Crochet Camera Strap Cover Tutorial

I’m hopping onto the camera strap cover bandwagon a little bit late. Can I still be one of the cool kids? Please?

There are so many tutorials for adorable fabric camera strap covers out there—including an adorable ruffled one from Midwestern Sewing Girl that Maggie kindly shared on my blog—but it’s one of the many projects on my to-do list that I’ve never gotten around to (and was starting to think I wouldn’t ever get around to). But lo and behold, Pinterest came to the rescue (yet again). Someone had pinned a sweet and cozy-looking crochet camera strap cover from Avery’s Loft on etsy. I thought to myself, “Self, maybe this is why you’ve never gotten around to sewing a camera strap cover . . . your inner granny wanted to crochet one instead!” So, inspired by the yarnilicious no-sew strap cover from Avery’s Loft (a lovely shop, by the way), I got to work and came up with this:

Pretty cute, right? I’m really enjoying it—it is super soft and cushy, and makes lugging around a big heavy camera so much more comfortable. And although I wasn’t really watching the time while I made it, I’d guess it took maybe 30 or 40 minutes to make. I doubt that I could have sewn one that fast—crochet for the win!

I wrote up a pattern for it, but fair warning . . . this is just what worked for my camera strap (a Nikon DSLR). I don’t know if strap measurements are universal across different brands/models, or if my stitch count would work for someone else’s camera. So just use this pattern as more of a guideline and adjust the stitches as necessary to get the right size to fit your strap, okay?

Okay!

I don’t know if there are official terms for strap anatomy, so I’m just winging this: your strap probably has a big long main section that narrows slightly at either end before attaching to the string that loops into your camera. The strap cover pattern starts at one of the narrower ends, grows a little bigger as the strap does, and is worked in a loop toward the other narrow end before shrinking a little bit again to cover the second narrow end.

Camera Strap Cover

(Remember to use this pattern as a guideline—you may need to change the starting chain length and/or increases/decreases to accommodate your strap size! I crochet rather loosely, so you might have to drop a hook size or adjust the starting chain if you crochet more in the normal to tight range. Just check the fit as you go and adjust as necessary.)

I used worsted weight yarn and an I hook.

Chain 8 (or however long/short of a chain you need to wrap around the narrow end of the strap snugly):

Slip stitch into the first chain to form a loop. (Don’t do this around the strap—the picture is just to show how I measured my starting chain.)

Row 1: Chain 1, then single crochet in each stitch around (this should give you 7 stitches, unless you had to adjust the chain length). Slip stitch to starting chain to join.

Row 2: Chain 1, work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, then one single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (You should now have 8 stitches.)

Row 3: Chain 1, work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, then one single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (You should have 9 stitches.)

Row 4: Chain 1, work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, then one single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (10 stitches)

Row 5-?: Chain 2, work 1 double crochet in each stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (10 stitches)

Repeat row 5 until the strap cover is the necessary length (it should cover the first narrow end, as well as the long, straight section of the strap, and stop before the strap narrows down again).

Now we have to decrease again to fit the other narrow end of the strap, so I’m counting down on these last few rows to the end of the strap cover.

Decrease row 4: Chain 1, single crochet 2 stitches together, then work 1 single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (9 stitches)

Decrease row 3: Chain 1, single crochet 2 stitches together, then work 1 single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join.  (8 stitches)

Decrease row 2: Chain 1, single crochet 2 stitches together, then work 1 single crochet in each remaining stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (7 stitches)

Last row (1): Chain 1, single crochet in each stitch; slip stitch to starting chain to join. (7 stitches)

Now fasten off, weave in the loose ends, and stuff your strap through the cover (this might take some clever finagling!)

I wanted a few cute little flowers to add a little spice to my strap. It’s January, and I need some non-dead, non-ice-encrusted flora in my life.

 

Little Posy Flowers

Start by making a magic/adjustable ring.

Chain 1, and work 1 single crochet into the ring.

*Chain 1, work 2 double crochets into the ring, chain 1, single crochet into the ring.* That makes one petal:

Repeat from * to * for as many petals as you’d like . . . I prefer 5 or 6 petals per flower.

Slip stitch to the first single crochet of the flower to connect the first and last petals, then fasten off.

And pull on the starting yarn tail to close up the center.

Weave in the ending yarn tail, and use the center/starting yarn tail to sew the flower onto the strap. I went with a happy little cluster of 3 flowers to brighten up my strap.

There you go! A cute, comfortable, snuggly soft crochet camera strap cover.

And in case you want a peek into my creative process, here are my pattern notes:

I never said it would be pretty. My brain is a very confusing place, made worse when accompanied by a one-and-a-half year old who got a little jealous of my notepad and kept stealing it for his own messy, scribbly purposes. The little dark lord strikes again.

He seriously looks a teeny bit evil in that picture. I’m frightened. Especially because he has recently started doing this maniacal mad scientist laugh . . . I think he has bad things brewing (and not just in his diaper). I can only assume he was taking my paper to make notes for his wicked master plan. I hope he will be a merciful evil overlord.