Hardback E-Reader Case

Intro: Hardback E-Reader Case

How to Turn an Old Hardback Book into a Case for Your E-Reader

What you'll need:
A hardback book that is just a bit bigger than your e-reader, but about the same thickness
Enough fabric to cover your e-reader
About 20" of 1/4 braided elastic
Paperboard, like from a cereal box
Spray adhesive
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Ruler
Utility Knife

STEP 1: Rmoved the Pages From the Book

Using your utility knife, cut the paper in the crease of the binding in the front and the back of the book. Gently pull the pages from the binding. They'll come out in one junk, but you may need to cut through the glue in a few spots.

STEP 2: Cut & Cover the Paperboard

Cut 2 pieces of paperboard to fit the inside front and back covers of the book. Then cut a strip of paperboard about 1/4 inch thinner than the spine of the book.

I'm not huge on measuring so I just laid out my ironed fabric with the paper board pieces on top. Lay one of the big pieces and the spine piece about a 1/8 inch apart. Treat this like on piece from here on out. Place the other one a few inches away. Coat the paperboard, and the fabric an inch or so around it, with spray glue. Remove the cards, spray the fabric beneath them and replace the cards, glue side down. Give the glue a few minutes to dry a bit, then cut the fabric, leaving about an inch around all the edges of the paperboard.

Trim the corners and fold the excess fabric over the edges of the paperboard except the outside edge of the spine piece. You'll want to leave the extra fabric on that edge to make a smooth seam on the finish product (Wait it out - you'll see!).

STEP 3: Attach the Front Inside Cover

Lay the cover of the book out flat, inside up. Coat the back of the front inside cover piece - the one that includes the spine piece - with spray glue and adhere to the book cover. Make sure the spine piece lines up with the spine of the book. Remember that extra inch of fabric we didn't wrap around the back of the paperboard? Lay that flat against the back cover of the book (see photos).

STEP 4: Add Elastic Supports

Cut the elastic into 4 inch pieces. On the back of the remaining fabric covered pieces of paperboard, measure and mark an inch from each corner. Wrap a piece of elastic around each corner. Hot glue the ends of the elastic to the back of the paperboard card at the marks. Try to keep a bit of tension on the elastic when you glue it to the paperboard - you want your Nook to be secure!

STEP 5: Attach the Back Cover

Use hot glue or spray adhesive to attach the paperboard with the elastic to the back cover of the book.

Strap in your e-reader and you're good to go!

Comments

[AndrewL5]

I was inspired by this instructable, if
not entirely convinced that it was the best way to go about making it,
so I instead opted to fabricate from scratch (Somewhat).

I started
with an old keyboard box, the inside membranes from an old USB
keyboard, and an old pair of pants that I'd burned with a hot iron and
wore otherwise destroyed.

I used a spray adhesive to apply the
fabric to the cardboard, and I cut out the decals from the cardboard for
the raised lettering, and logo'd back cover. The bottom corner holders
are some of the old belt-loops from the pants, with small strips of
cardstock threaded into them, and I applied the keyboard circuit
membrane to some black paper, and then onto cardstock for the inside of
the sleeve. There's a similar piece made from the other circuit membrane
under the Nook. I was going to use rivets to hold the loops ion place,
but they don't flatten out enough, so I opted for super-glue.

All
in all, I think it turned out well, and being as this is the 3G version,
I think it only seemed appropriate to do a HHGTTG theme. (I know it's
not a Kindle, but beggars can't be choosers)

[probablepossible]

this is charming! thank you for sharing!

[Amelika]

I have an old 007 Ian Fleming book. ABEBOOKS says it's worth 12.00 but it's black with a red gun/octopus on it (Octopussy rocks) and it'd be better as a Kobo cover. I'll try posting a picture when it's done.

[willardx]

A Nancy Drew Mystery in hardcover is the perfect size for the Kindle 3.

[AliceB777]

NNNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

[brassclams]

WWWWHHHHYYYY NNNNOOTTT!!!!!!!!!

[AliceB777]

Cute!

I had an original set of Nancy Drew books as an adolescent.  As a young adult I loaned them to an acquaintance, and never got them back.

They helped me through those early-adolescent angst years, so I guess the thought of cutting one up kind of zinged me!

Peace.

[brassclams]

Reminds me of the "Classics Illustrated" comic books I collected in the early- to- mid-Fifties. I think I sold a stack of them for $1.75 to some guy. Had I hung onto them, I could have sold them now for many times the original price which, at that time was 15 cents!

[sodiumcanine]

Neat Idea.
Found it Ironic today, I was at the library and did not pick up one book,
just used my Nook to download E-books and surf the web. Now I plan
to go to a 1$ bookstore ( Springing up everywhere it seems) or a used bookstore to get a book to hack for my Nook.
Hardback copy of Sailing Alone Around The World- Joshua Slocum Hoping
to find. I am reacquainting myself with the Book in Audio form on my MP-3

Tech making DTF (Dead Tree Format) Obsolete?

[brassclams]

I loved that book, didn't know there was an audio version.

[sleepymyf]

Yours turned out much better than my first attempt - I tend not to be terribly careful with stuff when I make it, and it shows! Hopefully I'll get a chance to try and make a better one soon.

I made a couple of minor alterations to mine: instead of using card for inside the front cover, I used a piece of neoprene/craft foam to give a bit of padding; and to keep the book shut, I glued a piece of ribbon onto the inside of the cover before putting the fabric-covered inside pieces in

[lsienkiewicz]

If you have trouble making one yourself, I make them! See my etsy store: http://etsy.me/ps0hvQ

[Goodhart]

Is THIS the same one featured and linked to from Popular Science (March 2011, page 91 under How 2.0 TECH ?


VERY nice :-)  

[nancy_sparkz]

Its very nicely done, specially when the available ebook covers are so expensive. This one is aesthetically very nice :)

[piccolo1979]

Great idea! Wish I'd seen this 'ible before I went & spent $30 on one of the BN covers, but I'm still gonna make one of these. :)

[Solderguy]

This is just ingenious. I will not rest until I hollow out a book and put my e-reader inside.

[MDisdain]

Awesome instructable, it was just what I was looking for.
Since I couldn't find a decent looking hard-cover book lying around that I could part with, I took this once step further by covering the outside of the book in fabric as well. I used the same method that you outline for the inside, but did the outside first. I can see lots of possibilities here.
B&N cover $29.99-59.99, my cover (made from stuff lying around the house) free.
Thanks!

[izzyinsf]

I really love this I'ble, awesome job. I wanted to use a Moleskine flip-top notebook, so I made a couple adjustments and posted a slideshow here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Moleskine-e-reader-case/

[Celt]

I just commandeered an old book that no one seemed to like, and cut the pages out of it! I felt a little guilty, but at least it will be re-purposed. maybe I'll try something a little different and make an 'ible out of it......

[kauaileslie]

Very cool. Just made one for my iPad. Thanks!