How to Cover a Notebook with Fabric to Make a Wookie-Inspired Notebook!

My husband is a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. He's also a big fan of always having a journal with him so he can capture his thoughts whenever he feels like it. He typically likes carrying a Moleskin, and he's also a big fan of journal bandoliers to hold his pens and keep his journal nice and tidy.

So, for Father's Day this year, my daughter and I decided to combine all of the above, cover the journal in brown fuzzy fabric, and turn it into a wookie-inspired journal as a gift for my husband. Since we were starting with a prototype, we ended up making two, one large and one small.

What You'll Need:

-Brown fabric (I used felt for the small one and a soft fuzzy polyester for the large)
-Black elastic
-White fabric paint
-White glue
-Quick grip glue (or super glue)
-Scissors
-Narrow white elastic
-Notebook(s)
-Foam paint brush

I basically followed the steps from this excellent online tutorial, but with a few changes. This is what I did to make it a "Wookie Book":

I first cut a length of black elastic that would fit diagonally across the front of the notebook. I cut a small loop of white elastic, sized to hold a pen or pencil, and sewed it onto the middle of the black elastic, perpendicular to the edges of the black elastic. I then used my white fabric paint to paint matching stripes along the front of the black elastic. This is the bandolier.

I let the paint dry thoroughly, then I cut a piece of brown fabric the size of the notebook, plus about 3/4" around each edge. I figured out the placement of the bandolier onto the fabric by doing a mock-up and placing the fabric onto the notebook, then the bandolier diagonally across the front. I marked the two spots on the back of the notebook where I would need to sew the bandolier edges.

I then sewed the edges of the elastic firmly onto the fabric. I back-stitched several times to ensure that it holds tightly when stretched.

This is what it looks like once sewn, before the fabric is attached to the notebook.

Next, I used white glue to attach the fabric to the front of the notebook. 

I used a foam paint brush to spread the white glue evenly, then pressed the fabric firmly onto the notebook.

Since my fabric was a bit bulky, the white glue wasn't quite powerful enough for the edges. I pulled out my favorite all-purpose glue, Quick Grip. It's useful for so many things around the house, and it worked perfectly for the edges of my wookie book.

Once the edges were glued, I used a sheet from the notebook itself to cover the inside front and back. For the larger notebook, I used a nicer piece of heavy stock stationery. I went back to white glue to glue the inside covers.

To help with drying, I propped up the inside pages to allow air to circulate. 

Once it was dry, I was pleased with the way it turned out. This is the front:

And this is the back:

Since it was a first attempt, the paint stripes seem a little uneven, so I'll work on that if I make others. All in all, I think it made a pretty good gift for my Star Wars, journal-carrying guy.