DIY DSLR Camera Bag

 

Ok, so you know those Alaska pictures were taken with a fancy pants camera.  And a fancy pants camera needs protecting.  And a fancy pants camera protecting bag needs to look fancy pants itself.  And we all know how much those cost.  And we all know i'm a self proclaimed cheap ass. 

 

 

Let's put out there that I'm intimidated by things such as sewing.  And ironing.  And math.   

But even the expensive fancy pants bags didn't seem to have as many pockets as this girl needs.  Or they were many pocketed, but smaller in size.  So the first step was finding a bag that had minimal taper at the top, so it was wide enough to reach the camera quickly and easily, had handles but also a cross body strap, and would accommodate for more than just the camera and lens.  This was more difficult than I had thought, and necessitated stopping at 3 stores. 

 

And then I found the cheapest foam option-

and lined the bottom with a 1 inch thick piece, used a carving knife to make the sides a 1/2 thick so it could fit more and close-

and cut the 1 inch thick sides to shape.  Easy.  You can see the bag does taper slightly up top, but there's a lot of give.  It's got a big mouth.  Like a certain mother in law I know.  Burn! 

The excess foam was used for dividers, and when the camera was inside, held everything taut.

The foam scratching the screen was a concern, so I put one of those protector films on it.  If you wanted to sew the foam into fabric (not happening here) or maybe glue the foam into fabric, you probably wouldn't need a film over the screen.

Of course I could take all the foam out and use this a regular purse, too.

 

 

This extra flap and outside pockets really made this bag that much more workable than some of the more expensive options.   

 

I'm ridiculously proud of myself, for saving money but also for rocking this out. 

Cost breakdown:
Bag from Marshalls, 35.00
Foam from Walmart, 7.00 for 15x17x1 2 pack
$42 for a fancy pants looking fancy pants camera bag.  Seriously. 

What's your latest DIY proud moment?   

 

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