No-Sew Book Cover for your eReader or Tablet

Ereaders, like the Nook and Kindle, have revolutionized the gentle art of reading, sure.  But at what cost?  Can you really feel enlightened and ennobled reading Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" holding an antiseptic piece of glass and plastic?  Don't you miss the feeling of holding an open book in your hand when you're reading?

In this instructable, I will show you how to create a cool book cover for your eReader or small tablet.   The cover is secure enough to hold your eReader in a natural vertical reading position and it will also protect it from bumps and scratches in your purse or backpack.  As a bonus, all of the buttons and ports are still accessible, so you can put your gadget right on the charger, without taking it out of its case.

Lets get started.

Step 1: Pick the perfect book

This is the most important and time consuming part of the project.  Seriously.  I spent 15 minutes making the cover, and two days picking out the book.

Here are things to look for. 

1. Right size.  Pick a book that is just slightly larger than your gadget. In all dimensions.  So, just a little longer, wider and thicker.

2. Cheap.  Don't spend big bucks on an first edition "Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov or "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson.  Get a cheap hardback book that you won't feel bad cutting up.

3. Cover in good condition. Its okay if it looks a little dirty or used, but find one with a solid cover that's not torn or broken.

4. Good title. Decide what sort of image you want to convey.  My local used book store had dozens of Hardy Boys books that were the perfect size and condition, but I just couldn't picture myself sitting at the airport (appearing to be) reading one.

I found this cheap book club edition of "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius that was just perfect.  (I have a bunch of these cheaply bound classics actually.  "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens was a first runner-up candidate.) 

Step 2: Assemble your tools and materials

In addition to the book, you'll need these materials.

1. craft felt.  enough to cover the cover.
2. velcro, with an adhesive back.  I used the dots style.
3. elastic.  enough to go around the length of the book.
4. glue.  I love fabric-tac for just about everything.  Ordinary craft glue may not secure the elastic well.

You'll need these tools.

1. scissors. to cut the felt and elastic.
2. hole punch.  big enough to go through heavy cardboard and felt.
3. needle nose pliers (optional)

Step 3: Desecrate a book

It is surprisingly easy to take the pages out of a book.  You will wonder how on earth books hold together at all.

1. Open the front cover of the book and score the paper where the lining meets the first sheet.

2. Do the same on the back cover.

3. The pages should just lift out intact like a naked thing.  

Take a moment to reflect on the transient nature of existence.  With two strokes of a blade you completely just killed that book.   What else are you capable of?

Step 4: Further mutilations

Using your hole punch, make two holes through the back cover of the book

Cut your felt to size and glue it to the inside of the cover.  Make sure that it is really well attached.  Cover the paper with glue and  tuck the felt into all of the creases.

Use the hole punch again, to now punch a hole through the felt too, so that the holes go all the way through.

You're almost done!

Step 5: Finishing the Cover

Thread the elastic through the holes in the cover as shown.  You may need the pliers to pull it through (I did).

Wrap the elastic around the book and pull it tight.  You want it to be a little stretched when your ereader is inside the cover.

Use the craft glue to attach the ends of the elastic on the inside of the back cover.  

Let it dry for about 10 minutes before going onto the next step.

Step 6: Contemplate philosophy (for 10 minutes)

While you are waiting for the glue to dry, look at those pages you cut out of the book.  

Who was Marcus Aurelius anyway? And what was he going on about now? 

...
Okay, moving on.

Step 7: Open Cover, Insert Book

Use just the "sticky" side of the velcro and put a few pieces on the back side of your tablet or reader.  As you can see, I only used three tabs and that was plenty.

Center your tablet and seat it gently onto the felt of the inside back cover.  Be careful.  The velcro really sticks to the felt and if you have to move the tablet, there will be a fuzzy mess.

Time to admire your work!

• Notice how the book cover can be folded back to make a nice little wedge for when its on your desk or lap.
• Notice that the velcro does a great job of holding your tablet in the book, even when you hold it in the natural vertical position.
• Notice that when the book is closed, you still have access to the buttons and connections.  You can plug in the charger without taking your gadget out of its cover!
• Close the book and wrap the elastic around the front cover.  Hold it in your hand and do a little happy dance.  

Now take your book to the nearest coffee shop and wait for compliments and comments of approbation from strangers. 

Comments

[BubbaNosferatu]

I am looking for something similar to make. I got one of those aluminum keyboards that double as a case, the only problem is when folded out. It is not that stable and if I need to shut down in a hurry, I have to clamshell it together again. Plus it is not the warmest on bare skinned laps.

This is how it "sits" no way to secure it so if you lean, it slides



This is how it closes. It protects, but is clumsy 

[karate5662]

This turned out quite well

Things I learned:

Simple is better.

Felt combined with superglue can have nasty effects including copious amounts of smoke. Use the proper adhesives.

[Bitsi]

Well, that's hilarious.

It might make a difference if you used wool felt instead of craft felt (that is primarily recycled plastic bottles).

These days I am using ordinary white glue or wood glue for everything.

[Lizzilla]

Love it! I would probably use the velcro command strips for easy removal in the future, just in case I need to do so.

[willowtree78]

I made one of these yesterday...it turned out very well!

[Phoghat]

I saw your 'ible when you first published it and thought what a great idea it was. I looked on Etsy    http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit=&q=tablet+cover+from+a+book&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US, and they were quite expensive. My wife (who is a quilter/seamstress/designer/genius saw your 'ible and what was available on Etsy, and made me one. It is great and costs a lot less than the $79 plus shipping. Can't find my camera right now, but later today I'll post some pictures of it.

[DeliciousMystic]

So, as much as I liked your instructable, I was kinda sad.. When I saw the first pic, I was like, oh crap, I have some of that series of books, and it sucks that one's getting destroyed, albeit for a good cause.. Then, I saw that it was Meditations, and was really sad, because I would love to have that one in my set.. Marcus A. was the roman emperor/general in the beginning of the movie gladiator. He is considered one of the wisest and thoughtful leaders and generals throughout history.. you should get meditations and put it on your reader.. you may like it.. otherwise it's still an ironic ode to the evolution of reading technology.. :)

[estevens]

Just troll some goodwills, I've found that book six times now.

[Bitsi]

Ha! Well, I still have the cut-out pages. Should I read them? Or send them to you?

:-)

[HMice]

LOVE IT! Just wonderin' why not glue on the felt THEN do the holepunching.Wouldn't it be easier??

[Bitsi]

Hi --

As it turns out the felt is a lot harder to punch thru than the hardboard. The felt stretches around the punch. You can try to do it in one step. Maybe your hole puncher is more assertive than mine.

:-)
Bits

[HMice]

Ahhh....Ok!!!

[WantToKnow]

"Take a moment to reflect ... What else are you capable of?"

I really appreciate the zen in this statement: so powerful and true, yet so calming and enlighting.

Of course was I looking for an instructable, but what did I found: a really nice instructable and insight on the double.

Thanks for both.

[dana-dxb]

so cute ill make it and gift it
thanx 4 the share

[jillgeezy]

Great project, thank you. Used a power drill instead of a hole punch. Glued the elastic ends to the inside back of the cover before putting on felt. Had trouble getting the elastic to adhere -- used a couple of different kinds of glue. Got it to hold eventually. Next time, might try sewing the elastic together by hand. Decorated the front cover with a stripe of grosgrain ribbon for color. All I could find was black and white elastic and my book cover is black, so wanted some color.

[jillgeezy]

Here's mine. You guys might have seen these on Etsy -- beautiful but expensive.

[jillgeezy]

I meant, this style of project is on Etsy -- didn't mean mine. :)

[jillgeezy]

Second photo.

[Bitsi]

That looks very nice. How has it been working for you?
:-)

[jillgeezy]

Thank you. It's been holding up fine so far. I was worried that my Velcro that's stuck to the felt might come off, but so far, so good. Next time I might position the ribbon so it's not partially covered by the black elastic when closed. There are a million variations and color combinations to try. If I were organized, I'd collect device information for my friends and family and make these as gifts.

[Bitsi]

Cool. Post a pic.
:-)

[bigdwinn]

This is awesome. I just made my own. Scunci No Slip Grip hair bands (via my wifey) make great elastic to go around the book. Whole thing only cost me $3.

[Bitsi]

Love it! Thanks for posting.
:-)

[acoleman3]

"the transient nature of existence." very deep.....and rather amusing in one respect with the application of it to a piece of literature. at the same time....very understandable. all the more so in my case of being a scribe.

[sarawelder]

I don't think it matters covering the back camera as the resolution is extra pathetic at less than I megabyte. The camera on the iPad is really just for chatting and sky ping.
nice ible... lots of lovely hardbacks at Goodwill" bins"... stuff that didn't sell at Goodwill. Not much loss there. buy by the pound.

[camiller]

For those of you worried about destroying a real book, consider a hardcover blank book/diary/journal. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Clairefontaine-Classic-Hardcover-Sheets-Notebook/dp/B002TD1F46

but try your local "half price books" or other discount retailer. You will still want to find the appropriate size.

[Bitsi]

This is a really good idea. Some of them already come with flaps and/or elastic too.

[jamwaffles]

One of the best looking covers I've seen, and one that ISN'T for an iPad! Good job with the Galaxy Tab.

[Bitsi]

Android FTW. :-)

[flyingace]

There's some kind of irony at work here coming from all the people who have bought e-readers but are loathe to destroy real books.

I noticed that you bought a tablet with a camera on the back. Don't forget to make a hole for the camera and all it's sensors, unless you plan on un-velcroing the tablet any time you want to use the camera.

I love this instructable and your wit made it a pleasure to read.

[Bitsi]

LOL... yes, I noticed the problem with the rear camera lens the third day. And yes, I have been unvelcroing in order to take pictures. Sometimes I use the front lens though.

I guess I will have to work on an upgraded cover.
:-)

[bibliogrrl]

I made one (ok, 4) of these when I got my kindle and there were no covers available yet.

One thing to be aware of if you are making this for the new kindle - be careful when removing the kindle from the cover, as the velcro can pull at the back cover and bend it. I didn't actually harm the kindle, but might have if I didn't notice. (It may also happen to other models, but I only have mine to go by).

[pooklaroux]

I might attach the elastic before installing the felt, so that the ends of the elastic are covered by the felt.

[andrea0701]

That's what I was thinking.

Also, since I'm making this as a gift and am unsure if the recipient wants to velcro, I'll put in diagonal elastic corners on the felt to hold the ereader in place

[Bitsi]

Nice!

[cliffhangr33]

Thanks, I have been wanting to make a cover for my kindle but wanted something hard to protect it in my bag.

[lennyb]

i rather like this,
it is hard to choose a book to cut up.
best is to find a trashy hard cover that hasnt got the title embossed on it,
or re emboss it to something more appropriate.

[jdiemz]

Nicely done. Though I won't lie, the thought of destroying a book gives me a definite stab of pain.

[Bitsi]

Same here. And that's really ironic, isnt it? Since we don't actually buy physical books anymore?

But go to your local used book store and you will find plenty of trashy old physical text books and romance novels for a $1 each. Or, you can do what I did and find a cheap book that is trying to look expensive.

:-)

[Kiteman]

Agreed - much as I love my Kindle, I couldn't kill a real, live book and use it's skin for a cover...