Eye Patch DIY for lazy eye

You are here reading this for any of the following reasons

• You or someone close to you have a lazy eye
• You are getting ready for a costume party in which you are going as a pirate
• You have injured one eye or got an infection and would like to hide it
• You have had an eye operation to one eye
• You are Thor (Swoon!!)

Yes, you get them in shops – in many shapes and materials. But If you need to make those eye patches, rather than buy them, you are just in time. My daughter’s many eye patches (store bought ones) have had slow painful deaths from too many washings. I have decided to bring on my sewing chops and present her not one but one for all days of the week.

[We need one because she has a lazy eye; an eye patch is the prescribed treatment for lazy eyes also called complicated names like amblyopia, strabismus.]

How does the eye patch work for medical purposes?

As a treatment for a lazy eye, the eye patch makes good eye rest while making the lazy eye take the load of seeing. With regular use, the lazy eye will turn out to be a good eye, with the exercise given to it. In fact, this occlusion therapy is also called eye exercise.

How to make your own designer eye patches

Some of the most important criteria you will be looking for in an eyepatch is that they are comfortable, secure, soft, adjustable, non-irritant ie not touching eyes or eyelashes, or even skin around eyes, made of good quality material in the print of your choice, which is also washable. It could be made of cloth or very soft leather.

It should block all of the vision of the eye, with no chance of peeking through it, even if the wearer wants to. 

The two types you can make are the pirate eye patch – which has an elastic strap and the eye patch for glasses – the glass insert one which has a pocket into which you insert one of the glasses of the spectacles

How to make an eye patch for over glasses

Given below is the photo of the eyepatch you get in the stores. It quite does what it is meant to do. You can make one with the same dimensions following the directions given below

This is the method I used to make the eye patches

Cut out 2 oval shaped pieces from a non-fraying fabric 4.5 inches long and 1.75 inches – 2 inches wide ( check the dimensions of your spectacles to see if this will fit)

Cut out one of the pieces by half.

Keep these pieces stacked and stitch across, on the lines marked in the picture below in red.This will form a pocket to insert the glass

(You can use woven fabric like cotton, satin etc which will fray at the edges to make this type of eye patch – you will have to use an opaque lining with a black color and maybe make it stiff with extra layers and then finish the edges with either bias binding or with a serged/zig zag or blanket stitch edge finish ; you can also sew two pieces together right sides to the inside and then turn it right side out through the un-stitched portion you left – ideas. I mean to say, you can make this in many ways with any fabric you have).

Tutorial to make a Pirate Eye patch

This patch has a soft curve on the inside that makes sure that the middle portion of the eye patch does not touch the eyes or eyelashes

Cut out two circles of 3.5 inches diameter. Take another fabric or felt and cut it 3 inches in diameter

Keep the felt circle on one of the bigger circles and treat it as one. Baste stitch the pieces to keep them in place.

Make a  1/4 inch slanting cut on one side on both the circles, as in the picture below.

Stitch the circle joining the cut edges so that you get a concave shape.

Keep the circles’ right sides together and stitch along the outer edge. Leave some space unstitched so that you can turn it right side out.

You need to attach thin elastic to this eyepatch, to the measure of the person’s head circumference; If you want fancy, make a casing for the elastic

If you want to, you can also add an extra strap across the top of the head to prevent slipping of the straps.

You can make the underside layer in leather and make the outerlayer in fabric in cotton or silk.

On a good day, kids never listen to you ; to make them wear eye patches which is , to say the least, irritating, is a task.  I love reading this article on eye patching when she refuses to wear it. Many points that I need to heed.

One important thing our doctor said was that while wearing the eye patch for this purpose, the child should be made to read a book or do homework or do something; not sleep! Duh.

More such eyepatch tutorials (maybe cuter) around the world : Eyepatch with a flower here; Another one here