house wren studio: ipod cozy

Seems like it has been a while since I wrote about a craft- although I have a few ideas in the works. How about this one? In a rush one day, we decided Maggie needed a case for her iPod so I made one from an old sweater. This is so easy and makes good use of those sweater sleeve leftovers just as they are. I already had this one felted and ready to cut into, but you can felt a second-hand wool sweater in the hot wash and dryer. Then cut across the sleeve for a 4" section of sleeve to roughly fit the width of the iPod, cell phone or camera. The inner arm sweater seam stays as is and will be inside the top of the flap. It's okay if it tapers a little on one side- when you fold it down over the top, that looks okay. Stitch along the sides for a snug fit and trim outside the stitching with pinkers.

Measure and cut an opening in one side where you can slip the iPod into the case leaving a top flap to fold down. No need to finish the edges on felt. Sew on velcro tabs or a sturdy snap for a closure. The decoration is an old junk jewelry post earring with a hinged back that was a no-sew finish, but could also be a button or pin- anything really. Thinking that the top flap can be used to store the earphones and wrapped cord, it's pretty functional. So simple. Even with the time spent designing it, the whole project took about 30 minutes....and that included looking for a Maggie-style sparkly earring.

Don't forget to leave a comment on the Open Door post so you can get in on the Sweet Mountain Holiday giveaway. And a big thank you to Typepad for all the love as a featured blog this week. I must say I'm a big fan of the way they work: the templates, the help desk, the easy to use set-up, the nice people there. I'm totally hooked! xoC