How-To: Sew a New Camera Strap from Stash Materials

 Camera strap sewn from webbing and a shoelaceI really did NOT like the camera strap that came with my fancy new camera. It was stiff and wide and cut into my neck. It was a little too short to allow me to wear my camera messenger bag-style, as I prefer. And it was black and leather and festooned with the camera company’s logo.

I hate logos.

Fortunately, it’s easy-peasy to sew your own camera strap. When you sew your own strap, you can make it just as long or short or narrow or wide as you prefer. And you can sew it from your own supplies already on hand, so no leather and no logos!

You will need:

  • Two pieces of narrow webbing that will fit in the strap holder of your camera, or a suitable substitute. For my project I used a shoelace.
  • Around a yard-ish of wider webbing. I used webbing from my stash, but you could also use a belt, a strap cut from a worn-out messenger bag or backpack, or a very sturdy fabric that you then fold and stitch.
  • Two plastic slides to fit the narrow webbing. Use the ones that came with your old camera strap, if possible.
  • Sturdy scissors
  • Matches or lighter
  • Sewing machine with sharp heavyweight needle and matching thread installed

1. Figure out how long you want each section of your strap to be. I cut off about a yard of wider webbing for my strap, because I like it my camera to rest low on my hip when worn messenger bag-style across my shoulder. For the narrow webbing I used one shoelace, which I cut in half to make the two pieces of webbing that I needed. This gives the strap a large measure of adjustability, to fit both short little me and my tall, tall partner.

Shoelace sewn to the webbing, with the seam folded in2. Finish the ends of your webbing. Shoelaces are woven, so the ends need to be folded over and stitched so that they won’t ravel. Cut off the caps at the ends of the shoelace before you do this, because that cap won’t fit through the strap holder on your camera.

If you’re using fabric, turn and stitch the ends.

If you’re using webbing, hold a flame to each cut end for just a second or two, to melt and seal the ends.

3. Sew the narrow webbing to each end of the wider webbing. The way that you do this will depend on your materials. If you’re stitching the narrow webbing to something like a belt, then just stitch it well.

Fit the plastic slides onto the narrow webbing before you put the strap on the cameraIf, on the other hand, you’ve made the shoulder portion of your strap out of fabric, then you can likely insert the end of your narrow webbing into each end of the fabric tube, stitch it shut, and topstitch.

4. Fit the plastic slides onto the two ends of the strap before you put it back on the camera.

Your new strap is much prettier than the old one!

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