I was scrolling Pinterest and found this tutorial about how to make a clutch out of a book. I really liked the idea so I went to a second-hand shop to find a book. I chose two with empowering titles "A good mother" and "The successful". I decided to do the successful one first.
What you need
a book
scalpel
cutting mat
glue (I used Karlsson klister)
fabric, about 30 centimeters
scissors
zipper, a bit longer than the three sides of the book
acrylic paint, the color of the cover
ruler
sewing machine
patience for letting everything dry in between the steps
Here is how I did it
I didn't follow the tutorial all the way. They chose to cover the book covers with fabric, I just made the lining.
Step 1: cut out all the pages of the book so the covers are left.
Step 2: make the zipper part. You need this part to be 1,5 cm wider on each side than the book when it´s finished. Cut 4 times 5 x 5 cm big squares of fabric. Sew them to the end of the zipper. Iron them flat.
Step 3: Cut two strips of fabric as long as the zipper and fabric are. Sew them on. Iron them flat. Now the zipper has a frame of fabric.
Step 4: Since I didn't use fabric on the whole covers I wanted to paint the inside of the cover the same burgundy ad the outside. I mixed up some acrylic paint in the right nuance. Let it dry.
Step 5: It's time to glue the fabric to the book. Start with the end of the zipper and follow the book around a centimeter from the edge. Let it dry.
Step 6: Open the zipper and glue it to the other side a centimeter from the edge.
Step 7: Make a lining inside. Cover the inside spine with fabric.
Step 8: For the inside covers I cut a vlieseline square for each side and ironed my fabric onto it, folding the fabric around to make a nicer finish.
Step 9: Let it all dry and then take your clutch out on the town.
This project was mid-level, I would say. Mid-project I got a bit too attached to the idea of a nice clutch that I almost didn't finish it. I was afraid to screw it up. But once I got going again it was fine. I did have my good mother book as a back up too.
A good thing that came out of this project is that I now have a lot of book pages to use for other projects. I've been Gelli printing and making notebook covers, for example.
Keep up the good work, and see you out there!
//Ann-Charlotte