Make a Ruffled Camera Strap Slipcover
October 1st, 2010
I am in love with anything ruffly and flirty – I’m totally digging the ruffled camera strap trend. and I’m really loving all the purpley grays, berry pinks, and olive greens I’ve been seeing everywhere for fall. gorgeous. I love the idea of a camera strap slipcover that can easily be changed out with new seasons and colors. and although my sewing machine usually runs and hides when it sees me glance in its general direction, this cute slipcover was pretty easy to tackle.
Wanna make one? It wasn’t too bad… promise! come on, I’ll show you. 
Stuff you’ll need
- sewing machine & coordinating thread
- iron & ironing board
- camera strap
- 1/2 yard camera strap fabric
- 1/2 yard ruffle fabric
- 1/2 yard second ruffle fabric (optional)
Fabric I used
- Woodland Delight Gray Bloom by Paula Prass
- Lotus Lime Full Moon Polka Dot by Amy Butler
- Party Animal Pink by Michael Miller
Cut 2 strips of fabric for your camera strap. You’ll want to add 1″ to the length and width of the camera strap you’ll be covering.
For the length, I gave myself a little extra room for the slipcover to hang over – I measured from the middle of the X’s on the leather ends of each strap.
For the width, measure at the widest part of the strap on the leather ends.
My measurements were 24″ x 1.75″, so I cut 2 strips of 25″ x 2.75″.
Turn the short sides of the strap fabric in 1/4″ and press. when pressing the second strip, make sure the ends line up so both strips are the same length.
Hem the short sides you just pressed, back-stitching at the beginning and end.
(That’s the button that looks like a U-turn.)
Line up the two strips and pin – right sides together.
Since the width of my camera strap is 1.75″, I want my slipcover to be 2 inches wide. use a ruler and make a pencil mark so you know where to hem so you’ll have 2″ in the middle.
This centering ruler came in handy. If you can get a picture of it upside down, even better.
Hem just one long side of the strap, back-stitching at the beginning and end.
See? Just one side. Remove pins and set aside.
Now if you did want to go ahead and stitch the other side…
You’d have a very basic slipcover. Easy! you could find some super fun fabric and change this out all the time.
But today we want to add ruffles.
Cut a strip of fabric for the ruffle. You’ll want it to be the same width and double the length of your camera strap.
I cut mine 2″ x 42″.
(My fabric wasn’t quite long enough to double the length exactly, but it was just fine.)
Fold in the long sides of the fabric in 1/4″ and press. now this can be kind of tricky, so I used a piece of cardstock to help keep a straight edge.
Hem the long sides of the ruffle fabric. I used a zig-zag stitch to add a little fun texture.
But you could use a straight stitch too. If you’re going with the zig-zag stitch, hem the fabric right side up – I think it looks better.
Sew a basting stitch (that’s the longest stitch your machine will do) down the middle of the ruffle fabric, leaving a long string at the end.
Now grab that camera strap fabric, open it up, and pin the end of the ruffle fabric to the end of the camera strap (on whichever side you want to be the front).
Starting at the other end, find the long strings you left. Grab the bottom string (from the bobbin thread) and gently pull the fabric to gather & ruffle.
Arrange ruffle evenly onto strap, leaving about 1″ on both ends un-ruffled.
Pin and sew into place using a straight stitch right down the middle, back-stitching at beginning and end.
Remove the pins and the basting stitch. Pull the bottom thread out first, like you’re gathering again, then the top thread. Don’t worry, it should come out pretty easily!
Now it was looking pretty fabulous with just one ruffle, but I just couldn’t resist… I had to add a second ruffle!
To add a second ruffle, cut another strip of ruffle fabric, the same length, but not quite as wide as the previous ruffle.
I cut my second ruffle strip 1.75″ x 42″.
Repeat the previous steps to add the second ruffle. when you are done, you’ll want to sew a straight stitch across the short sides of the slip cover, sewing the ruffles in place at the bottom.
Now fold the slipcover over, right sides together. find the pencil mark you made, and sew a straight stitch down the long side of the fabric to close the slipcover, back-stitching at the beginning and end.
Turn the slipcover right-side out and slip onto your strap!
You now have a custom, gorgeous, ruffly, feminine camera strap! and it’s a slipcover, so you can change it out as much as you like.
Have a great weekend!