DIY Leather Laptop Sleeve Tutorial

Do you ever have an idea in your mind of something that you want but you can't seem to find it? Or if you do find it, it's {far} out of your price range? I recently got a new laptop and I knew I needed a case for it, but what I was looking for just couldn't be found. I love the look of leather everything right now. Like I'm obsessed with it. So I had it narrowed down enough to know that I wanted a leather laptop sleeve. Of course the first place I turn is Amazon because as a Prime member it gets here yesterday, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I started to search on-line and all the cases I was coming up with were $150+. I loved the look of the handmade leather laptop cases I was finding but I just couldn't justify the cost. So like all things, if I can't find what I want, I set out to make my own. This DIY {faux} leather laptop case cost me less than $20 and an hour of my time to make. My goal is to inspire my readers to want to create as well so I'm sharing how I made my laptop sleeve with you. You may like aspects of the case and take inspiration from this to create one that fits your needs.

DIY Leather Laptop Sleeve

I got lucky and happened upon Joann's when they had leather {really I think it's vinyl but whatevs} on sale 50%  off. There were several different kinds to choose from but I settled on this light brown one. It was originally $34.99 a yard but at half off, I got the half a yard I needed for $17.50.

What you will need:

1/2 yard of leather {or your fabric of choice} thread leather cord

Supplies to make your job easier {I'll explain later!}

tape binder clips
I found it easiest to lay my laptop on top of my piece of fabric and sort of measure it that way. My laptop has a 15.6" screen so it's pretty good size. Your laptop may be smaller so my measurements won't work for you. That said, this is what I cut: 32" long and 17" across.

I also knew that I wanted a pocket to store my charging cord, notebook, pens, earphones, whatever. So I cut a piece of leather that was 17"x 8".
I started by placing my smaller piece of leather on top of one end of my long piece. I used needles at the top to hold that piece in place and act as a guide where I wanted to sew my channels that would be used for storage.

Tip number 1 when sewing with leather:

You can get a leather presser foot but I didn't want to make the purchase if I wasn't going to get the bang for my buck. I'm not sewing leather every day so I passed. I used a piece of tape on the underside of my regular presser foot. This helped the leather slide easily underneath my presser foot and not catch. You're welcome.

I didn't sew all the way down my pocket because I didn't want the stitching to show when you closed the case. 
Pins in leather are not your friend so...

Tip number 2 when sewing with leather:

Pins will leave permanent marks in your leather. The fabric doesn't bounce back like other materials. You can use binder clips instead. This will hold your layers together and won't leave any evidence that they were there.

After I finished my pocket, I made sure my pieces were all lined up and I sewed around the bottom of the case. There are parts where you will have three layers of leather so take your time. You can top stitch around the whole case if you like the look of that. Not to worry, leather won't unravel so it's not necessary.

I contemplated several different ways to close my laptop case. I finally decided that I like the leather strap that wraps around my Bible, so I used that as my inspiration. I knew I wanted to round the corners so I used a round lid to trace and then cut around.

I made two small rectangle holes in the center of the top flap of my case and used an retractable straight edge {this one is my favorite} to cut out the small holes.  Now you can thread your leather cording through and knot the end. Then wrap it around and you are done!

This sleeve would be a great gift to make as well. Recently,  I shared with you some Valentine's Day gifts for guys.  This laptop sleeve made my list.  Though you don't have to wait for Valentine's Day to roll around again. 

You could also create any version of your own laptop sleeve. I considered using felt and I also threw around the idea of using a fun fabric as a liner. Remember this is a laptop sleeve really only made for protecting your laptop from scratches in a bag. If you wanted to make it into a laptop bag, you could find some thicker fabric to line it with and create something that would provide more protection. 

Make it your own whatever you do, but don't be afraid to try to make something when you just can't find that perfect something you are looking for. 
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