Sewing a Book Cover

Beautify and protect any book with a sewn fabric book cover.

You can add style to what you’re reading and protect your book by sewing a book cover from fabric. Sewing a book cover also protects your privacy by camouflaging the title. You can make book covers to keep borrowed books in mint condition or add covers to your favorite books before loaning them to friends or family. You can also include a sewn fabric cover when giving a book as a gift. Choose fabric with a slight amount of stretch and sew the book cover with the stretch running horizontally around the book.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• 1/2 inch wide fusible bonding web
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Embellishments (optional)

Instructions

1. Open the front cover of a book and place the end of a measuring tape against the fold. Pull the measuring tape taut across the inside of the cover to the outer edge to get the cover depth measurement.

2. Close the book with the measuring tape in place against the fold and pull the measuring tape taut across the front and around the spine to the outer edge of the back cover. Hold the measuring tape in place, open the back cover and pull the tape taut across to the fold to get the horizontal measurement.

3. Place the end of the measuring tape even with the top edge of the book and pull the measuring tape taut across the book to the bottom edge to get the vertical measurement.

4. Add one inch to both the horizontal and vertical measurements and cut a piece of fabric to these dimensions.

5. Fold over 5/8 inch on both short sides of the fabric, wrong sides together. Sew a seam 1/2-inch from the folded edge on each end.

6. Lay the fabric wrong side up on a firm, flat surface. Measure from the finished edge on each side to the point that matches the cover depth measurement and draw a line.

7. Turn the fabric over and fold on both drawn lines with the right sides together. Pin the raw edges together and sew a 1/2-inch seam from the finished edge to the fold on the top and bottom of both sides to create pockets.

8. Turn the pockets right side out. Reach inside the pockets with your index finger and poke into each corner to push the corners out square.

9. Lay the fabric book cover face down on an ironing board. Fold over 1/2 inch of fabric between the pockets on the top and bottom edges, wrong sides together, and press.

10. Measure the distance between the pockets and cut two strips of 1/2-inch fusible bonding web to this measurement. Place a piece of fusible bonding web inside the fabric fold on both the top and bottom and fuse following the manufacturer’s instructions. Embellish the book cover, if desired.

11. Stand the book up on a flat surface and open the front and back cover of the book as far a possible. Insert the front and back cover of the book simultaneously into the fabric book cover pockets and slide the book cover forward. Close the book.

Resources

• CraftStylish: How to Make a Button-Embellished Notebook Cover