How to Quilt Books

Choose a thematic fabric for your cover.

Quilted items are given their "loft" from soft, puffy batting placed between two layers of fabric. Add personality and sentimental value to special books for babies or students by creating a custom quilted cover. A special gardening book for a grandchild, for example, will evoke the memory gardening together with a grandparent when covered in a quilted fabric displaying vegetables or flowers. Fabric stores carry hundreds of patterned fabrics to suit any quilting need.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth measuring tape
• Paper and pen
• Fabric
• Tailor's chalk
• Scissors
• Batting
• Hot-glue gun
• Tongue depressor

Instructions

1. Open the front cover of the book to be given a quilted cover.

2. Place the tip of a measuring tape near the center of the front cover, next to the front page at the book's spine. Stretch the measuring tape around the entire book, folding the pages to the left to reveal the inside of the back cover as the tape's tip approaches that area. Stretch the tape to the edge of the cover near the last page at the book spine. Record this as your horizontal measurement.

3. Place the tip of the measuring tape inside the front cover in the center of the book at the bottom of the front cover. Stretch the measuring tape vertically from top to bottom of the inside front cover. Add 2 inches to this measurement and record as your vertical measurement.

4. Place a piece of fabric on a flat surface. Measure and mark the fabric with tailor's chalk or a special sewing marking pen to the horizontal and vertical measurements.

5. Cut the fabric to the dimensions you need.

6. Place a piece of batting on a flat surface with the cut fabric on top of it. Using the cut fabric as a pattern, cut around its perimeter to create a piece of batting in the same dimensions.

7. Plug in your hot-glue gun to let it warm up.

8. Open the book to expose the inside cover.

9. Squeeze the trigger on the hot glue gun to apply glue to the inside book cover near the spine in a vertical line from top to bottom. Place the batting on the hot glue, centering it so 1 inch extends above the cover's top and bottom. Press the batting into the glue with a tongue depressor.

10. Squeeze hot glue onto the batting in the same area, and place the fabric on top of the batting. Press into place with a tongue depressor.

11. Repeat this procedure to attach the batting and fabric to the inside of the back cover.

12. Fold the extra inch of material over the top of the back cover, with the batting inside. Pinch the outer corner to form a rectangular edge.

13. Squeeze hot glue on the top of the back cover and fold the batting and fabric over it. Secure it in place with the tongue depressor. Squeeze an additional layer of hot glue between the batting and fabric and press into place. Repeat Steps 9-13 for the bottom of the back cover and the top and bottom on the front cover.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a small bowl under the hot glue gun while it heats to protect tables from accidental drips.

• Hot glue additional embellishments on the quilt book or place another fabric, like lace, inside the front and back covers.

• Use the tongue depressor to press all pieces of fabric and batting together. Do not touch the hot glue as it adheres quickly to fingers and hands when hot and could cause burns.

References

• With Heart And Hands: Making A Quilted Book or Fabric Journal Cover