GUITAR STRAP

Make your very own guitar strap from left over fabric.

TO MAKE YOUR OWN YOU WILL NEED

2 Long Strips of Fabric - I chose to make mine 10cm wide.
1 Long Strip of Wadding or Padding - only 9cm wide.

A Sewing Machine that has a buttonhole foot.

A broom handle or a long rod.

1. Determine the length of your guitar strap. Measure another strap set to your preferred length, or use a piece of string and tie it.  Make it a little longer than your ideal so you can lengthen and shorten the strap later.

Next decide what width you would like your strap to be. The wider you decide, the easier it will be to turn inside out later. And the more comfortable to play.

2. Choose your fabrics. The tougher your fabrics are the less they will crease with tension from heavier instruments. I'm making this strap for a light acoustic guitar, so these fabrics are fine. The corduroy is for underneath - to grip the shoulder, the wadding will make a good padding in between.

4. Create a template for your project. Allow 5mm on each side as a seam allowance

4. Cut out the two sides. 

5. Cut the wadding 5mm smaller all round and taper the ends as above. Notice my wadding wasn't long enough so I stitched in an extension.

6. Next, stitch the wadding to the bottom layer to keep it in place at various points along the strap.

7. Stitch the Top fabric to the Bottom fabric (with wadding attached) RIGHT sides facing with a 5mm seam allowance on both sides. Just the lengths. Leave the ends open.

8. Next flip the whole length inside out. Use a long pole to aid pushing the fabrics through to right way round.

9. Tuck the ends in a tapered fashion as above (or however you wish to style it.) Press each length first then stitch each line one at a time.

10. Measure the width of the strap pin on the guitar. Adjust your buttonhole foot accordingly to sew a buttonhole on the front end of the strap. Then open the hole with a seam ripper or craft knife.

11. Stitch a button hole at your optimum playing position at the other end, and again open the hole with a seam ripper or craft knife. You can add more buttonholes either side as you need them. 1 either side should be enough.

Put your strap on the guitar and make some music!