Tutorial: Recycled Phone Pouch

Step 5

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to make an easy drawstring pouch for your new (or old) phone recycling an old t-shirt.

Materials & Tools:

  • Old t-shirt
  • Sewing thread
  • 50 cm cotton cord (like for necklaces), or other cord of your choice for the drawstring
  • Charm – because we want it pretty
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine (or hand sewing needle, if so inclined)

Size: This pouch is made to fit an HTC Hero phone. But it’s easy to adapt to any other phone. You just need a bit of eyeballing.

Make it:

  1. First cut out a sleeve from the t-shirt. Make sure that the hemming of the sleeve is in good condition and the channel is perfectly closed all around.
    Step 1

    Here you see the sleeve, the phone that will be protected, and the scissors, because.

  2. Next up, open the sleeve cutting on the side of the seam. Lay flat the sleeve, and with the top of the phone aligned with the channel of the sleeve, wrap the fabric around the phone to estimate how wide your piece needs to be. Add a couple cm for wiggling room and another couple for seam allowance.

    Measure the height of your phone and add a couple cm for wiggle and seam allowance. Mark this measure on your piece, making sure to start measuring under the double needle seam (that makes the channel).

    Now you should have a piece like this:

    Step 2

    You can see the measurements for the HTC Hero. The 15.5cm includes the channel for the drawstring.

  3. Fold it half right sides together width-wise (make sure your channel matches!), and pin it in place:
    Step 3
  4. Starting at the double seam, sew the pouch with a narrow zig-zag stitch (I used setting 2 out of 4 in my machine). Trim the sewing allowance so neat all around.
    Step 4
  5. Thread the cord through the channel, tie a double knot (at the distance you judge best for your pouch) leaving one of the sides longer, and slide your charm into this longer side. Tie another knot so the charm doesn’t fall. Trim excess cord.
    Step 5
  6. Take picture. Slide phone into pouch. Show off.

For questions, feel free to contact me.

And in case you’re curious, the charm is a lucky cat.

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