Updated February 25, 2021:
Eco Canvas was retired on February 25, 2021 but you can recreate this project with Spoonflower’s Recycled Canvas, a woven canvas featuring REPREVE® recycled polyester suitable for seasonal outdoor use.

Raise your hand if you’ve experienced the following: You’re holding a camera, ready to capture a beautiful moment and the next thing you know, you’re reaching out as fast as you can to grab the camera that is unexpectedly falling out of your grasp. Has your heart rate risen just thinking about every photographer’s worst nightmare? Same here. Keep reading to see how we paired Eco Canvas with a picture perfect design to create the DIY project that every photographer needs in their life: a camera strap. We can’t guarantee your camera catastrophe nightmares will go away but we promise you’ll be glad you added this accessory to your camera bag!

A Picture Perfect Gift Idea: DIY Camera Strap | Spoonflower Blog
Camera Sketches by gypseeart

Materials

  • 1 Fat Quarter of sturdy fabric
  • 1 Fat Quarter of batting or other soft material
    • I used remnant Fleece! (Note: As of March 2023, we are phasing out our Fleece fabric and launching Polartec® Fleece, which will also work great here!)
  • Heavyweight material for the ends of the strap
    • Make sure to find a material that won’t fray when cut. Faux leather or felt are great options. I’m working with faux-leather that I found at our local art exchange store (Reduce – Reuse – Recreate!)  
  • Narrow twill tape, cotton webbing, or ribbon (3/8″ max)
  • 2 3/8″ tri-glides

Now let’s get sewing!

Sandwich your fabric straps together | Spoonflower Blog

Cut two 3” x 24” strips of your strap material, and one of your batting or lining material. Sandwich your three strips as follows from bottom to top:

  1. Batting or lining material
  2. Strap material, right side up
  3. Strap material, right side down

Pin in place, and sew along the two long edges with a 3/8″ seam, making sure to leave the short edges open. 

Sew along the two long edges with a ⅜" seam | Spoonflower Blog

Turn your strap right side out. Topstitch along both long edges with a 1/2″ seam.

Mark the center of your strap on the short ends and stitch | Spoonflower Blog

Mark the center of your strap on the short ends. Topstitch down the middle of your strap to create a ridge on the center.

Sizing Guide

Camera Strap end pieces sizing guide | Spoonflower Blog
Camera strap end piece sizing guide

Cut four end pieces out of your heavy material. The handy sizing guide above will help you find your measurements. 

Cut two pieces of your webbing, about 13” long.

Sandwich your strap end between the longest edge of your end pieces | Spoonflower Blog

Sandwich one end of your strap between the longest edge of two end pieces, right sides of the end pieces facing out. About 1″ of your strap should be covered by the end pieces. Next, sandwich one end of your webbing between the end pieces on the shortest end. Pin in place. Repeat on the other end. 

Sew around the edges of your end pieces at about 1/8″. Stitch across the end pieces and through the center for extra stability. Repeat on the other end.

Slide your tri-glides onto your cotton webbing and attach to your camera. Now you’re ready to snap a beautiful picture without the fear of dropping your camera! 

Looking for a unique way to highlight your photos? Find out how to transform them into photo magnets for under $10!