Eyeglass Case Tutorial with Printable Pattern

The idea for this project came purely from my own need, but I thought there might be some of you going through the same thing and looking for an eyeglass case.

I always had good eyesight up until few years ago (darn aging! My teen daughter often say, "Is there anything good about getting old??"), but I started needing glasses to see far and it seems to be getting worse. Because I am not used to carrying glasses around, I always forget to take them with me and I won't even think about them until I need to see the menu on the far away wall at the restaurant and such. Also, the glass case that came with my glasses was a big, bulky plastic case. I don't like carrying a big purse, and there is no way that that glass case will fit in my small purse... I just wanted a small, minimal fabric case to prevent scratches. After I did a few sketches, I came up with this design.

For the closure, I designed it so that you can just fold the tab inside, kind of like tucking the opening of a pillowcase when you are making the bed. If you prefer to add snap button or Velcro you could totally do that.

*You will need

1 - Outer fabric (8" x 9")
1 - Lining fabric (8" x 9")
1 - Interfacing (8" x 9") I used Pellon 809 Decor Bond. I like the stiffness.
Matching thread

*How to

1. Print PDF pattern and cut out the template.

2. Trace the template onto the fabrics and interfacing and cut them out. You can do this one by one, but I like to layer all three material together, trace and cut. This is not only a short cut, it is easier to ensure which side of the material is suppose to be put together. You can look at the picture below to see what I mean.

3. Fuse the interfacing on the the wrong side of the outer fabric.

4. Put all three layers together perfectly. Leaving a 3" opening in the bottom, sew all the way around. Cut and snip the corners for a cleaner finish.

5. Turn it inside out and press with an iron.

6. Top stitch the portion of the case.

7. Fold in half vertically. Use clips to keep them in place while you sew. Sew one side all the way to the other side.
At this point, it might be difficult to stitch through all the layers with some machines. In that case, it might be helpful to use thicker needles and go slow. People often ask me what kind of machine I use and I always say "Baby Lock. and I LOVE IT!" Whether you are beginner or an advanced sewist, I highly recommend Baby Lock machines to everyone. They offer a variety of machines (beginner ones start around $150!) I know how frustrating it is to have a machine that keeps having problems, and that actually takes the fun out of sewing. I have been sewing with Baby Lock machines for the last 10 years or so, and they are sturdy and dependable; totally worth looking into it. :)

8. Enjoy!

Here are the images of the case"open" and "closed"...

I got carried away and made more, thinking that this will make a great gift for my friends.

The thick interfacing gives just the right amount of stiffness without being bulky. This eyeglass case will definitely protect my glasses from scratches and easily fit in my purse which is exactly what I wanted. Happy sewing everyone!

Dollar Store Project / Eyeglass Case to Sewing Kit Case

I picked up an eyeglass case at the dollar store the other day with the intention of making this sewing kit case for my niece who started to show interest in sewing. I thought she would like something like this to carry around. :)

Because the eyeglass case you can find might be different size and all, I am not going to give measurements and such. This is a brief how-to-post.

{You will need}

Eyeglass case
Fabric of your choice for outside and inside the case
Mod Podge
Sponge Brush
Ribbon to hide the hinge area
Fabric glue (or glue gun)

{How to}

1. Cut fabric for the inside and outside of the case. For outer fabric, make sure that you have enough to cover the whole thing and tuck inside the case. For inner fabric, cut the edges with pinking shears to prevent fraying.

2. It is helpful to use a small dish and such to trace the curve and cut the corners.
Also, fold the fabric horizontally in the middle, cut into about an inch or so from both sides to make it easier to hold the fabric in around the hinges.

3. Spread the mod podge onto the case evenly and carefully place the fabric. Make sure there are no air bubbles. Then attach the inner fabric in the same manner too.


4. I pasted small ribbons around the hinges area to hide the "ugly" part that I couldn't get quite right. If you don't need it, you can skip this part.

5. Make a small pincushion. All you need to do is measure the inside of the case and decide how big you want the pincushion to be. Don't forget to add an inch or so to the measurement, when you stuff it, the length and width will "shrink" (because it gets puffy). Glue the pincushion inside of the case.


That's how I made this sewing kit case.

Do you wanna see the inside?

I didn't have any plan when I was making this. I just went with the flow. If I am going to make this again, I think I will try to pay more close attention to the hinge area. You don't want fabric to get bulged up around that area, because the case won't close all the way. I had to redo it a couple times. Keep that in mind, but it is a fairly fun and easy project, not to mention very cheap too! :)