DIY Shutter Buddy
Being a child photographer, I can totally use all the help I can get to help grab attention and smiles from the 3 and under crowd. Those little shorties are sometimes tough work. No matter how many silly faces or crazy noises I make, sometimes they just don't seem to notice. So, how do I get them to look at the lens? Put a familiar face around it.
This project is so simple and inexpensive that anyone could do it. You don't even really have to have a sewing machine.
I chose to use felt for my project, but you could use any type of fabric. The felt is cheap, a heavy weight to help keep shape and easy to work with so it was the best choice for me.
You will need a long piece of red felt. I think my piece was about 18"x5". Then you need to cut 4 circles out of white felt for the eyes, 2 oblong orange pieces for the nose and 2 black circles for the eyes. You will also need a thin piece of elastic.
You will make your base by folding your red piece in half sewing a tube. 
Then you will turn it right side out, insert your elastic and sew it closed. Basically you are making a scrunchy so if you already have a red one on hand left from 1989, use it. 
Now you need to take 2 of your white circles and either sew them together or hot glue them together. Whichever is easier for you. I sewed mine but I'm thinking that hot glue would have been easier. Do that for both eyes and the nose. Then glue your black circles to your white circles.
Now all you need is to place them on the scrunchy you just made. I would put the pieces over the seam where it is sewed closed just to cover it up. I didn't think about it at the time or I would have done that. I used hot glue to attach these pieces. 
And that's it! I have a photo session with a little cutie turning 2 this afternoon so I'm going to try it out and see how it works. 
And the handy iphone photo of the little guy in action!
I hope you are having a great week so far!
Check out the link parties where I am sharing this week!
Thanks for the inspiration! I did not want to spend the $ on a shutter buddy and this is super easy - even for so n done like me who doesn't sew!
I added an old dog toy speaker inside and googly eyes for extra entertainment.
FYI Michaels has fun animal and bug print felt so the one I made is a lady bug.
At this time we are demanding that you cease and desist the use of the Trademark Shutter Buddies immediately from all areas in which the trademark has been infringed. There exists a clear violation of the trademark that his been purchased through the USPTO. This trademark belongs to its rightful owners and may only be used by said persons. You are violating their rights of ownership and they have the right to enforce their protection through legal action.
There is clear infringement with our Trademarked name, Shutter Buddies. Under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1125(a), trademark infringement occurs when 1.) there is a valid, protectable trademark, and 2.) a competitor’s use of a colorable imitation of the trademark is likely to cause confusion among consumers. See, Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc. v. Alpha of Virginia, Inc., 43 F.3d 922, 930 (4th Cir. 1995). This section applies regardless of whether the trademark has been federally registered. Washington Speakers Bureau, Inc. v. Leading Authorities, Inc., 33 F.Supp.2d 488 (E.D.Va. 1999). Here, it cannot be reasonably argued that your company’s and/or product’s name, i.e. Shutter Buddies, does not infringe upon and would not be confuse consumers with our name, i.e. Shutter Buddies. Your name is the same or similar of our name that is listed in your product descriptions and elsewhere. Moreover, because we are selling the same type of product, it makes consumer confusion all the more apparent. The trademark infringement is patent and obvious.
In short, your company’s name clearly and unquestionably infringes upon our trademark. In addition, your product performs substantially the same as ours for the same purpose. As such, it remains our position that your product directly infringe on our trademark. We again demand that you cease and desist from marketing and selling your infringing product. We have an obligation to our company to protect our patent and to prosecute any infringement thereof. As such, we take these claims very seriously and are prepared to take affirmative action to maintain and defend our trademark.
Sincerely,
Leora Merrell
At this time we are demanding that you cease and desist the use of the Trademark Shutter Buddies immediately from all areas in which the trademark has been infringed. There exists a clear violation of the trademark that his been purchased through the USPTO. This trademark belongs to its rightful owners and may only be used by said persons. You are violating their rights of ownership and they have the right to enforce their protection through legal action.
There is clear infringement with our Trademarked name, Shutter Buddies. Under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1125(a), trademark infringement occurs when 1.) there is a valid, protectable trademark, and 2.) a competitor’s use of a colorable imitation of the trademark is likely to cause confusion among consumers. See, Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc. v. Alpha of Virginia, Inc., 43 F.3d 922, 930 (4th Cir. 1995). This section applies regardless of whether the trademark has been federally registered. Washington Speakers Bureau, Inc. v. Leading Authorities, Inc., 33 F.Supp.2d 488 (E.D.Va. 1999). Here, it cannot be reasonably argued that your company’s and/or product’s name, i.e. Shutter Buddies, does not infringe upon and would not be confuse consumers with our name, i.e. Shutter Buddies. Your name is the same or similar of our name that is listed in your product descriptions and elsewhere. Moreover, because we are selling the same type of product, it makes consumer confusion all the more apparent. The trademark infringement is patent and obvious.
In short, your company’s name clearly and unquestionably infringes upon our trademark. In addition, your product performs substantially the same as ours for the same purpose. As such, it remains our position that your product directly infringe on our trademark. We again demand that you cease and desist from marketing and selling your infringing product. We have an obligation to our company to protect our patent and to prosecute any infringement thereof. As such, we take these claims very seriously and are prepared to take affirmative action to maintain and defend our trademark.
Sincerely,
Leora Merrell