zagged around the opening, to keep it from stretching out.

closed camera case made from fleece

So now the wrist strap serves as a carry handle when the case is closed, and the case hangs from the strap when you are using the camera. No losing your camera, no losing the case, and all very simple and easy!

If you don’t have a sewing machine, it would be easy to make something similar out of double (or even triple) layers of felt, hand-stitched together. You can also hand stitch fleece, but it’s annoying because it’s such a tightly woven fabric.

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

12 thoughts on “10-minute Sewing Tutorial: Sew a Camera Case or a Cell Phone Case”

  1. I am a very novice sewer so forgive the simpleness of my question. Could I use flannel for this case? And would it work to have a couple of layers to make it a little more protective? Would I just sew layers together or …?
    Love this idea!
    Thanks,
    Jill

    1. Flannel would work nicely with a couple extra layers for more protection. You can stitch the layers together or do some decorative stitching (like I did for this SLR camera case: https://www.mamasmiles.com/fabric-by-fabric-one-yard-wonders-review/ )

      The other option would be to sandwich a softer, thicker fabric (or quilt batting, if you have it) between just two layers of flannel. Feel free to come back and comment with other questions if you need help!

  2. Elisa | blissfulE

    I love the wrist strap detail! You’re so clever. :) Love the design and colouring of the fabric, too!!

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