Ruffled Camera Strap Cover {Tutorial}

I made myself a ruffled camera strap a couple of years ago, but never took a picture of it because...well...it's on my camera. I love it. When my sis-in-law got a brand new camera for her birthday, she wanted a girly and fun camera strap too! 

Here's how I put hers together. 

*each camera strap is different. I don't include measurements. This is just a general guide to making a ruffled camera strap.

Materials:

Outer strap fabric (will show the ruffle)

Bottom fabric (will be against your neck)

batting or padding material (mine is pink fleece)

ribbon

sewing things

Cut a strip of your top fabric twice as long as the camera strap (measuring only the middle, leather or vinyl part)

Make your strip about 3" wider than your camera strap width. You will trim extra width later.

Set your sewing machine to its longest stitch length, and sew a line down the middle of the length of your top strap piece. 

Grab the bobbin thread (the one on bottom) and gently pull, ruffling your fabric. 

Continue ruffling until your fabric is 1" longer than the camera strap section you will be covering.

Iron your ruffles down to make them nice and flat.

Cut your batting and bottom fabric the length of your camera strap + 1". It will be the same length as your ruffle fabric piece now.

Lay the batting and bottom fabric right sides together, and sew a few stitches to hold them together. You can sew them long ways, width ways, or get fancy and do some swirls. Just as long as the two pieces are now one.

Cut a piece of ribbon a couple of inches longer than your ruffle piece. Sew down both sides of the ribbon, covering your gathering stitch, down the middle of the ruffle piece.

Lay your bottom piece on the ruffled piece, right sides together.

Sew down ONE long side of the strap cover. Use pinking shears to trim off extra fabric from the seam allowance.

Open your strap cover up, and it's time to finish the edges. Fold the end in 1/4" towards the wrong side, then fold again 1/4". Pin and sew across, hiding the raw edges. Do this for both ends.

Now, fold your strap cover right sides together, and sew the other long side closed. Use pinking shears to trim extra seam allowance. Make sure first that you have a wide enough opening for your strap to go through!

Now the fun part. Using a turning tool, a knitting needle, chopstick, etc., turn the strap right side out. This can take patience. 

Once it's turned, it's time to insert your camera strap! Use a tool, ribbon, or other method to feed your strap through. This can also take patience. 

Now throw it back on your camera and take some pictures! 

*I will say, while these strap covers are adorable and comfy, it does make the camera harder to fit into more compact cases and bags. It's never really bothered me, but it's something to think about if you carry your camera around a lot!