How to Cover Binders With Fabric

Cover a drab binder with patterned decorator fabric to make it more appealing.

Used binders are often covered with rips, tears, stickers or pen marks, but you can dress up an old binder to reuse in your home or home office. Cover your binders with matching decorator fabric for displaying in your home rather than hiding them in a cabinet or desk drawer. Make covers for binders from three pieces of fabric to make your binders match not only each other, but the decorating scheme of the room where you store them.

Things You'll Need

• Binder
• Tape measure
• Fabric, 1/2 yard
• Scissors
• Iron and ironing board
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Open the binder and measure the length from one end to the other as well as the height from top to bottom. Purchase a ½ yard of fabric for each binder you plan to cover that matches the décor of the room where you keep them.

2. Cut one piece of fabric for the back cover that is equal to the length of the binder plus 1 inch by the height of the fabric plus 3 inches. Cut two pieces of fabric for the inside flaps that are 1/2 the binder's length minus 2 inches by the height of the binder plus 1 inch.

3. Place the large back cover fabric on an ironing board with the patterned or right side of the fabric face-down. Fold over the two long edges by 1 inch and iron in place to crease the fold. Sew both the folds with a 3/8-inch seam to hold them in place.

4. Place your two flap pieces on the ironing board with the patterned or right side face-down. Fold in one height edge on each piece by 1/2 inch and then again a second time by 1/2 inch. Iron the fold and sew the fold in place.

5. Spread out your cover fabric with the pattern or right side face-up, with the long hemmed sides running horizontally. Place one flap piece over the right-hand side of the cover piece, aligning the raw edges together so the hemmed edge of the flap runs vertically near the center of the cover fabric. Set the other flap on the left side of the cover with the hemmed edge also running vertically near the center.

6. Sew a 1/2-inch seam all the way around the edges of the fabric where the flaps align with the cover. Turn the binder cover right-side-out and push the seams out to make them lie flat. Slip the sides of the binder into the pockets formed between the flaps and the back cover to attach.

Tips & Warnings

• To add a finishing touch to the binder, attach binding around the edges of the cover in a coordinating fabric.

References

• "Fast, Fun & Easy Book Cover Art"; Jake Finch; 2007
• "Home Made Best Made"; Christopher Cavanaugh; 1998