It’s amazing what you can do with leftover materials lying around your house. Your closet, for example, is a treasure trove of material perfect for refashion projects. This Earth Week, celebrate by creating upcycled projects that are totally simple to make and useful. Reusing fabric and material you have on hand will not only help you make awesome new projects, it will help reduce your carbon footprint. FaveCrafts is happy to offer up crafty ideas that will inspire you to create with the earth in mind!
Day five of our special Earth Week celebration includes a tutorial for an Upcycled DSLR Camera Strap Cover. With just a few supplies and these easy steps, you can make yourself a lovely little cover free of a heavy price tag. And since we’re celebrating all things Mother Earth, this project calls for shirt material you already own. It’s time to reduce, reuse and refashion with our friend Calley, from The Eco Chic.
Upcycled DSLR Camera Strap Cover
Materials:
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Fabric measuring approx. 27”X8”
- Optional: Padding and/or extra fabric for lens pocket
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut a piece of fabric approx. 27”X8” and option lens pocket (to desired size).
Step 2: Place the lens pocket in place at one end of the fabric (on half of the fabric only). Sew around 3 sides of pocket leaving the top open.
Step 3: If you prefer a padded strap you can add the padding to the back at this time. Hem both ends (the 8” width) of the strap cover about 1/2”.
Step 4: Fold the 27” length in half with fronts facing each other and pocket on the inside (it should be folded to approx 27”X4” at this time). Using your lens cap as a guide, measure the desired width and pin both sides of the strap cover. Sew along the length of the fabric being sure to leave the short ends open on each end.
Step 5: Trim the edges and flip so that the right-side of the fabric is now facing out with the pocket at the bottom of one end. Iron flat and feed your camera strap through the cover.
Step 6: You are now a trendy photographer! When taking pictures you’ll never lose your lens cap again because it will be stored safely inside the pocket. Depending on how wide your pocket, you may be able to fit your cell phone in the pocket also.
Note: The sample shown here was not padded but some photographers prefer padded straps. Also, adding elastic to each hemmed end will help keep your strap cover in place.
About the author: Calley is an eco-junkie and mom of 2. I love crafting with repurposed or upcycled materials and have recently taken up photography along with my numerous other hobbies. For more upcycled crafting projects please visit my blog The Eco Chic.
Earth Week Giveaway
Return daily to comment on the blog for your chance to win one of the two Earth Week prizes. One lucky winner will win a Wool Felt Bug Kit and an Art Journal Kit from Arterro, and another lucky winner will win two hanks of At the Bahamas: Multi Colored Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn from Darn Good Yarn.
Bonus! As a gift to all Earth Week participants, when shopping with Arterro enter the coupon code FAVE20 for 20% off any order through May 1st.
OFFICIAL RULES
- There is a maximum of one entry per person per day. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied. You can comment once a day on each blog post.
- Winners will be selected at random from the comments on the Earth Week blog posts.
- Winners will be announced here on the blog on April 29th as well as contacted by the email address provided.
- You have until April 28th, 2013 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on any of the Earth Week posts. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
- Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.
What’s the most creative thing you’ve made with an old shirt?
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I love this idea – esp. since I just made one for myself! I have too many men’s shirts to not want to waste them. I think my most creative upcycle of an old shirt is a bow tie I made for my son.
stuffed animal outfits
great idea. need to make some for my photographer friends
A dress for my grandaughters sock monkey, which I had also made…:)
a head band
I crocheted an ombre rug out of t shirts:)
Well there’s 2 things. One I made the grooviest new shirt out of two old shirts. I had a black one and lime green tank. I cut the shoulders out of the black long sleeved one, and I sewed the green one under it so the shoulders were green. Then I cut a v-neck into the black shirt so the green was the prominent collar and I cut a bit of the bottom so green showed all around and I sewed everything down. It’s a really cute shirt. I did it as a teenager.
The second was a puppet I made out of an old sweater. It’s a bear, wearing a green grey sweater and a straw hat, like he’s an old country fisherman or farmer. But he’s a bear. It’s really cute.
I would make cell phone holders..the young kids really like what is considered retro
A twist Headband
I made a comfort doll out of an old shirt. I just cut two large gingerbread man shapes, sewed them together with cloth straps as stuffing, and added yarn hair.
I made little girl dresses using old t-shirts for the tank tops and ruffled layers on bottom using old dress shirts..
How fantastic, I just got a new camera for christmas and this will just make it even better. Thank you!
When I was young I used to make clothes for a stuffed animal I had.
smjohns63 at yahoo dot com
I made a bow for my daughter’s baseball cap.
A pillow!
Great idea to add the lens cap pocket!
I made a scarf out of an old shirt.
Not too creative but I have made pillows.
I just used an old shirt as padding for a step-stool cover I made for my toddler.
Hubbie had a very old flannel shirt that was pretty much holes on the front but I made a wonderfully soft infinity scarf with the back.
I am working on a maternity shirt for myself!
Will have to make one of these for my mother in law.
We have made dog toys out of old t-shirts– cut them up, braid them and you have a pull chew toy
We run 5Ks, and we’re saving up our shirts to make a quilt
Great idea. I think I will make one for my friend who is always taking pic’s.
a draw string tote bag using the hem for the draw string
A drawstring purse!
That is a very clever idea. Sorry to say I haven’t upcycled any shirts, my husband wears T-Shirts and my things are donated to the local animal shelter/thrift shop.
What a great idea for recycling. Matching straps for the family.
I like this! It’s simple and easy t make and will spruze up our plain, boring camera strap that came with our camera!
I rolled and folded an old shirt into a ball for a dog toy.
A purse using the pockets on the outside to store my cell phone & sunglasses. 🙂
I’ve used the material from old shirts to make sachets.