[NOTE: This DIY was written in the early days of the MacBook Pro product line, before case-makers had caught up with Apple’s new form factors. In the two years since I wrote this, many excellent designs have become available, and I myself have upgraded to a Booq Vyper, which I can recommend despite the repellent name. This how-to remains useful, though, for the true and dedicated tightwad, the avid recycler, and anyone addicted to the heady polymer aroma of duct tape.]

I’ve never bought a carrying case for any of my laptops, but the new MacBook Pro is so sleek and lovely that I decided I would spring for a genu-wine store-bought case this time. A little research has deterred me, however. Word on the street is that the case-making sector hasn’t really caught up with the new Mac laptops’ dimensions yet and various vendors are claiming that old stock designed for iBooks and PowerBooks will accommodate the MacBook and MB Pro, with mixed reviews from users. If I’m going to shell out $30 or £20 for my new ‘Book’s case, I want it to fit like a tiny wetsuit, not blown-out rhino hide.

So, pending the bringing to market of dedicated cases for the MBP, it’s back to my old cheap-ass DIY ways.

Each of my previous laptops has undergone a non-invasive procedure that results in a carrying case meant to go inside a soft briefcase or backpack. The case you get this way has the following virtues:

  • Tailor-made for your machine, with a fit as snug or loose as you design
  • Provides excellent shock protection and is largely liquid-proof [*]
  • Made from materials that are practically free
  • Looks only slightly hobo-esque, and is meant to be tucked inside other bag anyway
  • Gives you the profound satisfaction of making something with your own two hands

    • [*] I use this term not as a watch-marketer but as a beer-spiller. This case is NOT rated to any number of atmospheres.

This takes around an hour to do, including beer-opening etc, and doesn’t require any tools you probably don’t have lying around the place already. Materials required are:

  • Large piece of closed-cell foam (i.e., a backpacking sleeping pad[**]). It comes in various thicknesses; I recommend 3/8″ or 1 cm
  • Duct tape
  • Self-adhesive Velcro® (optional)

    • [**] Try to find a used piece of this stuff at a garage sale or similar. Everyone seems to be using higher-tech sleeping pads now, so there’s no shortage of orphaned EVA pads out there. If you must buy new for this project, expect to spend around $10.

This how-to should be pretty much self-explanatory from the step-by-step photos shown below, but I’ll include notes as I go along.

    Step One
    1. Materials assembled.JPG

  1. First assemble your materials. In addition to the materials for the case, you’ll want to have handy (nautiluswise from top) the machine you’re encasing, X-Acto® knife, long straight-edge, scissors, square with measuring units, felt-tip pen, and beer (not pictured — the morning-sickness thing renders beer odor intolerable to Magda. So. No beer. You do what you want, but if your pregnant wife asks you to cut back on the beer, I advise compliance. She can’t stand the smell of olives these days, either, but that’s neither here nor there). In the extreme upper left is a piece of cardboard for protecting the kitchen table when cutting. The piece of foam here is actual Ensolite®, thin but very shock-absorbing and pliable stuff. In my opinion, worth seeking out for this project. This piece happened to be salvaged from the Dumpster®, adding to the satisfaction factor and lowering project costs asymptotically while increasing hobo-ness somewhat. Color is a bit unfortunate, but makes it easier to illustrate.

    2. Step Two
    2. Measuring the machine.JPG

  2. Open the beer (not shown!) and measure your computer. As you can see above, I’ve marked out five ‘columns’, using the machine itself as a measuring tool (not otherwise generally recommended). From left to right, the ‘columns’ marked will eventually form flap, top, back, bottom, and front of the case. No side panels have been marked yet. As you measure/mark, it’s better to be liberal and allow a little extra room. You can regulate the snugness of the case later when you bind it with duct tape. Try not to spill beer on materials or computer (generally recommended).

    3. Step Three
    3. Rounding the flap corners.JPG

  3. I traced around the roll of duct tape to round the corners of the flap. An optional step, and one which complicates the edge-binding later, but it’s more aerodynamic this way. Your call. At upper and lower center you can see that the edge panels have now been measured and marked.

    4. Step Four
    4. Traced out.JPG

  4. Here you see the case form marked out and almost ready to cut. An error I made here was failing to allow for the thickness of the foam where the side and front panels will meet, but this is easy to rectify before you do any cutting. Picture how the various flaps will fold around the machine and make sure that it makes sense before you pick up those scissors.

    5. Step Five
    5. (Small) Cut out.JPG

  5. This picture shows the computer lying atop the cut-out foam. Note the hashlined areas where I added material to the pattern to allow for overlap of the foam thickness.

    6. Step Six
    6. Edge scoring.JPG

  6. Using the X-Acto® knife and straight-edge, carefully score the foam along the soon-to-be corners — anywhere the foam will round a corner. This scoring allows the foam to fold at something close to right-angles rather than bending. Use care to cut no more than halfway through the foam, and just in case place heavy cardboard underneath where you’re cutting. Rule: X-Acto® knives are almost always sharper than you think. Cut along the lines you drew with the straight-edge — the cuts will end up on the outside of the case.

    7. Step Seven
    7. Preparing to 'sew'.JPG

  7. Next you’re going to ‘sew’ the case’s various panels together with little tabs of duct tape. Cut out a lot of them (you’ll end up using a few dozen in all) but here’s another rule: if you try to get 35 of the things ready all at once, you’ll end up with half of them stuck to your pants. (Note: you should be wearing pants). The computer is now wearing the condom it shipped in. Be safe!

    8. Step Eight
    8. 'Sewing' the seams.JPG

  8. This side is all ‘sewn’ up with little strips of duct tape. Rule: never skimp on duct tape. And don’t worry about how it looks; all seams will be covered later.

    9. Step Nine
    9. (Small) Seams sewn.JPG

  9. Here’s the case with all the seams stitched together, and the MacBook inside. It’s beginning to look slightly case-like.

    10. Step Ten
    10. Finishing.JPG

  10. This is where we cover all seams with smooth swathes of duct tape. Oooh, duct tape… This serves both structural and aesthetic concerns. Go slow, get in the duct tape zone.

    11. Step Eleven11. Velcro, case complete.JPG

  11. If you have some self-stick Velcro® around from previous projects, why not use some to make a nice tearing-sound closure? Here you can also see what I mean by not skimping on duct tape. As you bind the case with long strips, adjust the amount of pressure you apply to the tape to regulate how snugly the case will fit around your computer.

    12. There is no Step Twelve
    12. Encased.jpg

  12. Finished! Here’s the MBP reposing snugly in its glove-like case. I can slide it into my soft briefcase, or carry it around just like this, all hipster-hobo. Beer? Thanks, but, umm, better not…