Wipes Case Laptop Tutorial

I’m so glad lots of you liked the (Low Tech High Tech) Wipes Case Laptop—thank you!

I admit, it is a little silly (ridiculous!) but, I assure you, it is lots of fun!

Really, what child doesn’t want her own laptop computer toy with a picture like this on it?

(I talked her out of her favorite picture “Bloody Eye” which was taken just after she got stitches. Ewww!)

Here's how to make it...

Materials

empty wipes case

paint thinner

sand paper

spray paint for plastic

cardboard scraps

1/2 sheet craft foam

white cardstock

hot glue

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

alphabet stickers

To make the keys with paper and wood (if you have small or flat stickers), you will need to buy a piece of thin, flat wood that is 1/2 inch wide. I got this at JoAnn’s. I think it was balsa—it is very thin and lightweight (I cut it with scissors).  You will also need a piece of cardstock.

Instructions

Cover alphabet stickers with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. Let dry for 3 hours. I think this is what really made the project—the keys feel like real keyboard keys and my daughter loves them! The clear alphabet stickers I bought were epoxy and are kind of rubbery, but not nearly as cool as the other ones!

Prepare the wipes case:

Trace around wipes case on cardboard and craft foam. Cut out.

Check the fit in the wipes case (turn case upside down so foam is actually going in the top of the case) and trim as necessary. I used my fingernail to make a crease in the foam and just trimmed that.

Hot glue the cardboard in the bottom of the case (it was the top of the case, now the bottom of the laptop) and glue the craft foam on top of that.

Make the Keyboard

Hot glue the alphabet stickers to the craft foam. I used the side of the sticker sheet as a guide to line them up.

It was hard to decide if I should set this up like a real keyboard or in alphabetical order. I finally went for alphabetical order since this is, obviously, geared for very young children.

(It looked unfinished so I added a piece of wood colored it with a crayon to make a space bar. Then, I added Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to that as well. This picture was taken before it was dry—it dries clear.)

To Make Your Own Keys:

Cut wood and cardstock into 1/2 inch squares. Glue cardstock to wood. Place something flat and heavy (i.e. a book) on top while it dries to prevent curling.

Hot glue keys to craft foam using something as a guide to keep things even. (Mine still weren’t so even…but I was ok with that!) Add the alphabet stickers to the keys.

To be honest, I am planning to add Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to these as well—the shape just isn’t as good as the other keyboard even though it was already a raised shape.

Make the Screen

Cut cardstock to fit inside of the wipes case. This will be your screen. You can use pictures or print out an email you’ve written to your child or whatever you would like. I let my daughter pick some pictures and then I picked some, too.

I also added some blank sheets and some markers so that we can draw our own “screens” when we are out and about. My purse is already set up to hold a wipes case—this is nothing new! You can even use your cute wipes/diaper holders once you are done carrying around diapers and wipes. It makes a perfect laptop sleeve or case!

I also couldn’t resist adding a little vinyl to the front. Of course, I used a dog—one of my daughter’s favorite things!

Voila!

I’d love to see some pictures if you make a Wipes Case Laptop!

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