Book Cover Tutorial

A few weeks ago I made this. You can see how I made the cover here. Well Marlene asked if I would do a tutorial for the whole book cover. I said I would and have been feeling guilty because I haven’t gotten to it. I’ve been playing with the hearts. Well last week DD saw a best friends journal at her school’s book fair. It was purple and flowery and you could put all kinds of fun stuff about your best friend in it. Being the girly, girl she is this was a must have. I told her she had to use her own money, she was okay with that until she saw that it was $14. That a lot of money to an 8 year old. I wasn’t to thrilled about the price either. I’d rather she saved her money. So I told her I would make her one at home. Plus we could make the pages custom so she could put in exactly what she wanted. This sounded like a good alternative to her. So now I had two people counting on me to make a journal cover. I couldn’t let them down so yesterday I let the laundry, dishes, bed making go. I know naughty, naughty me, but remember I wasn’t feeling well. So I wanted to do something that relaxed me and would make me feel better at least mentally. I found this fun print in the scrap bag, grabbed a composition book to use for the book (I have lots of those, I stock up at back to school time) and went to work.

I made this little block

And this little block

I drew this one up on graph paper and made it.

You have to have a Friends Forever block on your best friends journal.

Then I made these little hearts.

Laid everything out on top of the composition book to see how we were fitting. .

Sew everything together. Trimmed and added as needed. You want your cover to be 1/2″ to 3/4″ bigger than your book, depending on how thick the cover of your book is. A 1/2″ is kind of tight on the composition book, so it is hard to get on but then it conforms to the book real nice. So that’s your call.

Open up your book and measure how big the spine and front and back covers are. Once again you want between 1/2″ and 3/4″ bigger than that number.

Cut a lining the same size as your book cover.

Cut two 7 1/2″ x whatever the height of your book cover is for the flaps

Place your lining right side up.

Fold flaps in half and place so raw edges are on the edge of your lining.

If you want ties on your book cover so you can tie it closed cut two 11″ strips of ribbon. This will make a long tie. But I needed mine to be easy for my 8 year old to tie. Measure halfway up the sides of your lining and flaps, pin ribbon in place. Place cover on top of this and pin well.

Starting at the bottom almost center of your book cover sew around the book cover leaving a space so you can turn it.

Trim the corners, turn it right side out, stitch up your opening and put it on your book.

And there you have it a fun personalized book cover.

Enjoy!

Hope you have a ‘love’ly Valentines Day!