Kitty Phone Sleeve DIY

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world is a phone sleeve?" That's fine; I'm fairly sure I just made up the term moments ago. I upgraded to a smartphone a few months back and have been so happy with the iPhone 5c I now call mine. I was so happy Apple finally made a more affordable option with their phones. I feel much more comfortable carrying a plastic device around; at the same time I don't feel shorted on style or efficiency. It is still a great device. But I like that it is a little cheaper; I feel more comfortable not having a case on it all the time. In fact, if I'm being honest, I don't ever put a case on this phone. There are times when I would like it to have a little extra padding and protection, though, like when I toss it in my purse with other items.

That's where the phone sleeve idea came from— I wanted an extra little compartment to slide my phone into before putting it in my purse, that would keep it a little more safe. I made it from some fabric scraps I had lying around. It's even got a plushy fuzzy inside, to protect the screen and give it a nice polish every time I slide the phone in and out. And I made it resemble a kitty... because I could.

See how I created this simple kitty inspired phone sleeve below.



KITTY PHONE SLEEVE DIY:

Supplies needed: fabric scraps (I used an old sweater and a very plushy fabric), embroidery thread, sewing machine, two small round buttons, one small heart shaped button, wire, velcro, fabric scissors, E6000 glue

1. Measure your phone/device and cut a pice of fabric that is twice as long the device plus 2 1/2 inches for the front flap, and leave space for a seam on the sides. My phone is roughly 5 inches by 3 inches, so I cut a piece of fabric ~12 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches.
2. Lay the side of the fabric that you want to show on the front face down on the table. Cut out a piece of plush fabric the length of your phone and as wide as the piece you already cut out (5 inches by 3 1/2 inches). Pin this piece to the long piece you laid face down. Sew the plush fabric onto the longer piece.
3. Fold the long piece up and sew along the sides, creating a pocket. There should be 2 1/2 inches of overhang. Leave this for the flap. Trim the excess fabric and turn the pocket into itself, turning it right side out. The plush fabric should be on the inside of the pocket now. 
4. Fold, pin, and sew the overhang you left for the flap into a pointed shape. 
5. To create the ears, cut small rectangles (~1 inch by 2 inches) and fold into triangles. Cut off excess ends.
6. Sew on coordinating fabric, if desired, for the insides of the ears. Glue the ears onto the back of the sleeve using E6000 glue.
7. With embroidery thread, stitch on buttons for eyes and a heart button for a nose. For whiskers, if desired, cut three pieces of wire into equal length. Thread these wires through the back of the flap, through the embroidery thread used to stitch on the nose button. Glue in place with E6000 glue.
8. Cover and secure the whiskers further by cutting a piece of fabric to fit on the back of the flap and over the exposed stitches and wires and glue. Finish by gluing a velcro closure onto the sleeve, to secure the flap and keep it closed. 

All done! A kitty phone sleeve to add an extra layer of protection and an extra little bit of cute.

xx Emorie