Literally Free DIY Camera Strap

Ok, so mine wasn't really literally free, but that's coz I didn't wanna sacrifice any of my belts.

So I made mine from a discarded belt bought from a roadside stall at a Thieves' Market for $1. I was looking for a nice colorful one. =) Got the other materials already at home, or someplace cheap too.

This strap I made is not really adjustable, so measure properly. Or you could improvise and make it very adjustable too! I didn't think about making it adjustable before I started cutting... =P

Anyways, read on!

Step 1: Materials

As listed in the photo:

1. PVC sheet from a previous project (which didn't come to fruition coz of my laziness)
2. A pair of scissors
3. An old belt that is nice!
4. Buckles (you'll need 2 pairs)
5. Nylon strap that fits through your camera's lugs
6. Thread
7. Needle(s) (I only used one)
8. Marker

Comments

[Krako]

For inexpensive leather scraps - try a shoe repair shop - they ususally have lots of scraps - in a past life I assisted with cub scout crafts & we had the shoe repair shops tied up for their leather scraps. Give it a try!

[Pretty Idiot Productions]

Custom guitar straps here I come!

[SirronTM]

You know, this is a silly situation.

The strap I have for my Pentax MV1 is what I assume is the original one. It's white and says PENTAX PENTAX PENTAX in garish red lettering.

And I really like your idea and intend to follow your instructions; only one thing is stopping me: I need a belt like that. It's a real pain because I used to have one, but I already turned it into an instructable of my own ¬¬.

All of the belts of this general kind I've seen on ebay look like they'd be too coarse for neck usage; so do you have any like.. brand or something for that one I can search? Thanks.

[incywincyspider]

Haha! I don't think it'd be "free" if you specifically go and buy a new belt just for this. Look at junkyard sales or garage sales, or 2nd hand stores like the Salvation Army or something. If you really want to buy, I thought the belt I got resembled a design from a brand called Springfield (don't think Simpsons).

Anyways, I'd advise not to use the nylon belts. Try to use cotton or other soft material where possible. I'd imagine nylon belts to cut into the skin quite uncomfortably... =)

Good luck on your search! And yes, I do dislike straps with branding all over...

[ReagenWard]

So, how is it literally free?  Do you mean practically? 

And if you already have the other parts, how are they free?

[incywincyspider]

Hmm... perhaps "practically" would be a better word.

It's free coz you can use an old belt, and you can cannibalize the straps from old camera straps if you don't want them anymore, and you need not use PVC to cover the fraying ends if you don't want to.

And I'm quite sure everyone has thread and needles at home right? =)

[Kasm279]

Nice camera! I have an Olympus OM-10 thats about that old that i need to get working... 

[lachlanmiller]

Nice Strap. In no way is it literally free though.

[budji3]

You could have used black thread or thin-gauge nylon/fishing line to sew the PVC to the strap. It would add a nice finish. Nice project though, nice belt too  :)

[incywincyspider]

Hi! Yeah, I could've used black, but I thought that would be boring. Should've used orange instead of red though, but what the heck. It was a first piece. =) 

Oh, I didn't wanna use fishing line because I imagined it might cut into the PVC. Perhaps it wouldn't, but hmm... I dunno. Didn't really think about that then. I was just thinking in terms of color. =)

[ramhardikar]

Nice idea!

[Yerboogieman]

That Nikon reminds me of a Leica.

[incywincyspider]

A Leica? Hahaha! I wish... I really do wish it were one. But hmm... I shall be satisfied with my Nikons... =)

[Yerboogieman]

Just change the name on the front, people won't know unless they get close enough. That does look like a nice camera though.

[incywincyspider]

Hahaha! Nah, it's ok. I love and am proud of my Nikons. It IS a nice camera, though not fully mechanical. Seems like I'm using my film cameras these days whenever I'm shooting for leisure...

[filmsay]

Where to get the buckles?

[incywincyspider]

Do you mean belt buckles or the buckles I used on my strap? Belt buckles you might find them at flea markets or used equipment stores. The plastic buckles I used can be found at craft stores. Not sure if you have Art Friend where you are, but in Singapore, I got mine there.

[Sunbanks]

That looks very nice and it wouldn't be too difficult to make :D

[incywincyspider]

It can be abit tough to sew through, depending on the materials you use. But yeah, I love DIY and I love to be have something unique... And since you can use any old (or new) belt, there's an almost limitless range of designs! You could even use car seat belts, although they're abit too wide for my liking. =) Or use the black leather with metal studs kinda belt... ooooo.... hahaha!

[Sunbanks]

If you used a car seat belt you could even use the buckle if it wasn't too big :D 

[ll.13]

Nice one, I love the camera too, I reckon I'll do this sometime as I don't get on too well with the Nikon strap.

[incywincyspider]

I love my camera too! And I didn't get a strap with the camera but it's ok. It just means I'll have one less piece of rubbish lying around my house. =)

[Cartermarquis]

I really like the look of this strap.  I'll have to make something similar for my D90.