DODOcase iPad case mod

I love my DODOcase. Money very well spent^[1]. Throw an iPad in it and it just looks like a big Moleskine (love that look) instead of some techy $500+ block of “steal me”. Plus, it’s about the only case out there that I feel is actually worth the $50 they all seem to cost. But, there’s one problem: nowhere to store any papers. I had to go to City Hall the other day and needed to bring some papers with me. “I’ll just fold them in half and throw them in my DODOcase.” I thought. And it worked, kind-of. The problem is, that every time you open you have to move them to use the iPad, and you’re stuck like that till you get home again and have somewhere real to put them. “If only it had an accordion pocket like the Moleskine it’s emulating.”

The next day at work I grabbed a manila folder, a pair of scissors, and some scotch tape and made one, and have been loving the results. I’m posting them here so that other DODOcase owners can do the same. Maybe the DODOcase folks will even consider adding an accordion pocket like this in future cases (only without the scotch tape ;). If so, I totally want a free one. ;) Just kidding, actually, no, not kidding. ;) When I initially made this I left the flap over the opening simply because the folder was wider than the cover, but I’ve been using it for about a week now and have come to realize that it is essential. Frequently when I open my DODOcase I remove the elastic and flip the cover around behind the iPad in one swift motion. If there wasn’t a flap there any documents held in the accordion pocked would be likely to go flying out. And yes, before you ask, because the iPad is smaller than an 8 1/2 x 11 or A4 paper you’re going to have to fold “normal” sized papers in half to fit them in the pocket. Pictures (followed by instructions):

Instructions:

• Take a manila folder. Turn it so that it faces left and center it vertically on the inside of your open DODOcase’s cover.
• Make a mark where the red paper stops on the top and the bottom.
• fold the top and bottom edges of the folder inwards at those marks.
• Close the folder with those edges folded inwards and rub the crease down with something hard.
• Put the folder on your dodocase and mark on the top and bottom edges of your folder where left side of the red paper is.
• Cut off the left edge of the side of the folder that is facing you from the top mark to the bottom. You may want to make a crease, or draw a line between them so you have something to follow with your scissors.
• Fold a vertical crease in the far side of the folder so that it folds towards you over the edge you just made with your scissors. Crease this fold with something hard. You need it to really want to fold inwards as much as possible on its own.
• Open the folder back up. You will see the edges you previously folded inwards poking up. Place tape on the far side of the left half of the bottom one so that the bottom of sticky side is half stuck to the back of the edge poking up and the top of the sticky side is facing you and not stuck to anything.
• Now, mostly close the folder, and starting at the inside fold the tape over to stick to its counterpart.
• Repeat for the top.
• Your folder now has an accordion fold.
• Tape the far top and bottom edges to your DODOcase. I used Scotch tape for this but I think I’m going to switch it to Medical tape where it’s held to the DODOcase.

Voilla. You’re done. :) Drop me a comment if you do this, or if you think of a way to make it better.