Sometimes an iPad Case Needs a Cover

When I got my iPad over the summer, I also got the case Apple makes for it. It’s a handy design. Kind of like a book, but also like a stand – there’s a slot on the back that you can fold the cover back into so it’s propped up. Handy! The only thing is that the case is made out of a sort of suede-like plastic material that attracts dust and schmutz like it’s going out of style.

So I did what any self-respecting crafter would do. I rolled up my sleeves and made a cover for my case.

Hey, know how I don’t really blog about sewing? Yeah.

Over six hours on a Sunday afternoon, here’s what I did:

I cut a couple of complimentary pieces of fabric and sewed them together so that the total length was a couple of inches longer than the full length of the plastic case, when opened flat. I used a handy trick I learned from the Home Ec online sewing class, and folded the edges over twice so they’re nice and neat. (I thought that would be very bulky, but it’s not. Sewing people really know what’s goin’ on.)

Then I folded the extra couple of inches over to form a flap, like when you make a book cover. This flap holds the front cover of the iPad case, and also provides a handy place for me to keep my chamois for wiping my finger-smudged screen clean.

Since the iPad occupies the back cover of the case, I couldn’t use a fabric flap on that side. I had some (bright pink!) elastic hanging around, and I used two short lengths of it to attach the cover to the iPad half of the case, at the corners. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it’s been working great for a few months. I also sewed a length of elastic to the top and bottom edges of the cover in the middle, so the fabric doesn’t bow out when I flip the case all the way around to the back, or when I flip the cover around to prop the iPad up in that handy Apple case way.

I cut a slit on the back so I can still use the prop-up slot in the case. I reinforced it by backstitching around it with embroidery floss, and I dabbed Fray Check at the corners.

And there you have it. A cover for my iPad case.