Give your diary style: a cover tutorial that anyone can do

A diary is one of those gifts that really pleases us – especially when we find it under the Christmas tree. But let's be honest, who among us isn't a little afraid of scratching, bending or otherwise damaging it the first time we wear it?

The solution is a simple and practical cover that we can easily sew at home. It will not only protect the diary, but also give it a new look. And what's best - we can also use the same cover for our favorite book that we take on trips, for example on the train. Thanks to this, it will stay safe and we can enjoy reading without unnecessary worries.

The big advantage is that we don't have to look for anything complicated to sew the cover. Often, it's enough to go through the stock of fabrics that we have left over from other sewing projects and have been waiting for their moment for a long time. Ordinary cotton, which is easy to work with, or stronger denim that will last a while, will work great. And if we want to treat ourselves to a little luxury, feel free to reach for satin or silk - then the cover will be not only practical, but also beautiful to look at. You just need to choose the fabric according to your mood and style.

So let's go ahead and make a simple packaging together that will not only be practical but also exactly according to our ideas.

What you will need for the diary cover:

• 2× rectangles of fabric – each side 1 cm larger than the diary itself (for the top and bottom of the cover)

• 2× rectangle for pockets – length same as diary, width according to diary size (e.g. 15 cm)

• Strip of fabric for the spine – length same as the diary, width according to the size of the diary (e.g. 7 cm)

• Scissors, sewing thread , pins and needles

Procedure:

• Mark the center on the top of the cover. Place the center of the strip of fabric on the spine at the marked center of the top. Sew the spine along the long sides to the top at the edges. Fold the long sides of the spine 0.5 cm before sewing.

• Fold the pocket rectangles in half. Place them on the edge of the top piece, right sides together, and pin.
  If you want to insert an elastic band to hold the pages of a diary or book, insert it between the pocket fabric and the top of the cover.

• Place the bottom piece of the cover face to face with the top piece and sew around the perimeter. Leave a small opening at the top to turn the cover inside out.

• Trim the corners, turn the cover inside out and press the edges. Iron.
  Sew the small opening for turning by hand or machine.

And it's done! The cover is sewn, just put the diary in it and we're done. Not only is it now nicely protected, but it also looks exactly to our taste. Now we can safely carry it with us everywhere - in our handbag, backpack and on trips - and be happy that we managed to sew it ourselves.