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Laptop Sleeves, Skins and Stickers

Quick Summary

Sometimes laptop is more than just a device. Using laptops over years, some of us tend to develop a genuine affection toward their little (or not so little) companions. We take care of them, putting them in a nice hand-made fabric, spicing them up with some fancy outfit and providing them with a personality using laptop skins. That’s not as bad as it sounds, and there are many ways to use laptop decoration (or laptops decorated by other people) as a source of inspiration. In some way you may also call it laptop art.

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Sometimes laptop is more than just a device. Using laptops over years, some of us tend to develop a genuine affection toward their little (or not so little) companions. We take care of them, putting them in a nice hand-made fabric, spicing them up with some fancy outfit and providing them with a personality using laptop skins. That’s not as bad as it sounds, and there are many ways to use laptop decoration (or laptops decorated by other people) as a source of inspiration. In some way you may also call it laptop art.

In this issue of Monday inspiration series we provide you with some fresh ideas to spice up your environment with laptop skins, engravings, sleeves, cases and stickers. At the end of this post you’ll also find some experimental ideas for laptop decoration — caution, you don’t want to replicate them at home or office — well, at least if you care about your laptop.

You may also want to take a look at the following related posts:

Apparently, Apple geeks are far more sensitive when it comes to accessories for their laptops — although we’ve tried to cover as many different ideas as possible, in the selection below many of the presented ideas are used on Macs. There is nothing we can do about it, really.

Laptop Skins and Engravings

Shalgo Laptop Designs

This Dutch company offers a number of the so-called mozaikits which you can place not only on your laptop, but also, for instance, on walls. Stylish.

Laptop Designs - Shalgo Laptop Designs

Laptop Designs - Shalgo Laptop Designs

Awesome Designer Laptops

Well, these are indeed… unusual. And it is damn hard to make something like this on your own.

Laptop Designs - piclicious.tv: 7 Awesome Designer Laptops

Laptop Designs - piclicious.tv: 7 Awesome Designer Laptops

HP Pavilion dv2800t Artist Edition

An artsy laptop manufactured by Hewlett-Packard.

Laptop Designs - HP Pavilion dv2800t Artist Edition

Laptop Designs - HP Pavilion dv2800t Artist Edition

Computerlicious Designer Laptops

Engadget shows off some pretty beautiful designer laptops, decorated with fabric and leather.

Laptop Designs - Engadget

MacBook skin

In most cases you can use your own skin designs and let some skin printing store print them out for you. That was the case here.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Apple Art

Stylish. And pretty cool.

Laptop Designs - apple art

GelaSkins

Here you’ll find some artistic laptop skins (art, design, typography etc.)…

Schtickers.com

…even more various laptop skins.

Laptop Designs - Laptop Skins by Schtickers.com

Laptop Decoration

Laptops can also be decorated with a… well, simple pen.

Laptop Designs - Laptop Decoration - a photoset on Flickr

Finnish Black/White Macbook

Engravings seem to gain on popularity nowadays.

Laptop Designs - Flickr Photo Download: Finnish Black/White Macbook

Powerbook, engraved

Ode to the Apple. You can also watch the video of how it’s been done.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Laser engraved Black MacBook

A masterpiece by EngraveYourTech.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Rhinestoning a laptop

Have you ever thought about rhinestoning your laptop?

Laptop Designs - Rhinestoning a laptop

Laptop Bags and Sleeves

Designer’s Bag Case

This is sexy. A notebook-bag case for “thin” laptops.

Screenshot

E.square 60s-style laptop bags

Laptop bags weren’t around in the 1960s, but if they were, they would possibly look like these E.square 60s-style laptop bags. Price: $54.95.

Laptop Designs - E.square Sea Blue

Laptop Designs - E.square Red Brick

Velvet Idole cases

Velvet Idole’s “Pinguins” Print. Computercase in white calf leather. Lining in black cotton. Price: 75€

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

Thorn Berry’s Laptop Sleeve

A hand-made laptop sleeve with a layer of wadding between the outer fabric and the lining. And with the designer’s name on it. Gorgeous!

Laptop Designs - Sleeve

Terry Laptop Case

A juicy laptop case for geeky girls out there. Price: $125.

Laptop Designs - Terry Laptop Case

Vinyl Laptop Sleeve

Aren’t they sweet? And yeah, this is a laptop sleeve.

Laptop Designs - Vinyl Laptop Sleeve

Pinguins Leather MacBook Sleeve

Folds around the laptop. Unfolded it functions as workspace with an integrated mousepad.

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

Seejanework Cases

Looks like a CD-storage, but it is a pretty cozy laptop sleeve.

Laptop Designs - Vinyl

Giles Miller’s corrugated cardboard laptop case

Sturdy, stylish, and sustainable. This cardboard is 100% recycled. You can also personalize it with custom designs such as one’s initials (or an apple logo — as shown here).

Laptop Designs - Vinyl

Laptop Designs - Vinyl

Eoin McNally’s Packaging Case

The idea is people should recycle the cardboard that their laptops arrive in by reshaping them it into a protective carrying sleeve. The cardboard casing your computer ships in is treated with natural wax to protect it from spills and as an alternative to the usual polystyrene foam peanuts. We’re not sure we would actually use the handle to carry the laptop in one of these things.

Laptop Designs - Eoin McNally's Packaging Case

Laptopwallet

Laptopwallet is designed to hold the laptop really snug. The slim design keeps a laptop safe and enables you to carry it, either using the wrist-strap, in your hands or in a bag without being bulky. Currently sold out.

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

Laptop Decoration: Sweeties and Cuties

Sometimes simple decoration isn’t enough. In fact, you can not just put a skin on your laptop or engrave it, or even use some fancy sleeve to give it a new outfit. No, you can go far further, use spray paints, decals and feather boas. You can also simply get some sweet accessories for your old friend as well.

Monster Laptop Sleeve

“Handmade and available in four different colors, the case reminds us of a fanged cousin of cookie monster. Plus, it looks more like something that would hold a Fisher-Price computer, as opposed to a Sony or Apple — keeping would-be thieves guessing.” Price: $65.

Laptop Designs - Monster Laptop Sleeve

Pink Hello Kitty Laptop

“How to make a PHKL (watch out the pronunciation!) — ‘Pink Hello Kitty Laptop’. This is a project for two people, you and a friend, with notable guest appearances by your meddling boyfriend. Boyfriend is optional. “

Laptop Designs - FJ!!'s Hierarchy: Pink Hello Kitty Laptop

*Craser’s laptop cover

“It’s a simple furry cover, first time I sew something that big. spend the whole afternoon hand sewn and it fits perfectly!”

Laptop Designs - laptop cover by *craser on deviantART

Hard Drive

Karim Rashid’s portable hard drive. Currently unavailable.

Laptop Designs - Hard Drive : Design Milk

Getting ready for OSX Leopard

Leopard patterned (furry) plush. If you have an external hard drive lying around, such a plush will cost you around $10.

Laptop Designs - Chaosprojects » Getting ready for OSX Leopard

Macbook Sleeve

Fabric patterns, hand-made.

Laptop Designs - Macbook Sleeve

Laptop Cozy

A new home for the beloved one.

Laptop Cozy

Well, now it feels cozy.

Laptop Designs - Laptop Cozy

Laptop In Fabric

Soft and nice.

Laptop Designs - Laptop Cozy

Laptop Designs - Laptop Cozy

MacBook laptop sleeve

“I sewed my new Macbook a laptop sleeve! No pattern, just a zippered pouch. Starting fabric size 14.5” by 10.5”. Fabrics are Denyse Schmidt quilting cotton, pink silk Dupioni for the lining, unknown cotton blend for the pocket, and wool felt (2 layers on each side) for the padding.”

Laptop Designs - mostly-complete laptop sleeve

Stickers

Stickers are always extremely subjective and that’s why also very personal. If you’d like your laptop to reflect the unique personality of its owner, stickers might probably be the easiest way to go and therefore a first option to consider. Besides, often they are simply cool and it’s a lot of fun to observe strangers reading them. You’ll find many more stickers in the Laptop Stickers Flickr Pool.

Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Unfortunately, Smashing magazine isn’t sticked here.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Powerbook stickers

In most cases stickers are pretty unusual; however, often personal music preferences are combined with the stickers of web-services the laptop owner uses.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Laptop stickers

Interesting idea: Bruce Sterlings puts his flight tickets on the top of his laptop.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

The first sticker on my new mac

Well, that’s a good start.

Laptop Designs - The first sticker on my new mac

Robogames

Often stickers are messages the owners send to everybody who will have the luck (or misfortune) to meet the owner of the laptop.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Stickered iBook

Christopher Phin is a car fan.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Tantek Çelik’s stickers

Tantek Çelik is XFN-friendly and enjoys playing games.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Stickered iBook

Caution: robots! Cute!

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Notebook V1.1

Karin Lizana is a code poet, uses Ubuntu and loves Berlin.

Laptop Designs - Jedibook w/ Technorati sticker

Patrick Crowley’s stickers

Oh-oh. We have a tough guy here.

Laptop Designs - Patrick Crowley's stickers

Experimental ideas (Don’t try this at home!)

Datamancer’s Steampunk Victorian Laptop

This may look like a Victorian music box, but inside this intricately hand-crafted wooden case lives a Hewlett-Packard ZT1000 laptop that runs both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux. It features an elaborate display of clockworks under glass, engraved brass accents, claw feet, an antiqued copper keyboard and mouse, leather wrist pads, and customized wireless network card. The machine turns on with an antique clock-winding key by way of a custom-built ratcheting switch made from old clock parts. Video is included.

Laptop Designs - Steampunk Monitor For Chic Geeks - Born Rich

Dave Veloz’s Steampunk Monitor & Keyboard Remake

This is a wedding gift. The intersection of technology and romance is possible. Dave Veloz created this beauty for his soon to be wife in time for their recent wedding.

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

SattaMac - 1991 PowerBook 100

No, this Powebook doesn’t work any longer. But it looks pretty fancy. Painted Apple machinery.

Laptop Designs - SattaMac - 1991 PowerBook 100

Xbox 360 Laptops

These posts also include a video of laptops in use.

Laptop Designs - TechEBlog » (Video) Xbox 360 Laptop MKII

Laptop Designs - TechEBlog » PICTURE: Amazing Xbox 360 Elite Laptop

Steampunk Monitor For Chic Geeks

Steampunk one more time.

Laptop Designs - Steampunk Monitor For Chic Geeks - Born Rich

Atari 800 XE Laptop

Designed by Ben Heck.

Laptop Designs - TechEBlog » Ben Heck Updates Atari 800 XE Laptop

Duke Nukem Laptop

This one is kind of freaky, but pretty unusual. It used to be a NEC.

Laptop Designs - Duke Nukem Laptop

Last Click

Cassette Tape Tote Bag

OK, this one is not for laptops. But it looks pretty amazing.

Laptop Designs - Screenshot

Digg Case Mod

For Digg lovers.

Laptop Designs - Digg Modding

Chocolate Laptop

Mmmm, tasty. Ok, it’s time for a coffee break.

Laptop Designs - Chocolate Laptop