Do you want to get a bit more protection for your iPod that that psuedo velvet sleve? Have a spare sock? How about a box cutter and an old water container? Well... you are in business. Follow these steps towards homeade iPod protection.

Step 1: Hunt and Gather

What you'll need:
Razor Blade, Box Cutter, X-Acto Knife, or Butter Knife*.
2.5 Gallon Water Container, "Liquid Box" or similar plastic milk cartony PET #2 stuff
0.5 Pairs of Socks. Tube is prefered and about 3.5 times the length of the hieght of your iPod.
A pencil, marker, or similar, that will write on the water container plastic.

Users of the butter knife may be disappointed with how their case turns out and the time it may take to complete the project.

Step 2: Wash the Sock!!

Unless you are going for some sort of theft detering feature to your case, or if you want your free space to be maintained to a 10 foot radius, i'd wash your sock.

Chossing your sock is important. I've designed the template that I provide for a 1/8" sock. Thicker or thinner socks may have different results. You may want to try a couple thicknesses until you find a good snug fit that still allows for access. I had a disgorgment incident into t"he seatpocket in front of you" and some woried hairpulling trauma until ifuigered out that i had put the case in upside down and the iPod just slid out. Anyway... wash or don't wash, but choose wisely and test a couple socks.

Step 3: Download the Template

Right now there is only one template. It is designed for a 80 Gig Video iPod. I hope to include different templates for different iPod models and different thickness socks in the future, but who knows if that will happen. I'll gladly add additional templates that others make, and have included the .svg file so that you have the guts to play with. I use Inkscape, the Open Source Scalable Vector Graphics Editor for my draings. If you do also you may have an easier time dealing with editing my images.

80 Gig Video iPod with a 1/8" Thick Sock Template
JPG :: SVG :: PDF

The SVG also has a collection of all the parts I used to buid the drawing, so if you want to play with new designs, sock thickness, and ipod size, use that file in Inkscape.

I think the jpg scale might be way off. It could be the resolution on my monitor. The GIMP told me that my iPod scale was 4.1 inches, but it looks way smaller than my ipod when I hold it up to the screen.

Step 4: Transfer the Template Onto the Plastic

This step I have not yet done myself. I hand drew my case onto the plastic and only built the template afterwards. Any "on-the-gorund' assessments and tricks are welcome. I would sugest cutting the template out along the black lines. Then tracing it onto the plactic. The slits could be marked with a pin. Or the whole thing could be taped on and the cuts made throught the template onto the plastic. Anyway... cut it out! !*!*!* AS ALWAYS BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT YOURSELF *!*!*!

My picture will look a bit different as my tabs are "oldschool", V 0.1 if you will.

Step 5: Build the Case

Put all the opposite tabs into their slots to make an iPod shaped box with an open top. Drop your iPod into your clean sock. Push the iPod/sock end of the sock into the case so that the sock is coming out of the top of the case. While holding the iPod and sock in the case, fold the sock over the case so that the trailing end of the sock is now off the bottom of the case. This is like insideing out your sock, so that the whole case is inside the sock. Then you need to do the whole motion again so that the case in now stuck into the trailing end and the sock has been folded inside itself 3 times. This setup has the iPod in the sock inside the case, and the case double folded in the remainder of the sock. The top of the sock if it's a tight sock should stick out a bit above the top of the case, and snug down so the iPod doesn't slide out.

The End