Totally Trash to Treasure!

In my Andy's garage is a stack of about 40 corrugated plastic campaign signs. You know--the kind that you might order if you lost touch with reality and decided to run for the school board. They come in really handy sometimes.  I used a couple of them when I upcycled an old foot locker. (I was told that the term "upcycle" is much cooler than "recycle" or "repurpose." So there you go!) The signs are about as thick as a good piece of corrugated cardboard, but being plastic, they are much more durable. I have a  plethora of projects for them knocking around in my brain! One is ready to share with you today.

We spend most of our vacations on a beach, reading, dozing, enjoying the local beverages. I read almost exclusively on my iPod. Yes, iPod, not iPad. I enjoy my iPad, but I like the size of the iPod for reading. It probably sounds strange, but it's kind of like water skiing on one ski instead of two. No one believes it's easier until they do it. But I digress.... The one drawback to the iPod is the glare on the screen when you are in the sun. Since we will be on a beach again very soon, I decided to eliminate that problem by purchasing a Nook Simple Touch. It has an e-ink screen that looks like a printed page, even in direct sun. I chose it over a Kindle partly because it will open library books, while Kindles need a program to convert library books to their format, and partly because I already have 30 or 40 books in my Barnes & Noble library, as opposed to 4 or 5 in my Amazon library.

Of course it needs a cute protective cover, so before I even loaded it with books, I came up with a plan.

I've made covers for iPads and other tablets before, but they've always had three sections. Two sections fold around the tablet and the third works kind of like a flap on a purse or satchel to hold everything closed. 

This one really only needs two sections--a front and a back. 

I traced the shape of the Nook onto a sign two times and cut out both pieces. 

Then I dug out an old ripped out pair of jeans that one of the boys thought I could salvage (could or would?) and cut pieces big enough to wrap around the plastic. 

I basically sewed two pockets with a one inch wide strip of fabric between them. The plastic slips into the pockets to protect the Nook, but can be removed easily so the cover can go through the washer and dryer.

I used strips of clear vinyl sewn into the corners to hold the Nook in place. Some covers have fabric corners, some have elastic, and I've even seen some made with ponytail holders, but I like how the clear vinyl almost disappears. I used the same vinyl on the iPad cover I made over a year ago and it has held up very well. 

Next I got to "cute-ify" the outside. I didn't want to make it too foo-foo-ey because Andy will probably want to use it, too, so on the front I used an iron-on "P" that's been hanging around my craft room for years...

 and I made a pocket for the back. It's just the right size for a room key so we don't get locked out of the room. Or some cash to tip the housekeeper that lets us in if we do get locked out. In the rain. At night.

Not that that has ever happened....

I've been told that I should try making some video tutorials to put on YouTube. I think one of these covers might be a good project for that. They can get pretty complicated if you try to do silly things like have the hem of the jeans line up at the edges of the cover, but I think I can simplify it so it's not so confusing. If I decide to give it a shot, I'll let you know. In the meantime, if you would like to have a go at making your own cover (for any device) and want some nice sturdy plastic to slip inside it, leave a comment or send me an email. I'd be happy to share!

Thanks for stopping by! See you next time!