Case Makeover, Part 3

Methinks a bit more detail about covering the cardboard strips with fabric is in order. Where I labeled the strip "FRONT" is actually the back side of the strip. It is the side that will be unseen, snug against the front edge of the case. Now that that's cleared up, on to the fiddly issue of the curved corners.

Use two pieces of fabric to cover the long sides of the cardboard strip, including the rounded corners.

See how the pattern goes wonky around the corners? Make sure to leave enough excess fabric to wrap around and glue to the back of the cardboard strip.

Cut two pieces of fabric to cover the short sides of the cardboard strip. I turned under the sides with fusible hem tape. Sewing or gluing hems would work, too.

Spread a generous amount of glue over the entire surface of the fabric.

Wrap it around the cardboard strip and allow to dry.

In the meantime, place the fabric covered mat board insert into the case. Remember the excess fabric around the edges? Trim it to fit about 1/2 inch below the metal lip.

Smooth the fabric to lay flat against the sides of the case and tuck the excess fabric bulk neatly into the corners. Hold it in place with tape or clips.

Put a bead of glue across each of the 4 flat sides of the smoothed out fabric. Leave the corners alone for now.

Carefully put the fabric covered cardboard strip into the case. Push the strip into the contours of the case. Make sure that it comes in contact with the beads of glue.

When dry, gently remove the insert - now a single piece - from the case. Reinforce the bond between the excess fabric from the bottom insert and the cardboard strip with more glue. 

Pull the extra fabric away from the corners.

Trim the triangle of fabric pinched between your fingers.

Glue the trimmed fabric to the corner.

Nice and neat.

Now repeat everything for the lid of the case.

This is what it will look like when you are almost finished. I had not anticipated turning the inserts into single pieces. I had imagined the flat insert as a separate piece from the cardboard strip. And I thought I would need to attach the cardboard strips to the case with velcro to hold everything in place. As it turned out, everything fits so snugly that no velcro is necessary.

If I were to do it again, I don't think I'd make the inserts in a modular fashion. I might try fusing the lining fabric to kraft paper and cutting and shaping it to fit the contours of the case as a single unit.

This is what the case looked like before the makeover began. See the piece of hideous mattress pad that covers the hinges and unsightly join in the metal lip?

Go ahead and cut a piece of fabric to serve as a flap to disguise the unsightly bits and - yep, you guessed it - glue it in place.

Ahhh, so much better than it's original condition. And not even a single penny spent in the process. Woo-hoo!