Book Cover Tutorial

I am an avid reader and a member of a book club for many years. About five years ago, my book club was reading a book I was rather embarrassed to walk around with...It had a curse word in the title and at that time I spent a lot of my time at the rec center pool reading in public, I could not be seen with this book! I improvised and made a book cover. Next, I made book covers for all of my book club friends and then for my students as end of the year presents. Here are a couple I made... These book covers are designed to fit the larger paperbacks known as trade paperbacks (the over sized paperbacks that Target sells).

 

You will need:

1/4 yard of fabric

12" piece of gross grain ribbon

9" x 12.5" piece of fusible interfacing

Matching thread

Optional- button, front cover decoration

 

 

Cut:

Two 9" x 12.5" pieces of fabric for the outside and lining of the book cover

Two 8" x 9" pieces of fabric for the sleeves of the book cover

One 9" x 12.5: piece of fusible interfacing

 1. Fuse fusible interfacing to wrong side of 9" x 12.5" of book cover fabric. (This provides stability for the book cover and applique.)

2. Fold and press both 8" x 9" sleeve pieces of fabrics wrong sides together. They will measure 4" x 9".  Set aside.

 

3. Fold the cover (the piece that has the fusible interfacing attached) with wrong sides together. Optional- center your applique cover decoration on the front cover.

 4. Optional- applique your cover design. 

 I just used a button hole stitch with matching thread.
 

 

 5. With right sides together, place the sleeves along each side of the outside book cover. The fold should be going toward the middle and the raw edges should be aligned with the outside of the book cover. You can see the "V" below the sleeve.

 

 6. Place the ribbon (bookmark) on the top, left side of the outer book cover, near the folded edge of the left side sleeve. Pin it at the top.

7.  Pin the excess ribbon towards the middle of the outer book cover, so it does not get mistakenly sewn into the bottom.

 8. Sandwich the book cover lining piece with right sides together on top of the sleeves and right side of the outside book cover. Carefully pin everything in place and stitch around using a 1/4 inch seam., leaving an opening on the lower edge between the folded sleeves (this is how you will turn it right side out). Back stitch at the beginning and the ending.

 

 Here is how it looks on the interfacing side after it has been stitched.

9. Trim carefully at all four corners to make turning easier and the corners not as bulky.

 

 10. Turn and press. Pin along the opening, slipping the raw edges back inside, and slip stitch it by hand with matching thread.

 

 

 

 11. Stitch a button along the bottom of the ribbon. Now, you have a lovely book cover!