Braided Leather iPad Grip

Like its predecessors, the new 3rd generation iPad is a slippery beast to handle. The design is sleek and gorgeous but feels slippery in hand. None of the covers and cases I found pleased me. I wanted something that would make the 'pad easier to hold while honoring the clean lines of the naked iPad. Something in leather of course. An "iPad Grip".

It took me a while to isolate the issues and home in on my solution. A case like the one I made for my iPod Touch wouldn't work on an iPad - the sides are too long for the laced edges to be rigid enough to carry the weight and stay in place. Eventually it dawned on me that what was really needed was "grip" - a tacky surface to hang onto. So I tried with a simple leather rectangle glued on the back of the iPad, rough side out for grip. This would be out of sight, would elevate the iPad slightly off the table to make it a little easier to pick up, and would offer a textured surface for my fingers to grip. That helped some but the iPad still felt insecure in my hand. Next I cut a hole in the center for my fingers to wrap into - that helped some more. Then a friend suggested lacing the edge of the hole. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? That did it - the grip is now firm, friendly, and secure.

The lacing around the hole offers plenty of texture for a secure grip and the lacing around the edge adds a bit more grip and stabilizes the iPad resting on the table.

Here's the plan:

Plan for Braided Leather iPad Grip

The "grip" is glued to the iPad with regular old rubber cement. The cement holds the leather in place and is easy to remove whenever one might wish.

Now it needs a bag...

Tags: Leatherworking Projects