How to Make Cloth Book Covers

Protect your books with cloth covers.

You can protect and beautify your books by covering them with cloth book covers. Cloth covers hold up much better than paper covers, particularly if you make the covers from durable fabrics, such as denim. The covers also can be removed and washed as often as needed. After sewing the cover, you could even embellish it by using fabric paint to write the name of the book on the cover, or by painting your name or fun designs that express your personal style.

Things You'll Need

• Book for a pattern
• Piece of cloth
• Tape measure
• Tailors chalk or pencil
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Instructions

1. 

   Lay the book open on your fabric. Use tailors chalk or pencil to mark a rectangle around the open book, adding 1 1/4 inches to both the top and the bottom, and 4 1/2 inches to each side. Cut along marked lines. See Figure 1.

2. Fold all edges over 1/2 inch. Pin as you fold. Press down. Fold over 1/2 inch again. Pin and press. Sew down the edges.

3. 

   Fold over side edges 3 1/2 inches to make front and back pockets. Pin along top and bottom edges. See Figure 2.

4. Stitch along the top and bottom edges of entire cover, sewing 1/8 inch away from the finished edges.

5. Slip the front and back covers of the book inside the pockets.