The Cutest DIY Kindle Cover

Ok fellow sisters...this past week was Little L's first day of kindergarten! So needless to say I have been a little preoccupied with back to school jitters!! Much more so than my little L! She was more than happy to step onto that bus and ride all the way to kindergarten all by herself! My little girl is so brave and growing up too fast! 

And so in case you were like me last week; busy with back to school. Here is a look again at the DIY tutorial for a Kindle Cover that I guest posted in the Holiday Bake, Craft and Sew Along. It is the perfect gift for that special someone in your life that loves to read and owns a kindle (Like my mother in law who keeps dropping hers. This is the perfect gift for her.) If you don't happen to own a kindle this project could easily be adjusted for whatever electronic device you own and I will explain below. 

Materials:

*Fabric (preferably two different patterns that go together)

*Matting (like the kind used in quilting)

*Elastic

*Iron on velcro

*Fabric button

*Basic sewing supplies

*Sewing machine

Getting Started

My cover is made for the Amazon Kindle with dimensions as follows:

Length x Width x Height 

7.5 in x 4.8 in x 0.335 in

I used this formula for measuring and cutting all my material

(L + H +1) x (W + H + 1)

 This formula will help you make your measurements 

whether you have this exact kindle or not. For example, you could use this formula

and make a cover for the nook or even an ipad. 

I found this formula to be extremely helpful.

After calculating and using my handy dandy formula

 (and rounding to the nearest whole number) I cut all my material as follows.

I have numbered all the pieces to make my instructions easier. 

The numbers will be used throughout the tutorial.

*Piece 1: 9 x 12.5 inches (main fabric)

*Piece 2: 9 x 12.5 inches (main fabric)

*Piece 3: 10 x 13.5 inches (matting) 

hint: you want the matting piece to be slightly larger 

than your two main pieces 1 and 2

*Piece 4: 9 x 6 inches (main fabric)

*Piece 5: 7 x 6 inches (contrasting fabric)

*Piece 6: 8 x 6 inches (contrasting fabric)

*Piece 7: 3 x 6 inches (contrasting fabric)

* Piece 8: 3 x 6 inches (contrasting fabric)

Piece 9: 3.5 x 6 inches (matting)

 To make the strap:

You only want to sew up the three edges so you can turn in right side out

with the matting in the middle. Cutting the extra fabric off the corners allows

 for your corners to look neat and square instead of bulky. 

Viola!

A beautiful strap!

 To make the inside pocket piece:

Only hem the tops of pieces 5 and 6. Leave the bottom edge untouched.

Sewing the zigzag stitch will help prevent fraying along the edges. 

Again leave the bottom edges untouched on each piece.

When you are done only the top pieces of 5 and 6 should be hemmed and 

pieces 4, 5, and 6 should have the zigzag stitch along each side edge of fabric. 

Leave the top of piece 4 untouched as well as the

bottom edge of each piece.

 Turn your pieces over so you are looking at the front of them.

You are now going to pin the three pieces together and then sew into place.

This will form two pockets for the inside of the kindle cover. 

Turn the pocket piece over again so you are looking at it from the back and

 fold in the edges with the zigzag stitch only and pin into place. 

You are only going to hem along the two side edges with the zigzag stitches.  

This is what it should look like when all the pocket pieces are sewn together.

Hemming along the zigzag stitch sews all three pieces together.  

Putting it all together:

You want the matting piece to be larger than your two main pieces because it 

makes sewing it all together easier. You can trim away excess later. 

Right now we are going to lay all the pieces on top of each other as 

follows and then sew them all together as one piece. 

Once you have placed the pocket piece on top of piece number 2 

take your number 1 piece (with wrong side facing you) and lay it on top.

 Piece number 1 should look inside out right now. Not to worry once you sew 

it all up you will turn it right side out again.  Pin along the edges described below.

 Leaving the right side edge unpinned.

Starting from the right side bottom edge start to sew a straight stitch 

around the pinned edges. Do not lift your needle out of the fabric 

during this step, until all the way around.

 Finally once you have sewn around the three pinned edges. Turn your work 

right side out. This is what it should look like. With the right side edge still open. 

 For this final step we are going to sew the right edge of the cover while sewing the strap into place and continue around the entire edge of the cover to make for a neat, stylish finish. Fold in the bottom piece of fabric and the matting and pin into place. Place your strap where you want it and pin that into place. Finally fold in the top piece of fabric and pin it all together to seal it all shut. See below.

For this last part. Just be sure to catch every piece of fabric in the "last pinned edge" so

that it all comes together neatly .

Starting at the top right corner (where you have pinned it shut). Sew a straight stitch through all the fabric all the way around the kindle cover. This will make for a neat finish and close up the last edge.

Phew: hang in there it's almost done.. and looking beautiful!

 Sewing the Elastic:

I wanted this not only to be a cover to protect the kindle but also something that could hold the kindle in place while reading it. I might as well be stylish while I'm reading right?

First I cut a piece of cardstock to the measurments of my kindle to use it as a reference. Using elastic that I measured and cut to fit around the corners. I folded in the edges of the elastic and pinned and sewed into place. They ended up working really well, and didn't even interfere with the screen. 

Finishing Touches:

Iron out any wrinkles and iron on your velcro.

TADA!!!

I can't wait to give it to my mother in law for Christmas!

Happy Sewing!!