Tutorial: How To Make a Reversible Laptop Sleeve

I have always wanted to learn how to sew or at least learn to make my own stuff. As you know, the accessories for Apple products are generally EXPENSIVE. A simple laptop sleeve costs about RM100, so I decided to make my own.

I bought these fabrics at Nagoya and I’m never going back there. Why? The Chinese guy there are so stingy. I wanted canvas material, but the cloth was a bit dirty. Generally, textile stores will give you an additional 1/2 meter to compensate for the dirty part. This guy told me to go home and wash it. Fuck you man. So we walked away.

Anyway, I got the tiny polka dotted and some rough cotton. My advise, buy non-slippery fabric because you wouldn’t want to let your laptop slips off your hand.

1. Cutting the fabric. I prefer mine snugged so it’s a hard to slip off the sleeve. I left at least an inch for every side so it’ll be easier for beginners like me to sew. (That’s my wife’s hand btw)

2. Sew a “U” shape for both fabric, except one, sew double “L” shape leaving holes at the bottom, so you can flip it once you’re done.

3. Cut the edges so that it’ll form a sharp corner.

4. Flip “U” shape so that the right side faces each other.

5. Slip the flipped one into the other.

6. Sew the end together. Make sure you don’t overlap, otherwise you’ll have to do all over again. I assure you that can be frustrating.

7. Remember the hole of the “L” shape? Carefully pull the inside fabric out.

8. The last part, sew the holes using the ladder stitch. (Such manly arm! Hahhaa)

9. Flip the inside out to make sure the reversible sleeve works.

Now it fits well into my bag along with my other red stuff. The possibility of getting a scratch from keys is reduced. Job well done.

The story begins last night, I got home at 12 am and told my sleepy wife, “I want to learn to sew a laptop sleeve”. She helped me through the process and showed me how to operate a sewing machine. The rest was history. I made one complete sleeve in one hour. Not bad for a noob eh?

If you feel cheated by Apple or any other laptop accessories, share this post, we all might benefit from a thing or two 😉