https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/tablet-book-cover • Posted by Saar O.
I needed a good cover for my new tablet quick, and since I didn't have the time or money to buy one in the store, I grabbed a book with the right size out of my shelf, got rid of it's content and used it -just for the protection- as a temporary cover. After my first trip with this makeshift cover, I considered it a possibility to make it a permanent one. For this project I used an old gardening book. I didn't like the cover much but the was the exact right size so I used it anyway and re-covered it using fabric. I won't be going into details about that in this tutorial unless there's a lot of demand for that. By just adding some felt and velcro to an old book you can easily make this good solid protective case for your tablet, ipad, e-reader or whatever you need it for! Easy, cheap, solid and it looks great!
I needed a good cover for my new tablet quick, and since I didn't have the time or money to buy one in the store, I grabbed a book with the right size out of my shelf, got rid of it's content and used it -just for the protection- as a temporary cover. After my first trip with this makeshift cover, I considered it a possibility to make it a permanent one. For this project I used an old gardening book. I didn't like the cover much but the was the exact right size so I used it anyway and re-covered it using fabric. I won't be going into details about that in this tutorial unless there's a lot of demand for that. By just adding some felt and velcro to an old book you can easily make this good solid protective case for your tablet, ipad, e-reader or whatever you need it for! Easy, cheap, solid and it looks great!
The first step is selecting the book that will be your cover. This is the hardest and most important step in the process! Find the measurements of your tablet (or e-reader or whatever) Then go to your local second hand bookstore and find a book with all dimensions only slightly bigger than the dimensions of your tablet. Of course it has to be a hard cover book. And preferably a book that looks good, with a good title/author. Maybe you're favorite cassic, a good book on philosophy or science, or why not find a nice bible ;-) Do realise you're going to cut the book open, and only if you find an e-book of the smae title, you won't be able to read it again in the cover, so don't get an expansive vintage, or the exact book your parents used to read to you. You can also re-cover or paint your book if you like!
Open up the cover, cut the paper that connect the book itself to the cover on both sides. It takes two cuts, and you'll have an empty cover and the contents of your book apart.
find a piece of felt and cut it to the size of your bookcover. Glue it in using double sided tape, or spray glue, or whatever glue you find appropriate. the felt sticks very easily, so no need for superglue.
now get yourself some pieces or velcro. you only need the male side of the velcro (the side with the hooks, right on this picture) glue these to the back of your tablet/e-reader/whatever. A lot of velcro (like velcro dots) comes with a pre-glued back. use this, its easy, sticks good, and is also easy enough to remove if wanted. If you glue it yourself, make sure you select glue thats sticky enough, yet is easy enough to remove if need. So don't use your gluegun or superglue,. you don't want to damage your tablet! if you use dots, use about 3 or 4, if you use striped of velcro, one at the top and one at the bottom should be sufficient.
If you now place the tablet onto the felt inside the cover, it sticks! this way it won't slide out of the cover! If your close the book, all ports and slots and buttons on the sides can still be used. Keep in mind this cover will protect the tablet from harm but not from dust/sand/cookie crumbs
You can use an elastic band to keep the cover closed. I preferred not to do so myself.
And now you can go out, and read your e-books (or emails, or watch a movie or whatever) in a nice book cover! Ever read a chic lit hidden in a Sartre book? You can now!