DIY Fabric Book Cover: Sew covers for all your books & keep them neat

I have a thing for notebooks. I buy them in all sizes and shapes. And use them too – one for tips, one for drawings, one for recipes, one for any thing that comes to my mind, one with all the paper clippings, many many others for even I don’t know what for.

I have a small notebook where I write my post ideas for this site. And I gave it to my dear daughter (who is creatively inclined) to decorate. She gave it to me back in this form.

Now, I do not want to see this everyday, though I appreciate her original work. I wanted a different cover for my notebook pronto. Here is what I did.

Maybe you also have a book which you want to keep inside a cloth cover. Maybe to protect, or to hide?

Related post : Make a book pouch – this is another option as a pretty cover for your book.

How to make a Fabric Book Cover

Measure the length and width of the book you have. When measuring width take the total width of the book when kept open on the cover – including the middle part  (ie. double the width of the front cover + breadth of the book).

Step 1 Cut out the Top fabric

Take a fabric piece which is of the following dimensions :

Length of the fabric piece should be length of the book + 1.5 inches extra.

Width of the fabric piece should be width of the book + 5 inches extra ( add more extra if you want the flap inside the book to be wider)

Interface these fabric pieces. ( I have not done this but in hindsight, I think the book cover would have looked crispier with interfacing)

Step 2 Embroidery

Do the embellishments you want on the fabric after cutting it out. I have decided to do some embroidery on the fabric.

I have marked circles and done woven roses inside.

To embroider the rose, Make 9 straight stitches on this circle in the manner shown below.

Bring out the needle from the center of this woven rose. Start to weave the thread through these straight stitches – in and out.

You will get a rose which looks like this.

Embroider the leaves.

Do french knots and the other roses to complete the embroidery. Check out these posts on rose embroidery, french knots, leaf embroidery for tutorials. If you want simple designs you can check out this post – flower embroidery design. 

Step 3 Join Lining

Cut out a lining piece for the top fabric – of the same dimension. I have used flannel as the lining piece.

Sew through the middle of these fabrics joining these fabrics together.

Step 4 Sew short edges

Turn the side edges 1/4 inch to the back and stitch. 

Step 5 Add ribbon

Keep a piece of ribbon (10″ -12″) along the back some 1 inch from the center stitch. Baste Stitch in place.

Step 6 Fold flaps

Fold the side edges to the inside 2 inch on either side as in the picture below. Pin in place.

Keep this in front of you the same way. Keep the ribbon curled to the inside ( not hanging down).

Step 7 Cut out & sew lining

Measure the dimension of this fabric and cut out another piece of fabric as lining.

Keep this fabric piece on top of your above main fabric. Curl the ribbon so that it is tucked inside – not poking outside. Sew along the top and bottom edge joining them together (red lines in the picture below). Do not stitch the sides.

Step 8 Turn rightside out

Bring the whole thing right side outside. It will look like this – everything tucked inside and nice.

Tuck your book inside with the flaps enclosing the book covers neatly inside.

If you want a defined edge, edge stitch from the top.

Related posts : Make small fabric baskets.