Make a Fabric Journal Cover

I love journals and diaries but they can be expensive.  What isn’t expensive is a standard school composition book. These books are not much to look at but you can make them beautiful by taking some fabric scraps to make a a fabric journal cover that will fit your 50 cent composition book perfectly.  No one will suspect that this beauty was made from leftovers that can be reused over and over again.

What you will Need:

• Neutral Colored exterior fabric measuring 11″ x 26″
• Colorful Lining fabric measuring 11″ x 25 1/2″
• Eight 1 3/4″ squares of scrap fabrics in different colors and patterns

Step 1: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

Sew your 8 1 3/4″ squares together in a single line using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 2: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

Take your exterior fabric and mark the center using an erasable pen.  Measure 4″ to the right of the center of the exterior piece and cut.  This is where you will sew your length of scrap squares.

Step 3: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

With right sides together sew the short side of the exterior fabric to the right side of the scrap squares using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press.

Step 4: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

With right sides together sew the long side of the exterior fabric to the left side of the scrap squares using 1/4″seam allowance.  Press.

Step 5: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

Place the lining piece right sides together with the Exterior panel and sew all the way around using a 1/4″ seam allowance and leaving an opening for turning.  Clip the corners before turning.

Step 6: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

Turn and Press.  Sew the opening closed using ladder stitch.  Fold Each End toward the center 4 1/2″.

Step 7: Make a Fabric Journal Cover

Sew the ends closed at the top and bottom using ladder stitch.  This creates the pouches for the cover of the journal.  Insert the front and back covers of the book into the pouches and you have a beautiful Composition Book Cover.

I made another Terrific Journal cover for my trip to Ireland using this tutorial.  I think you will find it very useful if you don’t want to do the hand sewing I have in my tutorial.

 

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