Make an iPad or Kindle case from an old book and sugru

Mattia from Italy first made this project and sent us the images below for the sugru gallery. We thought it was amazing. So what's the best thing to do with amazing projects? Make a step by step instructable to help everyone make their own of course!

Oh, and we thought it would be cool to make one for an iPad too, so we did. Yay :)

Step 1: What you need - an old book, and sugru

The nicest iPad or Kindle case can be made from an old leather bound book, the challenge is to find the right size, we found ours in a second hand book shop.

To get the best fit, we brought our Kindle and iPad with us, this way we just held each tablet up to the book to find the best fit, simple.

Car boot sales, charity shops oh, and your attic are also great places to look.

Once we found the best fitting books, we were ready to get cracking :)

You can get sugru from sugru.com or from the instructables store.


TOP TIP: As well as getting the right size it is important to get the right thickness so that the book will close.

The hooks add around 2cm to the thickness of the tablet so your book needs to be thick enough to contain both.

We made this mistake with our ipad book and unfortunately it wouldn't shut properly :(

Oh well, we live and we learn. Best to be too thick than too thin in this instance.

Comments

[matthewu]

The way the sugru is formed you twist it to get the kindle in or out

[matthewu]

Great project, made one with a $2.00 book. Still better than other cases, in my opinion.

[projectsugru]

awesome, please share a picture :)

[lblachaniec]

This is seriously such a creative idea! I love it! I am looking to get a new iPad case, and I heard of a new company called Domeo Products that just launched. I checked out their website at www.domeoproducts.com and it looks like they have some awesome cases. I was wondering if you have heard of them and what you thought of them?

[projectsugru]

thanks :) I would prefer to make a case myself...

[jgeekw]

Sugru-less model (iBook Safe): Find a book as before, but this time make sure it's thicker (atleast double to a third) as your device. Lay device screen down inside the book on the first page, trace around and cut out enough pages so your device is flush with the top page. See Image: http://cultofmac.cultofmaccom.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Picture-62-e1303484035319.png

[Tinworm]

nice alternative.

I like yours and projectsugru's....but is sugru strong and durable enough? I don't know the stuff. Is it available in the UK?

[projectsugru]

yes, it is durable enough :)
sugru is available in the UK, there are a list of retailers on our buy page (towards the bottom) you can also buy it direct from us, it is manufactured in London and delivery is 3-5 days in the UK.

[Tinworm]

thanks. I have seen it mentioned a lot on this site but have never seen it in real life.

Presumably it can be bent repeatedly after it has cured? How long until the bending fatigues and it fails?

[kubulai]

I have a nook color for which I am thinking about building a case from my old DayTimer Desktop leather binder. I'd like to try it, but $23 per 12oz package ($18 + $5p&h) is a bit steep when two packages are needed ($46). It is readily available though through all the normal channels. I would like to try it but I am not so sure how well it will stick without some experimentation.

[XxZombiexX]

The actual cost for the Sugru used in this instructible would actually be less than $6.00, not $46.00.

When they suggest using two packs in this instructible they mean the *mini* packs that come inside the main pack. When you buy a package it contains 8 x 5g mini packs (mine had 2 red, 2 blue, 2 yellow, 1 white, 1 black). So when you pay $23.00 you get 40 grams of Sugru. This instructible used two mini packs (10g), only a quarter of the total pack.

I agree 46.00 would be far to expensive to make something like this! :)

...I *LOVE LOVE LOVE* Sugru! I bought my first pack a couple weeks ago and I've been telling *everyone* about it. Gave a few mini packs to some of my friends and hopefully they'll spread the good word to even more people...

[barriboy]

Not sure yet if I will ever get a tablet, but I thought this was a great idea, so I am reading your 'ible. Good job!

Just curious, what difference does it make if the tape is not offset and is then under the tablet? Do you do this purely for aesthetics?

Also, having never worked with Sugru myself, if you are constantly bending the hooks to place/remove the tablet, about how long to you expect them to last before wearing out?

[LuxCrawford]

I plan on doing the "lazy" version of this. I already have a case with a bluetooth keyboard built in that I want to keep using BUT I still want it to look like an old book. Plus I like that the book would help deter a potential thief. I’m going to find an old book that can accommodate the size (should be easy) and either glue or Velcro my existing case inside. This way I can keep the ipad safe in its soft suede-like case AND keep the keyboard PLUS have it look nice in a cool book and keep it discreet! Now to find the right book.... Thanks for the inspiration btw!

[projectsugru]

Sounds great, do post an image here when you make this.

[kbales]

If the sugru is more flexable in thinner sheets could you make a laminate of several thin sheets?
Maybe even with layers of something (cellophane?) in between.

I plan one of these but will use thin sheet metal (soda can) dipped in plasti-dip for the corners.

[creaky]

I did the same thing with my Kindle Touch, but I did as suggested in another comment where I used velcro on the back to connect to the book. I also had some very nice cloth and covered the book in the cloth and I think i looks very nice.

[jessyratfink]

Clever, I like it. :D

[projectsugru]

Thanks!

[foobear]

I'd like to know how it holds up under daily use. I haven't had a lot of luck with sugru so far.

[projectsugru]

Hi RaisedByRobots,

Firstly apologies that you haven't had much luck with sugru yet. Maybe you could let us know what problems you are having and we could give you some tips.

In regards to the tablet case, ours hasn't failed yet but then we haven't been using it everyday. My advice would be to make sure that the clips are perfect. That is the weakest part of this hack, the fact that they could tear when lifting up and down. As long as you ensure that the clips lie very straight over the corners of the iPad and do not wrap around the corners then you should be fine. If the sugru clip wraps around the corner while lying over it there is a good chance that it could rip. If you keep it very straight then you reduce that risk.

I hope that helps and if there is any more sugru advice we can give you then please let us know. We love talking about all things sugru!

[farna]

Is the sugru that flexible after curing? I've not used it, but I thought it would cure too hard to flex like that. There's no real reason to remove the kindle or I-pad though, is there? Nothing on the back that needs to be accessed on a regular basis. Just use a small amount of cling wrap or wax paper on the corners and go! That or use stick-on Velcro to hold it in place.

[projectsugru]

Hi farna,

sugru's flexibility just depends on how thick you make it. A lump of it will be quite hard but in thinner pieces it can be very flexible. With this hack as long as you keep the clips as thin as possible you will have enough flex to remove the iPad.