Free Sliding Camera Strap with Lens Cover Pocket - Handmade for Virtually Peanuts

Our free sliding camera sling strap is fully adjustable (using the adjustment hardware from the leash) to accommodate different heights and comfort levels. We created a loop cut from a piece of cat leash then attached it to the camera using a quick release hook. The camera slides along the strap for quick, comfortable shooting

Recently, there has been a resurgence of camera straps on the market that allow your camera to move freely along a comfortable, easy to use, sling type strap. To use, you simply lift your camera, take your shot, then release. Your camera slides up the strap for shooting, then down the strap, resting near your hip until you want to shoot again. These straps caught our eye because constantly fumbling with the camera strap is a pain in the neck - figuratively and literally. Not only do these new straps stop constant adjustments, but they reduce the strain on your neck from the weight of the camera. You are able to shoot quickly and more efficiently, keeping your hands free and your strap out of the way.

The downside of these new straps is that they are expensive - around $50.00 or so. As a matter of fact, it is expensive to buy any new camera strap. So what can you do? Make your own, of course! Using the following tutorial, you can re-purpose your old strap, giving it a fresh, new look while making it more functional.

There are many blogs out there that show you how to make camera straps that are either free sliding or decorative. Our strap is both. And - it is made cheaply using the strap that comes with your camera and left over fabrics and supplies you have around your house. Your cost? Practically free. We have also incorporated a pocket that holds your lens cap while you shoot - a handy little feature to add.

Two different camera straps we created, one with lens cover pocket.

Another reason to make your own strap is that you can custom create it to suit your own needs. You can make it adjustable, colorful or padded. You can add features to the sling like additional pockets or holders for supplies. You can make it as thick or thin as you like, and, you can even make it function like a mini camera case, depending on what features you add. The bottom line is this - you'll have a strap that takes away the cumbersome problems we all face on camera shoots.

Supplies you will need

For the Strap:
1. A removable camera strap
2. 2 strips of fabric that are each a) the width of your camera strap plus 5/8 inch on each side for your seam allowance, and b) the length of your strap plus 1 inch on each end.( If you are padding your strap, add another 1/8 inch to the total width).
3. Optional: 2 strips of thin batting, each cut to the exact width of your camera's strap. This will pad your strap and make it more comfortable to wear. This is a nice feature to include, but not necessary.

4. For the Strap Extension and the Free Sliding Mechanism:
You can use many things, depending on what you have at home. For ours, we used an adjustable cat leash. An old backpack also has the types of attachments and straps you can use.
Another option is to use is a large metal or plastic purse ring and some kind of thin adjustable strap.
5. a quick release latch

Below is a good website to purchase hardware from:

http://www.strapworks.com/Plastic_Harware_s/18.htm


5. For the Pocket:

You will need 2 small pieces of fabric, large enough to hold your lens cap, plus 1 1/4 inch on each side.
To determine the size you need: On the wrong side of one piece, lightly trace your lens cap. Add 1 1/4 inch to each side, then draw into a square. Cut two. Place your squares right sides together. Taper 2 sides in as shown below. The bottom should be the width of your strap plus 5/8 inch on each side. When finished, your pocket will look like this:


Sewing Your Strap

1. To make pocket:
With rights sides together, sew the 2 cut pocket shapes together at the top, bottom, and angled sides. Leave the left and right sides un-stitched. Turn right side out. Iron. It will appear as above. The sides are left open because they will be sewn in to the cover's side seams. The bottom and top edges are finished. Set aside.

2. To Make Cover:
Remove the ends off of your old camera strap by taking out the stitching with a seam ripper. Set ends aside.




3. If you want to pad your strap:
Sew your batting strips to your strap, 1 at a time, 1 on each side, using 1/4 inch seam allowance.



4. For the Outside Cover:
Put the front cover fabric over your neck. Place your pocket on the front side of the fabric, where you find it most comfortable to use (we placed ours on the left so we could grab the lens cover with our right hand). Pin. Stitch the bottom only of your pocket to the front fabric.

5. Next, place your outside cover fabric strips right sides together (the wrong sides of the fabric will be facing up. Your pocket will be in between and the raw side edges only will be sewn into the seam. The finished angled edges will remain open. Do not sew them into your strap. Your pocket will be slightly bigger than the strap in order to accommodate most lens covers. Pin.

6. Sew both cover side seams using a 5/8 inch seam allowance.

7. Flip right side out. The easiest way to do this is to put a safety pin on one end and pull the pin through the inside until one end is peaking out of the other, turning the entire tube right side out.

Tube turned right side out. This is how your pocket will appear

.


8. Feed the camera strap through the fabric cover tube

9. To finish ends: turn the corners only of the raw end pieces inside, forming an angle. Iron down.
Iron the entire strap.

*Optional: If you want, you can sew a narrow finish stitch along both long edges.

9. Take the faux leather end pieces from the old strap and reattach them by sewing over the old stitch marks .

You now have a basic, covered camera strap.

*To use grommets instead of camera strap ends: Finish the raw edges of your strap by turning edges under and stitching in place. Attach grommets by cutting an X the size of the grommet hole and trimming excess until the grommet fits through. Although the cut doesn't have to be clean, keep it snug to the grommet for the best hold. We suggest using a grommet tool, but any rounded metal edged hammer can bend the metal in place.

Strap Adjustments

1. You can choose to make your strap either adjustable, or not adjustable. We made ours adjustable. The top illustration is for a non- adjustable strap. The second illustration is for an adjustable strap


To make your strap adjustable, first cut the cat leash to size. Then, securely sew one end into the leather end or loop it around the other end of the grommet and sew it to itself. The other end of the slide strap will loop through the end of the shoulder strap and come back to a strap adjustment. Try to keep the strap adjuster close to one side of the shoulder piece so it doesn't get in the way of the camera attachment.


To Create Free Sliding feature

For the camera slide feature, you will be making 2 loops cut from the cat leash. The first loop will attach to your camera through the original strap attachment slot., and the second loop will slide along your strap. Both will be connected together using the leash's quick release attachment. Or, as shown in the above illustration, you can use a simple purse ring or plastic loop attachment. You can buy these at most any fabric store. To quickly attach and detach, use the hook of the leash or any other quick attachment hardware.

Good luck!