Need a quick personal handmade gift for someone?

I was talking to Shane recently about making a gift for someone and mentioned these book covers. They are quick, colourful and handmade by you.

Here is a quick tutorial so that you can zoom off and make your own!

I use small journals or notebooks, although using a 2011 diary would make a great gift :))
You can use any size book, but I like the smaller sizes as these can easily be kept in a handbag. I buy mine at a local stationery store which means that when one book is full I can buy another and slip into the cover.

* Measure your book, then find some pretty fabric and some batting.
* Make a sandwich of 2 layers of fabric with a layer of batting in the middle.
*Trim them so that they are about 2 inches larger than the size of the book.
*Quilt the fabric, and embellish it if you chose, add stitches, buttons, applique etc...

* After quilting the fabric, trim the fabric down to allow 1/2" around the book, so the fabric is 1/2" bigger than the book.
* Sew with a zigzag stitch right around the outside edge of the fabric.
* Cut 2 more pieces of fabric to match, fold under one long edge and stitch down it. Add any embellishments you want to to this fabric.
* To attach these to the cover, sew around 3 sides so that they form a pocket, you will slip you book cover into these.

*Get some cord, wool, or strings and cover them with a zigzag stitch to make a decorative cord.
* Sew one end of this cord to the centre top inside of your cover fabric. Attach a bead to the other end. This will hang down between your pages, make sure it is long enough when cutting your original threads.

* Slip your book into the cover! :))

You can normally make one of these covers from scraps you have at home. I have had mine for 3 years now. Each year I replace it with a new diary.

On these ones below I zigzag stitched a bunch of mixed fibres to the outside of the cover fabric once they were finished.

Hope this inspires you!
Have fun,

Carole :)