I love my iPad and continue to search for the perfect way to protect it. I started with padded zippered bags (one of which I still use -- I think of it as a small "iSleeping Bag"). Then I created purse-like bags, which somehow turned into regular purses.
I really like the purses, but I wanted to try making a case out of an old book. Thanks to my other projects, I've got piles of them. And my friends with Kindles, Nooks, and other eReaders seem to prefer this style.The best instructions I found online came from the Ladies Home Journal blog (who knew?). Here's the link -- be sure to scroll down the page until you see a photo of a book.
To start, I chose my old book -- Renaissance, by Time-Life Books. It's the right size, and I like the parallel between innovations of that period and the current "information revolution" that the iPad represents. Plus how cool is that growly face at the bottom?
Using a sharp box cutter, I carefully sliced the pages out of the book. Making sure to remove all of the spine, I replaced it with new book tape.
So far, so good. Next, I cut some extra mats I had from my past life as would-be photographer/framer. Here's where I made my first mistake. Instead of listening to the "ladies," and cutting the mat only 1/8" larger than the iPad, I instead cut it larger, just a bit smaller than the book itself.
But I didn't see the error yet. Next, I found a velveteen skirt in my fabric stash. The chocolate brown shade matched the dark outlines on the book front cover. Perfect! Later this choice would turn out to be mistake #2, when my husband pointed out that velveteen is a lint-magnet.
I set each mat retangle on top of the skirt and cut a piece slightly larger. Then I glued the fabric to the mats using archival glue. The tricky part is turning over the edges and gluing them to the mat back. I should have left a larger (and straighter) margin -- maybe a full inch all the way around (mistake #3).
To set the glue, I put a very old, very heavy dictionary on top of the mats. Wax paper keeps the glue from sticking to anything.
After a few hours to let the glue set, I attached the elastic to the back of the mats' corners. First I measured and marked each corner, to make sure each elastic strap would be approximately in the same place. (The LHJ recommends fitting the straps to the iPad itself, but that makes it harder to position the straps.) I glued each end down using E9000 Glue, and then I put painter's tape on top of each end to hold it in place.
I put the dictionary back on each mat (after first removing the iPad, of course), and left it there for several hours. Afterward, I removed the tape. Then I used the archival glue to affix the two mats to the inside covers of the book. One more round with the dictionary, this time for a full 12 hours.
Although the "ladies" don't mention it, I decided to add a flap to secure the book's back cover to the front. I cut 2 rectangles from a fake-leather upholstery sample and sewed them together. A small brass rivet holds the strap to the back cover.
One the front cover, a velcro patch keeps the case closed. I didn't realize the patch would be right under the cover model's nose. Another mistake? Or DaVinci Code-like secret?
Here's the iPad in place. My biggest mistake was making the mats too large, so the iPad slips around and even falls out (gasp) of the book if I'm not careful.
I should've listened to the "ladies"! Still, I'm happy with the result. I will try again with a book for a Kindle, I think. Stay tuned!