Fabric Covered Books

I have a "crafty" streak in me. 

I do all sorts of crafts and I love it. It's therapy.

Recently, I've been staring at some shelves in my house wondering what about them was bothering me because something was. 

And then it placed it. The Jane Austen Books + Jane Eyre that I had bought from Barnes and Noble a million years ago weren't quite blending with everything else. I wanted to give them a facelift.

Before

For graduation my sister Julie gave me a notebook she made that was covered with fabric. It's adorable. I'd seen this done with paper (and it's gorgeous) but there was something about this notebook that sparked an idea. So, thanks Julie!

I decided to cover my books with fabric! As soon as the decision was made, I hopped on Pinterest and found this tutorial from the Six Sisters Stuff blog and it looked ideal. Perhaps because her copy of Mansfield Park is the same version I have... Anyway, it was simple and I was able to cover all 7 books for about $35. 

After

 If you're looking to use this tutorial I do have a few tips!

1. Buy Fat Quarters and use coupons. 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know what a fat quarter was before this. I don't do much by way of sewing or quilting but my Mom and another one of my sisters does so I just felt like this was something I should've known. Anyway, a fat quarter, if you are like me and don't know, is a half of a yard cut in half. So, typically a quarter of a yard would usually be 9" x 44" but with a fat quarter you get a piece that is 18" x 22". It's like cutting a sandwich into squares and having 1 of the 4 squares rather than cutting your sandwich into 4 strips...clear as mud? Anyway, my point is that for my books, the fat quarters were the perfect size and I even had a little left over. You can save money this way and you can save money by using coupons. So, yeah. 

2. Iron your fabric before you use it. 

My fat quarters were pre-cut by the store I go to. So, they had been folded long enough to have pretty obvious creases. I really hate this part but it saved the aesthetic of the books in the end.

3. Wear gloves?

The Elmer's glue spray adhesive was seriously no joke. I had glue ALL over my hands by the time I was done so if you don't like having to scrub your hands for 20 minutes, you might want to consider wearing gloves. Or just don't be as messy as I was...hmm.

4. Use a tarp or large piece of cardboard to cover your work area. 

Again, that glue man! It'll get everywhere if you aren't careful but at least it works. I used a large piece of cardboard so that my table didn't get covered in a rough, gluey mess.  

I am thrilled with the results of my books and now I want to cover all of my hardback books with fabric. But I won't. Probably.  Either way, I think I have acheieved the "facelift" I wanted for them and I am loving it. 

Reading outside with the most delicious oranges ever.