Another desperate move: my own camera bag

When I bought my Canon EOS 1000D DLSR, I literally haggled for a camera bag because the package did not include a bag. Hello! Where in the world will I put my camera when I walk around or when I carry it with me? So I said to the attendant, if she gives me a bag, I’ll buy the camera NOW. So she did give me one.

After using it for a while though, I realized that it was too obvious that I had a camera with me. I remember when I bought my laptop, I also made my own laptop sleeve and bag so that when I carried it with me, it wasn’t obvious that i had a laptop with me. I decided that I had to do the same for my camera. So there started my  mission: find a camera bag.

As we all know, camera bags are not ordinary bags. It is important that the camera will be protected. So it was not easy looking for one, and I didn’t want the ordinary black camera bags.I looked around and in the Internet for THE bag for me. I really liked the ones from XcessRice Dezigns and the 5-Million Crumpler Bag, as in. I ogled at them for days. But they are toooo expensive for me. In the end, the practical me took over, and I decided I wouldn’t get either.

So I did what I always do when I’m desperate, I made my own camera bag.

I went to Market! Market! and bought my materials. Finding the right bag was important so I went around first. I then realized that there’s an area where I knew I will find the right bag: the baby section. I went there because I knew bags there had the shape I was looking for and that baby bags already had a certain cushion, which was a plus. Lo and behold! I found one for only, get ready for this, PhP300! Gosh! Such a bargain! (Jetty, told you I was a discount shopper!) I was soooo happy! The design, size, and print of the bag were perfect! After, I went to Carolinas to buy foam and brown cloth. And with that, together with my Brother, I set on my project. The only thing I had to do was the protective layer, the thick one, that, obviously, protects the camera.

 The only materials I needed: a bag, foam, and brown plain cloth.

 First, to make the “protective layer”, I measured the bag and cut the pattern on the brown cloth. [Fold the cloth for easier two-sided pattern.] Remember to put an inch of allowance for the hems.

 I did the same on the foam, with the sides having two layers of foam while the bottom part had three layers, for protection.

 Then I placed the foam in between the two layers of siding then sewed on the pattern.

I then sewed the sides and bottoms together to create a box like the one in the picture.

Then, I turned the box inside out…and this is what it looked like! The finished product!

The last step, of course, is that I put the protective layer inside the bag!

There, my very own camera bag!

The good thing with this bag is that I can remove the protective layer if I want to use the bag as a normal bag. Ha! It took me roughly an hour from the measurement to the finsihed product (picture, picture included), so it was relatively easy.

There, another creation under the premises of desperation. Not the greatest bag there is, but I’m very happy with the final product!