DIY - Purse to Camera Bag


For about a year + now I've been eyeballing these really awesome bags for my camera.
see here, here and here. and if you want to see a post with all kinds of camera bag options check out this blog post here.

i love that they're so chic and fashionable.
they don't scream - I OWN AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA COME ROB ME - especially when traveling.
Of course these beautiful, stylin' bags come at a pretty steep price $150 and up.  although i'd definitely be willing to pay for one i had a LIGHTBULB moment. (rare but they happen) :)
i thought hmm… i have some really cute purses - what if i were to make my own camera bag/purse?
No sooner did i have this thought then the creative person in me wanted to see it fulfilled.
what would I need to do this? a padded insert of course.

what i thought would be important about the insert:
  • small size for my purse
  • at least three compartments
          1. camera + lens
          2. extra lens
          3. flash or storage (remote, camera quick reference guide & extra memory cards)
  • padded bottom for protection from underneath
  • lid with zipper to protect from water damage or anything I may place in the purse
  • foldable lid for quick and easy access.

went on amazon and googled dslr camera inserts and came up with a long list of them.
after some research and reading many reviews i chose this one caled CLIK.


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what I thought was important about the chosen purse:

  • specific size that would allow for the insert + wallet, cell phone + a few small items.(amazon provided measurements so I measured my bag before ordering)
  • still in style  - don't want to embarrass myself ya'know…
  • a color that would go with most anything i wore
so i decided on this bag-



i use this bag a lot as it is. it is a gray color with gold zippers.
i bought it to take with me on my one month trip through Europe a couple of years ago. i love the over the shoulder strap and that all compartments have zippers. i felt that this would be best - to discourage any would-be thieves.
i was so anxious to see how the insert would fit & look in the bag i could barely wait the 3-5 days for it to arrive. but it did finally arrive and to my pleasant surprise it was everything i had hoped it would be. sometimes when i get excited about a project especially when i'm trying to go a less expensive route and make my own - it ends up somewhat less than perfect.


well here it is





so in the end I saved myself quite a bit of money and got to use a purse i absolutely love.


Today:
I have been using the camera bag for a few weeks now and i have found it to be invaluable
i'll admit that my purse is now  a bit heavy for everyday but it encourages me to take my camera most places with me that way i get more practice.  i def. need the practice. ;)
I also love that no one knows that i am carting around my dslr (well now some will know) :)



xoxo,

bobi



* all photos taken with phone camera and edited in camera+
* i used Picasa for the collage