I got a new iPod Nano a couple of days ago (short review: I love it). Unfortunately it slips into a pocket a little too easily and plays with all the loose change I have in there. Also, a little delicate device in a hip pocket is going to break sooner or later, especially when riding a bike.

I decided I needed a lanyard, but the oficial Apple version has had some bad reviews. It holds the Nano by its dock connector and there are a few horror stories about the iPod dropping out (usually involving traffic or toilets).

3rd party lanyard cases are all well and good, but in the spirit of this past weekend's Maker Faire, it only seemed right to make my own.

So, here it is. The Gadget Lab guide to making an inner-tube Nano case.

First of all, find an inner tube. Old is fine, but a new one will be cleaner and the powder dusted on the inside helps the iPod slide in and out easily. See how close they are in size? The Nano fits it perfectly.

Next, make a plan. I wanted to do as little as possible to the rubber, so I decided that a flap at the top would fold over and keep the iPod secure while still allowing access to the hold switch. The other end can remain open, but also has a flap to run the cord through. Excuse the poor drawing.

In order to get all the holes in the right places, I grabbed a PDF template from the web. The one I got was from Sneakmove. It turned out to be sized for the first gen Nano, which has a different spacing between clickwheel and screen so I made adjustments.

After marking up the rubber tube, I clipped it with a bulldog clip so I could cut in from the side. I used ordinary kitchen scissors. The rubber is very easy to cut, even in two layers like this.

Here it is with the holes cut.

And here I checked the fit. Snug!

Next up, flaps. I cut these carefully, not so much for accuracy, as that comes later when gluing, but to make sure all the edges were nice and rounded. Using rubber cement from a puncture repair kit (and fist roughening the area with sandpaper for a good key), I folded and glued the flaps. This is the top one.

And this is the bottom one. Note that the cement is on both surfaces. Also, after application, leave for a few minutes before pressing together otherwise it won't stick. This flap folds iside the case. It's sole purpose is to hold the neck cord. You can thread the cord through afterwards but it's easier to go ahead and put it in now, and then fold the flap shut over it.

A note on the cord. Something adjustable is nice, and that might make it into v2.0, but for this one I just cut up some junk headphones I got given at the 3GSM show, and used the cable.

Behold! The finished product. The scissor work is a little messy, but it looks good and works great. I might add in a screen protector too, which should help stop the case gaping around the screen-hole. I still have enough rubber left to make another ten of these. I sense a garage sale coming on.