How to Sew a Fabric Book Cover: 9 Steps
A fabric book cover is a stylish and practical way to protect your cherished books. Sewing your own fabric book cover allows you to create a tailored and unique accessory for any book in your collection. With these nine simple steps, sewing a fabric book cover becomes an enjoyable and fulfilling project for beginner sewers, experienced crafters, and anyone in between!
1. Gather materials:
– Fabric (two coordinating pieces of fabric for both the outside and inside)
– Scissors
– Ruler or measuring tape
– Sewing machine or needle and thread
– Iron
– Pins
– Optional: ribbon or other embellishments
2. Measure the book:
Open the book and lay it flat on a table, exposing the front cover, spine, and back cover. Measure the width, height, and spine width.
3. Cut the fabric:
Using your measurements from the previous step, cut two pieces of fabric (one for the outer cover and one for the lining). Add 1 inch to the height measurement (for seam allowance) and 5 inches to the width measurement (for flaps).
4. Fold and iron flaps:
Fold each side edge of both pieces of fabric inwards by 2.5 inches, creating two flaps on each piece. Iron down these folds to create crisp edges.
5. Pin fabric:
Place the right sides (the sides with patterns or designs) of your outer cover and lining together against each other with the two flaps on top of each other. Pin around all four edges to secure them in place.
6. Sew seams:
Using a sewing machine or a needle and thread, sew around all four edges, leaving a ¼ inch seam allowance. Be sure to leave an opening on one edge large enough for you to turn the fabric right side out.
7. Trim corners:
To reduce bulk at the corners, trim the excess fabric at a 45-degree angle, being careful not to cut through the seam.
8. Turn and press:
Turn your book cover right side out through the opening you left earlier. Use an object such as a closed pen or chopstick to push out the corners gently. Press with an iron to create crisp edges.
9. Close the opening and add embellishments (optional):
Hand sew the opening closed with an invisible stitch or ladder stitch. If desired, attach ribbons, buttons, or other embellishments to your fabric book cover.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully sewn a fabric book cover in just nine easy steps. Now you can enjoy protecting your books in style with a cover that’s uniquely yours. Expand your creativity by sewing covers for different sized books or matching sets for your favorite series – there’s no limit to what you can create!