Mr. SuzerSpace and I recently upgraded our cell phones.
Previously, I was using the box the old phone came it as my super fancy 🙂 phone holder for my nightstand. The box the new phone came in isn’t made the same way, so it didn’t work as well. So I decided to craft up two custom trays.
I used a 9 x 12 sheet of felt from the craft store. I didn’t buy the super thin and flimsy felt, but I also didn’t buy the super stiff and expensive version either. Like a crafty Goldilocks, I chose the sheet in the middle that was just right.
I placed the phone on the felt sheet and then tested some folding and pinching to see what measurements I needed. It won’t be a phone holder if it doesn’t actually hold the phone. Turns out I could use a half-sheet to make each tray, so I cut one into two 9 x 6 sheets.
Using a piece of junk mail as my template, I drew 1″ square lines directly on each corner on my felt with a Sharpie. Normal people would use a fabric marker that would disappear, but my fabric markers seem to dry out exactly at the moment I need them. Since the felt was dark colored, I figured I could get away with this technique.
To begin shaping my tray, I folded the corners and made sure the lines aligned. I wanted the corners to stick out, not be boxed in, so I did this wrong sides together.
The black Sharpie line I drew for alignment and sewing is hard to see, so in this photo I’ve added a red circle to highlight where it is.
I then sewed straight down the sharpie lines, being sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. I used a sewing machine, but if you were patient, this could be done by hand as well.
Once those were done, I had a bowl with pointy corners, which would have worked, but it isn’t what I imagined, so kept going.
I folded down the sides, and pinned them so they wouldn’t slip away.
And then using a zipper presser foot on my sewing machine, and my needle as far to the right as possible, I stitched a line very, very, very close to the folded edge. I didn’t try to sew all around (the corner thicknesses would have been tricky) – I stopped and backstitched at each corner and then moved the needle to the next edge and started again.
This created a neat little stitched seam all around that added structure to my tray.
Mr. SuzerSpace requested a small cutout at one end to thread his charging cord through, which I did with an X-acto knife.
Neatly done! I could use one of these, I keep placing my phone on a shelf by my bed- where it’s unfortunately easy for it to be knocked off by curious kitties. This might help.
That’s spooky, I’ve been making similar little trays with Christmassy fabric this week! Not quite the same but a similar concept. I love how you finished these with the extra stitching, they look just right for purpose and the idea of the hole for the charger is brilliant.