Five Minute Project: iPod Cozy

The iPod Touch (or iPhone, for that matter) is a slim little thing that fits well in all kinds of places. However, in pockets and bags, it runs the risk of getting scratched unless you protect it. Here is a super quick fabric sleeve you can make to keep your lovely device safe. It is snug enough that it won't fall out, even when shaken upside down. As an added bonus, you can even use the multi-touch screen through the fabric. A few minutes and a few cents worth of fabric seem like a bargain when compared with the exorbitant prices and shipping costs (or, even worse, a trip to the mall!) for the commercial variety.

	This sock was being used as a stop-gap measure-- but it was too large, inconvenient, and less than attractive. Something had to be done!
	Start with a 6 inch square of fabric. (Your dimensions may vary if you have another style of player.) I offered a nice marbled brown fabric, but the owner of this particular iPod gave me a look that clearly said "I want the Cheshire grin fabric!"
	Roll a hem on one edge: make a quarter-inch fold, fold over again, and then sew a row of stitches down the middle. I didn't iron, just pressed it down with my fingernail. This works pretty well for most cotton, but depending on your material, your method may change.

Fold the fabric in half, and sew up the side with a 3/8 inch allowance (again, may vary for other models). To get the correct seam allowance, I pulled the material taut around the iPod edge to edge and measured how much material still stuck out. You want it snug enough to keep the sleeve on even if it is bouncing around inside a laptop bag. Rotate your tube of fabric so that the seam is in the middle.

Sew the bottom shut with a seam allowance of about 3/4 inch, then trim away excess material (or vice versa).

Turn right-side-out and put your iPod in. When the iPod is all the way in, there should be a little extra material that naturally bends over the top to protect it. The multiple layers of material and stitching around the top make it slightly tighter there, keeping your iPod from sliding out. You can orient your iPod so that the headphone jack is accessible, and you can even use the iPod touch through the material. However, if you plan to do that, you might want to use a light colored fabric that you can see some light through. With this particular material, you can see through the eyes and smiles, which is, suprisingly, sufficient to advance to the next song. Of course, you could go out and buy one of the many products out there designed to protect your gadget, but that would take longer and cost much more. And I'm pretty sure that Cheshire cat smiles are not a standard pattern for iPod accessories.