DIY "Device Daycare" Pocket Chart Tutorial

“Any teacher that can be replaced with a computer, deserves to be.” – David Thornburg

Disclaimer--I've never actually done a tutorial before, so be patient. My pictures are not edited in any way, so they may not be beautiful, but they should get the point across. Though I made a chart to hold devices, you can use the same principles to create any type of pocket chart to meet your needs.
Disclaimer part two--I am in crafter mode, not English teacher mode, so I know that there are some sentences ending with prepositions, tense shifts, and shifts in point of view, but I'm not worried about it. The point of this post is to help you create your own custom pocket chart. If you have any questions about the process, I will be happy to answer them.

Electronic devices in the classroom drive me crazy! Of course, I know how useful they can be when used appropriately, but I can't stand the need to constantly police my students' device usage. They hide them in their pockets, in their laps, behind their books...and then there are some who don't even try to hide them. I've had students actually answer a ringing phone during class!

Our school is going 1:1 with 10" tablets next year, which I am uber excited about. The teacher is supposed to have supreme control of these tablets; I should be able to see what they have on their screens from my tablet, shut down any programs they shouldn't be using, prevent them from using the internet, etc. As long as this works, it should make device use in the classroom much less frustrating for me. There *should* be no reason for my students to have their phones on them at all, so I wanted to come up with a place for my students to store their phones during class to keep them out of reach, but without me actually collecting the phones.

So, I came up with my "Device Daycare." It is a pocket chart with clear vinyl pockets to hold students' devices that they should not have during class. I wanted it to be functional, yet attractive, so I used a nice black and white chevron fabric that I have and accented it with a royal purple. Word of caution...if you are making this for yourself and are particular about straight lines, don't use the chevron. I have used several different chevron fabrics over the years, and they are never printed exactly straight, so if the lines not being straight would bother you, choose another fabric. But, I'm not fussy about that, so I chose the chevron.

My class size is usually 18-25, so I made my chart with 28 pockets. You can make more by adjusting the pocket size or adding another row on the bottom.

Getting Started:
I wanted individual pockets for devices, so I measured my cell phone to get a basic idea of how big I wanted the pockets to be. I decided on 4" wide x 6" deep for the first three rows and 5" wide x 6" deep for the bottom two rows, in case there are devices bigger than mine. You can see in the picture my LG G3 in the top row, my son's iPhone in the second row, a Nintendo DS in the third row, and a 7" tablet in the 4th row, so the pockets do handle a variety of devices.

If you are making something different, measure whatever it is you want in the pockets and add at least a half-inch to make sure it fits. Remember, you are doing this by hand, so your finished product will not be precise. Also, add at least another half-inch to the width of your project to leave room for the binding.

Approximate cost: $15-$30, depending on the cost of your fabric and how many basic sewing supplies you own/can borrow

Time: This took me 3 hours, excluding embroidery, including taking picture for tutorial

Materials:

3/4 to 1 yard of your main fabric. I had to use a full yard because of the direction of the chevrons. If the pattern on your fabric isn't horizontal, you can use 3/4 yard.
3/4 yard coordinating fabric
1/2 yard 54" vinyl
one spool coordinating color thread
one pack (4 yards) single fold bias tape (optional)
two packs (3 yards) extra-wide double fold bias tape
dry erase marker
3 sets of grommets & grommet tool
hammer
painter's tape (not pictured)
basic sewing supplies - scissors, rotary cutter, ruler, 

I have an embroidery machine and I wanted my chart embroidered, so I started with that step. If you don't have an embroidery machine, you can create an extra vinyl pocket at the top and make a sign to put in the pocket. The half yard of vinyl gives you enough for six 6" x 25" strips, plus one 4" x 18" strip to make a pocket for a title.

After doing the embroidery, I got the fabric ready. I usually wash fabric first, but since it is unlikely that this will ever be washed, I skipped that in this case. I ironed my fabric and cut it down to the size I wanted (25" wide x 36" long)

                                

                                

Then I cut my vinyl. I have a large roll, so I cut an 18" wide strip. If you buy 1/2 yard of vinyl, this step will be done for you at the fabric store.

Fabric/Vinyl sidebar: You can find vinyl like this at Wal-Mart (if your local store has a fabric section) or JoAnn Fabrics or Hobby Lobby. Unless you can get it on sale, it is cheaper at Wal-Mart, but for me it is worth the extra price to go to the fabric store because I don't like waiting half an hour for someone to come cut my fabric, which is almost always the case at Wal-Mart. Hobby Lobby always has a 40% off coupon online, and JoAnn has a 15% teacher discount on all purchases (even off the sale price), so if you get solid broadcloth on sale and use the coupon on the vinyl, you can get all of the fabric & vinyl for less than $10. If you want a cute fabric, it may cost you a bit more. Keep an eye out--JoAnn's cotton fabrics are frequently half-off.

Cut the half yard into two 25" x 18" sections, with 4" left over, then cut each section into 6" x 25" strips:

                                   

You need to use a rotary cutter to cut the vinyl or your cuts will not be straight.

The main issue to overcome when sewing with vinyl is the fact that it sticks to the machine and the foot. Before you begin sewing, you need to add a bit of painter's tape to your sewing machine foot. Some people have suggested using scotch tape, but I have found that it still sticks, while the painter's tape works just about as well as my Teflon foot that is made for sewing with vinyl. Another bonus is that it is made to come off without leaving residue, so it doesn't leave your foot sticky when you're done!

After cutting the vinyl, I like to add a bias tape edging to it. As long as your edge cuts are straight, this is not necessary. I just like the finished look it gives and the pop of color that it adds. But, if you aren't used to working with vinyl, it may not be worth the effort.

I know the vinyl is really difficult to see here, but I promise it's there. There is a "right" way and a quick way to attach bias tape. In this instance, the quick way is the right way. I've tried to do it the other way, and it is just too difficult. So, I take my single fold bias tape and fold it in half over the edge of the vinyl. I move my needle as far to the left as I can and use the inside edge of the foot as a guide. If you can't move your needle on your machine, you will need to move the vinyl more to the right. I do it this way so that less vinyl is touching the foot, making it slide more easily. Take your time with this step. You need to make sure that the vinyl is all the way against the inside edge of the bias tape and that your stitch runs barely inside the outer edge of the bias tape, or it is very easy to miss the vinyl and only sew your bias tape shut. If you look closely, you can see where I wasn't careful enough and my vinyl slipped.

I had to undo the stitches and try again

I don't cut the bias tape when I finish one strip of vinyl, I just sew them all in a line and cut them all apart at the end

Then I end up with a nice, neat stack of purple-edged vinyl. There are five pieces here, but the 1/2 yard of vinyl actually makes six pieces of this size, if you decide to add another row to your chart.

After the vinyl is ready, it is time to pin and sew each strip, one-at-a-time. I set my fabric out on my cutting mat to help me get my pockets straight. I've got the purple edge lined up at the 20 1/2" line on both sides. 

I pin it before sewing. My pin heads are to the left so I can easily pull them out as I sew. All of my fabric is bunched to the right because it is easier to sew with the vinyl to the left.

After I sew each row, I line up and pin the vinyl pocket below it. For this project, because I want to allow space for the bulk of the devices, I line up the purple edge 3/4" below the edge of the vinyl. For project that use cards (like calendars), I have actually slightly overlapped the top edge with the bottom of the row above it.

Before I finished the sewing of the last two rows, I made sure that they would both fit on the fabric. No matter how careful I am, the vinyl always shifts. In this case, my last two rows are only 1/2" apart instead of 3/4" like the first three rows.

After all five pockets are sewn across the bottom, it is time to make the guide lines for the pockets. It took a lot of trial and error, but I figured out the best way to do this is with a dry erase marker. Just measure where you want your pockets to be and draw a line to sew along. In this case, I drew 4" pockets on the top three rows and 5" pockets on the bottom two rows.

Next I sew the pockets. I always sew with the top edge of the pocket facing me to make sure the pocket doesn't bunch. I start with the left hand edge. If you have been careful, the vinyl and the fabric should match up pretty closely. I sew about 1/4" seam, and then I just follow along each of the dry-erase lines. I roll up the right hand side as I sew to make sure it fits between the needle and the machine.                                                                                                      

When all of the pockets are sewn, it is time to attach the backing. Before I do that, I measure along my seam and cut away anything that is more than 1/4" past the seam. This minimizes the seam that can be seen along the edge of the binding.

               

I just sew the front onto the back and bind it with extra-wide double fold bias tape. Again, I start with the left edge. When doing the sides, I just leave the top and bottom edge raw because I will sew over them when I do the top and bottom edging. I don't pin this, I'm just careful to ensure that my edges match up.

After I finish the left edge, I flatten out both pieces of fabric and pin the bottom edges together. I then trim and sew the right edge. But, now since I've already sewn the pockets, I can sew with the bottom of the pocket facing me and avoid the fabric bunching.

                                   

Next, I sew the binding on the bottom edge. Again, I'm not fussy, so I don't worry about mitered corners, I just fold over the edge about a half inch and sew, and then fold over the other edge.

                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Then I measure three inches from the top of the first pocket and cut, and add the binding to the top.

After the top binding is done, all that is left are the grommets. Use a seam ripper to tear a small hole in the fabric. First tear horizontal, and then vertical.

                           

Each pair of grommets has one with a long edge and one with a short edge. Push the long edge through the front of your chart.

Put the other part of the grommet on the back of the chart.

 Place the grommet, face down on top of the disc that comes with the grommet tool.

 Place the metal part on top of the grommet and hammer firmly.

Repeat three times and space your grommets equally across the top of your chart. I have tried the grommet pliers, but have found that they warp the grommet, so I prefer to use this tool to install the grommets.

Wipe off the dry erase marks, cut off your strings, and viola! You have your very own custom-made pocket chart. Now, go hang it in your classroom and bask in the glow of electronic light.