Two Ways to Pair Fabric with Books

I love to sew and love to read. I've seen a few posts about fabric book covers and have been inspired to make my own. Like Little Miss Shabby's journal cover , Craftionary's tutorial, and especially this post by Two Hippos! This simple book cover didn't take long at all to create and is a great way to use up your fabric scraps. If you are anything like me, you have a lot of them. 

I have been reading old cook books lately. Cook books that were written in the 1950's and are told like a story are my favorite. I picked up "Blue Hills and Shoofly Pie" at a local antique store for $4! I am deeply in love with the plain, hard covers. The way they look all stacked together makes me love my old book collection even more (if that is even possible). I do love how this fabric book cover turned out, though. This would be great to cover a journal or to protect recipe book covers when working in the kitchen, too! 

Do you ever find a part in your book that you want to flip back to? 

This happens to me all the time, especially when there are recipes involved. So, I sewed up some mini book marks to leave in the books to mark my favorite parts or recipes that I'd like to flip back to. This is a cute alternative to folding the corner of the page over. I created both of these little projects in under two hours. Well, just take a look for yourself.

This is the front of my book cover. I just measured my book and started sewing my scrap pieces together. I used two quilt blocks that were too small to use in the quilts I was making. I even added some lace to give it a scrappy look. The button attaches to a string on the other side of the book. I had a button loop, but Alec accidentally pulled it out when trying to unbutton the book. So, now it just wraps around the button, which I like just as well if not more than the loop.

Here is the back. I just folded over the flaps of the book cover and sewed it to fit. 

Here are the little book marks.

They are thin enough to fit in a page without prying the spot open too far. They are by no means neat or perfect, but they definitely add personality to your books. I left the strings hang on them and spent about 5 seconds making each one. They are meant for a scrappy look, too. I used one on this page to bookmark the recipe for Apple Fritters that I'm going to try. Yum!

I used lots of different fabrics. 

You start with a little scrap fabric square. 

Fold in one third of it towards the center.

Then fold in the other third, like a business letter.

Feed it under your presser foot.

And sew right down the middle. Simple as that!

They even fit perfectly in this jar that I was telling you about. The little jar that I'm in love with.

Do you ever make fabric book marks or book covers? 

Do you think you will make some of your own?