EReader Hollow Book Case With Stylus Storage

There are plenty of eReader, Kindle, and Nook cases out there. There are plenty of instructables for such cases, and plenty that involve hollowing out a book, but not very many that include stylus storage, which was one of my main goals in making this case.

I made this for one of my friends here at college who has a Sony Reader. (She also happens to have a wonderful book review blog here) If you made this for anyone with an ereader, from that weird aunt to your significant other, I'm sure they'd appreciate it, so lets begin!

Step 1: Materials and Tools

You don't need all that much, really.

Materials:

 - Book a bit bigger than your reader (I'll talk about picking a book next)

Tools:

 - Plain old Glue ,the white cheap elmers kind is good
 - a cutting implement of some kind. I recommend an x-acto or craft knife
 - (sorta optional) a brush with which to... brush on the glue
 - (optional) a stack of books to set on top of your case at various points. Miscellaneous heavy objects will work too.
 - (optional) some sandpaper to smooth out the sides of the paper later on
 - (optional) you may or may not need them, but scissors are handy to have on hand

Miscellaneous:

 - Reader of some sort. This one uses the sony reader, but any reader (kindle, nook, etc) will be fine. If you don't have one... well, you'll have a nice empty case.

Step 2: Picking a Book!

The first criteria when picking a book to case-ify is size. If its too big, it'll feel bulky. Too small, and you won't have stability (or the reader just won't fit).

Whip out a ruler, or just eyeball it. Set the reader inside the book on top of the pages. You're looking for about 3/8" to 1/2" clearance on the three outer edges. Check the depth too. It needs to be deep enough for your book and stylus (if you have a stylus)

The second criteria when picking a book to case-ify is style. This is the important one. You want people to judge this case by its cover, and judge it to be awesome. If you (or your friend) is going to be toting this case around, everyone who sees them should think they're reading the coolest book ever.

Which means, at least from my perspective, late 50's boy books are  an amusing, cheap option. I picked up three of these for free at my college's free store (like salvation army, but just for our college, and 100% free). You can probably get similar types for pretty cheap at Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a used book store.

On another note, because they don't bind books like they used to, I almost recommend an older book over a newer one. The glue will be better.

Step 3: Glue and Set

Get your glue and brush (or fingers, if you don't have a brush) and put it on the outside of the pages. Be sure to try not to glue the pages to the front or back cover just yet. We need those. (putting a piece of paper between the cover and pages can help with the not-glueing thing)

Once you've glued it, get a stack of books to set on top.you want the pages nice and cemented together. Leave it to dry. Go do your laundry or, heaven forbid, read a book!

Step 4: Stylus Storage

*This step is optional if you don't have a stylus*

Once your book is dry, flip it over, open the back cover, and decide where you want your styles. This stylus has a wonderful clip that happens to fit perfectly on the cover of this book.

Open the book and trace the outline of your stylus onto the pages, then expand it just a smidge and you're good to go.

Get your knife/razor, whatever. Start cutting.

Every once in a while, put the stylus in and shut the book to check. You can stop cutting when the book closes fully and the depth is what you want it to be.

Once you're done cutting, grab your glue and coat the sides of your little compartment. Then brush glue on the rest of the page and shut the book. Leave it under a pile of books again.

Step 5: And Now That Step Where You Don't Cut Yourself!

Grab your xacto knife/chainsaw and get ready! Mark out with a pencil the edges of your reader on the front page and start cutting down. If your knife has a snap-off blade, this is when I would recommend snapping a new edge.

If your inside cover page has a pretty picture, like mine does, you might want to set it aside to be a nice backround image for your case later. As for the rest of the paper, I advocate recycling it all. I keep a paper bag in my dorm room just for paper, and its really easy.

That or set it all on fire for fun, but keep the fire away from your case.

Be careful and work your way down slowly. Put your reader in and check it to make sure you have a good fit. It would really suck to get to the right depth and discover your reader doesn't fit. If you want to, put a coat or two of glue down with the brush as you go down. It'll hold everything together pretty well. A few swipes of some sandpaper won't hurt either. I had some 200 grit on hand to smooth the sides and tweak the fit of the reader a bit.

Now, if you want to have buttons/ports accessible, once you reach the right depth, cut a notch so you can reach them. Its easy, and means that once you put the reader in, you can charge it without taking it out!

Step 6: Glue, Set, and Wait

If you have a specific image you want inset in the back, now's the time to get it. Grab that brush (or your fingers) from earlier and glue it down. Put another coat of glue along the inside edges of the pages to solidify everything, and another coat on the outside if you feel like it. Then set down and let it dry. (If you want to, you can put a thin coat of glue on top of the pages to add an extra layer of stability)

Note: If your cuts weren't 100% straight down, your background image might not fit. Scissors are useful on this part to trim it to what you want.

While it dries, look at the old default case. Make fun of it. Mock its pathetic stylus "storage" and imagine the look on your friend's face when you give them their new reader case. Or the look on your friends' faces when they see your new reader case. You know, depending on who it's for.

Step 7: Marvel! You're Done!

Congratulations, you're done! Insert your reader and skip off into the sunset of gloriously awesome reading.

Thanks for reading, and I'd love to see pictures if anyone makes one of their own.