Schwag Laptop Keypad Cover

Protect your laptop screen with this easy-to-make cover. This is a really great use for all those company t-shirts that don't really fit.

Step 1: Materials

You will need:

- schwag t-shirt
- backing fabric, could be a patterned fabric or another schwag t-shirt
- iron-on fabric adhesive
- thread
- scissors
- fray-check, anti-fray liquid, or clear nailpolish
- sewing machine (could also be hand-sewn or have no sewing)
- pattern or paper for making the pattern

if you want to include the fabric leash you will need:

- ribbon
- alligator clips

Step 2: Iron Out Shapes

Wash the t-shirt and the backing fabric to prevent bleeding and other issues. Iron both the t-shirt and the backing fabric flat.

Cut out around the printed company logo leaving plenty of extra space. Also cut a large piece of the backing fabric and the fabric adhesive. Following the directions on the fabric adhesive, adhere the backing piece to the t-shirt logo.

Step 3: Cut and Sew

Create a pattern to fit over the keypad on your laptop. I used the foam padding that came with my laptop for measurement. Pin the pattern on your fabric, centering the company logo. Then cut around the pattern.

Using a fun stitch, sew a pattern border around the edge. This will help keep the fabric pieces together and be a bit more decorative. You can sew a border by hand, or skip the sewing altogether.

Trim the edges of the fabric so they look nice and straight. Then apply a bit of fray-check around the edges on both sides to keep the fabric from fraying.

The cover is now complete. The following step is for adding a leash.

Step 4: Create the Leash

Eric told me he often forgets to put the cover back on his laptop after he's done working at the kitchen table. The leash should solve this problem. I made the leash out of some old alligator clips and some ribbon.

Take apart the alligator clips. Thread the ribbon through one of the plastic protectors and tie to an alliator clip. Add some fray-check to the end of the ribbon and put the plastic protector back over the clip.

Measure out how much ribbon is needed to fit loosly around the laptop. Cut the ribbon to length. Then thread the loose end of the ribbon through the other plastic protector and tie to the other alligator clip. Apply fray-check to the end and put the plastic protector back over the clip.

Now you have a nifty leash for the screen protector!

Step 5: Other Materials

Other materials work just as well and are equally stylish.

Here's a swash of silk fabric, which didn't quite make it into being a tie, protecting a laptop.