How To: Turn a Canvas Messenger Bag into a Water-Resistant Waxed Camera Case

If you take your camera equipment with you on a pretty frequent basis, having a camera bag can help protect it and makes it much easier to keep everything in one place. A good camera bag can be pretty expensive, but with this tutorial by photographer Allen Mowery, you can turn a cheap canvas messenger bag into a nice looking DIY waxed camera bag for half the price.

For this project, you'll need a canvas messenger bag, a camera insert, and some paraffin wax, which can be found in the canning aisle of most grocery stores.

After melting the wax in a double boiler, Allen used a small brush to paint the wax onto the outside of the bag, using a thicker coat on the seams and bottom.

After the wax cooled, he put the bag inside a pillow case, tied the end, and threw it in the dryer for 15-30 minutes to make the wax more even. If you want to give it extra protection, you can always put on another coat or two.

Check out the video to see the entire process.

For more details, be sure to check out the full tutorial over on Allen's blog.