Hello, my crafty friends! How many of you use a journal, diary or a simple notebook to organize and plan your days, shopping, holidays, budget and more? I have a few organizers and journals for different aspects of my life.
I like to keep a sewing diary for my garment projects, where I make notes on which pattern I used and what size I’ve cut out, any adjustments that I’ve made to the pattern or any fitting issues that I still need to fix. I also add a simple line drawing of the pattern and, for the reference, glue a small piece of fabric that I made the project from. This keeps me organised, and I know exactly what to do or not to do if I ever want to use the same pattern again.
I also keep a separate notebook of bags and accessory patterns that I am currently working on. In there, I write all the details about the project: sewing skills needed, size and shape, name and measurements of individual pattern pieces, fabric and other supplies requirements, sewing steps and any pattern testers adjustments. The end of that notebook is full of ideas for patterns I want to design one day. I am not very good at drawing but will sketch a rough design or style of the project that I envisioned in my mind, make notes on size, any specific features and details I want to add or techniques I want to use or try.
To keep myself organized, I also use a journal and a calendar. I tend to sit and plan my week ahead so I know exactly what I am doing and can stay on top of everything. Since I decided to start a YouTube channel, my workload doubled, but unfortunately, the days aren’t any longer, haha.
I wanted to make my journals and notebooks look more pretty, so decided to make a cover for each one. Unfortunately, they are all different shapes and sizes, so I had to draft an individual pattern for each one. That got me thinking… many of you would love to know how to draft your own pattern for a notebook cover, hence this post 😆
How To Create A Custom Notebook Cover
I could have designed a simple notebook cover, but this is not my style! Instead, I decided to spice things up a bit and divide the external cover into three panels so I could play with colour blocking and make my covers as colourful as possible.
Then, I thought….you need some pockets! Yes, pockets! Whenever a new idea struck me or need to add something to my TO DO list, I can never find a pen or pencil on hand, but if my cover had pockets, I could keep a spare pencil with my notebooks. One less worry in my life!
But what pockets would you add to a notebook cover??? How about a patch pocket or maybe a zipper pocket? Well, why not add both? Patch pockets are easy to sew and can be divided into smaller compartments to hold individual pencils/pens. Zipper pockets are fantastic for storing anything you don’t want to lose, or maybe a bunch of business cards.
And as a bonus I also wanted to add a snap closure, because why not?!
If you like the sound of that, keep reading so you can learn how to draft your own notebook/journal covers!!!
How To Measure Your Notebook
To accurately draft a pattern for your notebook cover, you will need to take a few measurements.
First, to measure the length of your notebook or journal, place a measuring tape on the edge of the back cover and wrap it around the spine and across the front cover (Photo 1). Then, measure the height of your notebook (Photo 2). I like to add an extra 1 cm of ease to account for fabric thickness.
Keep the notebook/journal closed when measuring. If you open it and lay it flat, the measurement won’t be accurate, and your cover will be too small.
Now, you can measure the thickness (Photo 3) and the width (Photo 4) of your notebook/journal.
If you want to add a snap closure to your notebook cover and include a patch pocket inside for holding a spare pencil or pen, it’s important to ensure that the connector for the snap closure is long enough. This is because the thickness of the patch pocket and the items stored inside will cause your notebook or journal to remain slightly open. A longer connector will accommodate this added bulk, allowing the snap to close securely without distorting the cover or placing undue strain on the closure mechanism.
First, place a pen inside the pocket, then measure the total thickness of the notebook with the pen included. Use this measurement to decide how long to make the connector. For reference, adding about 4 cm has worked well for me, but you can adjust based on your specific needs.
Write these measurements on a piece of paper because we will need them in a minute to draft our pattern.
My measurements:
Length = 40 cm
Height = 25 cm
Thickness = 3 cm
Width = 18 cm
Snap connector length = 8 cm
Draft Your Own Pattern
Let’s stop for a minute and think about the anatomy of our notebook/journal cover.
We need the main external panel that will wrap the notebook/journal on the outside. We can keep it simple and use one-piece fabric or divide it into multiple panels. For the purpose of this tutorial (and my personal preference), I am dividing my external cover into three panels, so I will need to create the following pattern pieces: SIDE PANEL (cut twice) and MIDDLE PANEL (cut once). Additionally, we need a separate pattern piece for the lining; I will call it MAIN PANEL. This one is best to make from a single piece of fabric, because we will barely see it when the cover is made.
Next, we need a pair of handles that will keep our notebook/journal inside the cover. I will call this pattern piece SLEEVE. We need one of them on each side, plus additional pieces for the lining. No one wants raw edges!
Technically, you can stop here! That is the bare minimum you need to create a cover, but I did mention we going to add a patch pocket, zipper pocket and snap connector, didn’t I?! You can probably guess that we also need to draft separate pattern pieces for them!
Grab a ruler, a piece of paper and a pencil because we are about to start!
To begin drafting your pattern, draw a rectangle that measures length x height (for me, it is 40 cm x 25 cm), then mark the centre (dashed line).
If your notebook/journal has rounded corners, you can draw them as well.
Add 1 cm seam allowance around the panel (green line), and just like that, you’ve created the first pattern piece. Mark middle notches along both side edges, and always remember to label the pattern piece.
This one will be your MAIN PANEL that needs to be cut x 1 from the lining fabric. If you are working with quilting cotton, stretchy or fraying fabric, you might want to interface the back of the fabric with some woven interfacing.
If you want to make your project even quicker and easier, use this pattern piece and also cut x 1 from the external fabric. Only do this if you prefer to make your notebook cover without dividing the exterior panel into sections.
Math time!
The below calculations are just my personal preference. I think they keep the overall design proportional, but if you want, you can use different measurements altogether.
We will use the MAIN PANEL piece as a base to create all remaining pieces. This is especially useful if your notebook cover has rounded corners.
SIDE PANEL = 1/3 notebook length by height (for me: 1/3 x 40 cm = 13.3 cm, so I will round it up to 14 cm, so the piece measures 14 cm by 25 cm).
Measure and mark it on the main panel (red line), and add a 1 cm seam allowance (green line). Than mark a snap placement (black dot) about 3 cm from the outer edge (measure from the green line). Trace the pattern piece and label it as SIDE PANEL, cut x 2 external fabric + interfacing. Whenever you are using fabric with a directional print, you need to remember to cut it out as a mirror image, so I would make a note of this on the pattern piece so you do not forget.
MIDDLE PANEL = notebook length – (2x side panel) by height (for me: 40 cm – 28 cm = 12 cm by 25 cm)
Always remember to add 1 cm seam allowance around the panel, so my middle panel is: 14 cm by 27 cm.
Because the middle panel is a simple rectangle, I usually prefer to save on paper and not create a separate pattern piece. Instead, just make a note on the SIDE PANEL pattern piece what dimension the MIDDLE PANEL is and add an additional label:
MIDDLE PANEL, cut x 1 external fabric + interfacing (14 cm / 27 cm)
If you prefer to have all your pattern pieces ready you can draft it and cut it out as normal.
SLEEVE = 2/3 of notebook width by height (for me: 2/3 x 18 cm = 12 cm by 25 cm)
I would not make the sleeves any wider than 2/3 of the notebook’s width because it might be difficult to insert the notebook once you finish making the cover. Do not make it too narrow either, because the cover might fall out when is open. As a rule of thumb, I like to make it between 1/2 and 2/3 the width, especially when adding pockets.
Again, measure and mark it on the main panel (blue line) and add a 1 cm seam allowance (green line). Once traced, add a label:
SLEEVE, cut x 2 external fabric + lining, cut x 4 interfacing. Similar to side panels, when using directional fabric, cut it out as a mirror image.
All the basic cover pieces are drafted, now we are going to draft the PATCH POCKET and the ZIPPER POCKET. We will use the SLEEVE pattern piece as a base, so trace it on a separate piece of paper, or you can just draw on the back of the pattern piece.
The size and shape of the PATCH POCKET will depend on what you are going to use it for.
I want to use mine to hold a couple of spare pencils so a simple rectangle will be perfect for that. Draw the shape of your patch pocket, but whatever you decide, make sure you keep it out of the seam allowance. My patch pocket is about 9 cm / 12 cm, and I placed it about 2.5 cm away from both sides and the bottom edge.
If you want, trace it to a separate piece of paper and add 1 cm seam allowance on all sides, or add an extra label to the sleeve pattern piece: PATCH POCKET, cut x 1 external fabric + lining, cut x 2 interfacing (11 cm / 14 cm)
To draft the ZIPPER POCKET pattern, draw the shape of the pocket bag first (dashed rectangle). You want to keep it away from the seam allowance along the top, bottom and curved side edge. Similarly to the patch pocket, I kept mine about 2.5 cm away from the edges. The zipper pocket will be cut x 1 on fold from the lining fabric. Inside that pocket draw a 1 cm – 1.5 cm wide rectangle, that is where the zipper will be installed.
My zipper pocket measures 11. 5 cm / 22 cm, and the seam allowance is already included. You can trace the ZIPPER POCKET (including the pocket placement markings) or add another label to the sleeve pattern (same way as before).
Lastly, we need to draft a SNAP CONNECTOR pattern piece. Start by drawing a rectangle 4 cm wide and 8 cm long (or whatever your measurement was). I like to round it on one side, but you can keep it as it is. Add 1 cm seam allowance around all sides and mark a snap placement 3 cm from the short edge. Cut it out and add a label to your pattern piece.
That is all!!! You successfully drafted a cover pattern that will perfectly fit your own notebook/journal! You can customize the pattern even more by adding more pockets or changing the way the external panel look. Whatever you do, always remember to add seam allowance and use the main panel as a base.
Supplies Needed To Make A Fabric Journal Cover
Once all pattern pieces are drafted, you can gather the supplies to complete the project. You will need:
- External fabric
- Lining fabric
- Interfacing (optional)
- #3 zipper
- Press snap or magnetic snap closure
- and obviously things like a sewing machine, scissors, needle, thread, etc.
The amount of fabric needed will depend on the size of the cover. To find out what you need, just lay the pattern pieces on your table in a similar manner you would lay them on the fabric and measure the area they cover.
Do this separately for the pattern pieces that are cut from the external fabric and again for the pieces that are cut from the lining fabric.
Make sure to transfer all notches, middle points and other markings.
The length of the zipper will be the same as the zipper pocket placement rectangle that you’ve marked on the pocket. If you are using a zipper tape by the yard (continuous zipper), then you need to cut it at least 2 cm longer. I usually cut mine the same height as the zipper pocket.
How To Sew A Notebook Cover In Any Size
Now, let’s get sewing!!!! Watch my video tutorial whenever you are ready to make your custom notebook/journal cover.
Join the Allsewpetite – Makers group on Facebook and share your versions of the notebook cover!
Stay crafty,
I just want to take a second and say thank you for making this tutorial. I was able to make a journal cover for my nibling as a Christmas gift. Ive never sewn a day in my life but with this post and your video it made it incredibly easy to follow. I mad a ton of mistakes along the way but I think I was able to fix them and made a cover that’s pretty solid. So, I sincerely appreciate your time and effort for making these for people who have no clue how to sew.