Introduction: Laptop Bag
Saw this design recently: http://www.redmaloo.com/ but two things immediately struck me, no handle and no where to store a power supply or mouse. So....
Note: as of 9/12 The bag is complete but havent added pockets for psu, mouse & bateries
Step 1: Materials
Materials are irrelevent. Although the felt case from the Maloo site may cause some cooling issues for powerbooks. I wanted a moderately durable material and opted for this 1/8" thick antistatic workbench rubber mat. Some neoprene for the interior to provide some shock absorbsion and a combination velcro & tarp snap for fastning.
Step 2: Plan Layout
While I like the layout from the original idea there is a slight issue, most spare material I have is a yard wide and a 15" laptop wont be easily covered. I've opted to have a long fold across the width of the powerbook. Fastners will come in from the top and bottom, and the long flap will fasten with a handle.
In the end this design 'limitation' allowed me to include a mouse mat area. For the accessory storage requirement I'm going to attach a stretchy material to the long flap (what is the underside in this image). So, the long flap can go both under the short flaps for a tidy looking case, but along the outside of the snap/velcro short flaps if you're carrying extras. I'm going to head over to tj-maxx and pick up a nylon sports shirt with a nice pattern and adhere it to the outside.
Step 3: Cut the Neoprene
I cut the neoprene so that when the bag is folded together it forms the interior of the bag. One of the final steps is to adhere it to the rubber mat with contact cement. Added some fabric spacers to allow a little air under the powerbook, which can get bloomin hot let me tell ya!
Step 4: Add the Snap Fastners
These are heavy duty fasters for tarps.
Step 5: Handle
I'm sure there's a proper name for this type of arrangement, if someone would like to post a comment I'll update this step
Step 6: Finishing Touches
velcro between the snaps
rounded the corners
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this is so nice and simple bag...i like it..
great job
This is the COOLEST laptop case I've ever seen!
You did a great job.
You mean the net of the shape?
yeah, the kind of 'loop & hook' way the handle works
Be kind of neat if you reversed the case so the longest flap is on that right side and works as a mouse pad.
(o; just put your laptop in the other way around.
Blasphemy! Haha(:
Thank you so much for this! I've had my eye on the Red Maloo case for a while ($140.00 ?!?!?!) and have been thinking of making one. Your design with a handle is a very nice touch. Not sure if I will use industrial felt or an old yoga mat.
Could easily have found snaps at any craft/sewing store... even heavy duty ones. Don't see why you went to so much extra work modifying the ones from the hardware store. Nice bag!
I don't see why you need the snaps (or any fasteners).
Simply fold in these flaps before you fold over the 'side' with the handle and that should hold it all together.
wow very creative!
I'm currently making this case for my 17" macbook pro out of a few layers of heavy fabric. I made a quick pattern in illustrator that other people might be interested in using too: https://www.instructables.com/file/FSYG39SF6RHPULF/
If you're doing this for a different laptop you could just scale it a bit.
I'm pretty close to done and if it turns out well I'll send you photos.
Great instructable!
Finished mine! I posted photos of it on my blog here: http://ireallymeanitthistimeredux.blogspot.com/
Thanks again for making this instructable.
Nice solution for the equipment but I would add some kind of flap with velcro to the bag for equipment. For example if you go travelling a lot, it would be easier that all the stuff inside the equipment bag wouldn't go venturing around your suitcase. :)
I give up, couldnt find the image on your blog - could you send me a direct link? cheers /pauric
I'm not sure where it got to myself. My main site has a slideshow of it and the second similar bag I made:
http://www.jftesser.com/portfolio/Crafts/Entries/2007/9/27_Neck_Warmer_2.html
The second one has the same criss-cross design but is simpler and uses buttons instead of velcro and snaps.
I would guess it's an example of how Life eats Blog :) It happens!
I looked too, and because I liked her design work I went playing around on her site and found it in her flickr stream: her version of the laptop
That is just insane - I like jftesser's fabric version much better - but it blows my mind to see someone re-use one of my designs - made my day!
yea mate! that rocks, i was thinking in doing this 4 my 17" MBP and another one for my GF 15". and now that we are in this job maybe i'll do one for my MBA. thanks for the pattern
maybe you can change with zipper to strengthen that two side I think it better
Yeah it would be better but it costs more. If you would leave it without a handle and just let the case protect the laptop it would last anyways.
Hey, I like it a lot. I think if the cost of materials wasn't to high I could make them and sell them , know what I mean. Thanks a bunch.
I have a quick question about the button snaps: I have an incase brand neoprene laptop "sleeve" and I was wondering if I were to add a handle and use snaps to hold it on (see pic below), would it be strong enough to hold the MacBooks weight and more?
I dont know, I tend to think that the snaps might pull at the neoprene in a very focused point and you really want to distribute the load across a wider area. My suggestion would be to stitch a neoprene handle on to the sleeve. The handle would have to be stitch on to two sides too. Hope that helps /pauric
Yeah, thats a good idea, but I was really hoping that it could be removable... if anyone has a suggestion, that would be great
velcro handle, soft part on the sleeve, hook side on the handle. But I suspect you would have thought of this...???
Sort of, maybe combining the snaps and the velcro, but make the upper snaps closer together than the bottom ones so there is less of a risk of pulling one of the snaps off from stress...
that will work - I like it! Post pictures when you do it. /pauric
Yeah.. I'll have to find some fabric I like (which may take a while because I have exams this week) but hopefully I will get around to it soon and post some pictures
Well, i am a little busy this week - again - but i did throw it together and i decided to just sow it on and not risk dropping my laptop. The handle is just a nylon strap with the middle section sown together to add to the thickness... you can easily get them premade a Jo-Ann fabrics store. Hopefully i can add some photos later
So what is the exact fabric you used, like were did you get it and what it is called. I have no clue. So please respond asap. and where did you get the rubber mat from?
Thanks mate ive been looking for my moms birthday presant and i think this is it cuz she JUST got a new laptop :] maybe just as a joke i could put a porn sticker on there then see the reaction i get to just get into trouble >:D maybe..............pfft...i dont think i wanna die today........ ok thanks for the AWSOME TOTALLY RAD instructable!
I bought foam sheets for this (silly me) and came home only to read the materials you used. To top it all up, the biggest art shop only sold them in A4 sizes and I had to search around till I found square shaped ones (about the same area of an A3 sized paper) and snapped them up. I guess I'll be covering them with cloth to prevent the foam from stretching too much and also just make use of it since I already bought it for the purpose of a laptop bag (but didn't have any design in mind then). I guess I'll skip the handles else I'll look weird carrying 2 bags in one hand. Thanks for the upload!
furoshiki
How durable is the fabric you chose to use? From the pictures it looks like the handle passes thru the small flap. How much stress is on the fabric at that point? Does it need to be reinforced at all?
practically indestructable
this is brilliant
Sorry, guys but Im new here I just came here March, 9,2007. may you guys give me addvice please!?
Elegant engineering! Well done. For padding, if needed, closed celle foam sleeping bag pads, readily available, work well. I usually take my old one, cut it up for various needs, and rotate in the new one for actually camping on.
that is so sexy. I'd built one if i hadn't already forked out $80 on a laptop bag at officeworks. Great instructable.
pretty sweet looking. It doesn't even look home made, except for the copper pipe. I wish i had some skills because i would make one for my Thinkpad.
nice! why buy a sleeve when u can make one ;-) where do you get neoprene from?
http://www.seattlefabrics.com/neoprene.html
Just bought some today
I would be right in thinking that this neoprene would work as a mousepad?
yup!
hermoso diseño. práctico y racional
I still can't find any neoprene