No-Sew Fabric Book Cover (Easy DIY + Giftable Finish)

Want to give your books a fresh new look in just minutes? Grab a scrap of fabric, your iron, and a little hot glue—that’s all it takes! In less than 10 minutes, you can fold and press the fabric into neat hems, glue simple side pockets, and slip your book right in. No sewing, no stress—just an easy DIY that protects your books and makes them gift-ready too.

Learn how to make a DIY no-sew fabric book cover. This step-by-step tutorial shows how to measure, fold, and glue fabric into a reusable DIY book sleeve.

Supplies

Hardback book
Medium-weight cotton fabric (fat quarter works for most books)
Scissors (or rotary cutter)
Iron
Hot glue gun & glue sticks (or fabric glue)
Ribbon/fabric strip, faux greenery, wood beads/tassel for styling (optional)

How to Make a DIY No-Sew Fabric Book Cover (Step by Step)

To get started, I gathered all of my supplies…all of which I had laying around in my craft room! Thankfully I didn’t have to make a run to the craft store!

Measure Fabric

Open the book flat on the WRONG side of the fabric. Trace a rectangle that extends about 2 inches beyond the book on all sides. This extra becomes hems and pockets.

Open vintage hardback book laid on patterned blue cotton fabric, showing how to measure and cut material for a DIY fabric book cover tutorial.

Cut Fabric to Size

Cut out the main rectangle. Check height: book height + ~1 in total for hems. Check width: full wrap across both covers + spine plus ~5–6 in for the two sleeve pockets.

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Green vintage hardback book placed on top of cut blue patterned cotton fabric with scissors, showing how to size and trim material for a DIY fabric book cover project.

Iron/Press Clean Hems

Fold the fabric in 2 inches toward the WRONG side on all four edges and press well to create crisp hems.

Hand holding an orange and white iron, pressing folded blue patterned cotton fabric edges to prepare crisp hems for a DIY no-sew fabric book cover tutorial.

Once all of the sides are folded in and ironed, this is what it should look like. Trim off any fabric strings with scissors.

Blue patterned cotton fabric folded with clean hems, showing pockets formed on each side to create a DIY no-sew slip-on fabric book cover.

Hot Glue The Seams

Run a thin bead of hot glue along the top and bottom hems only where each flap overlaps—leave the vertical openings unglued so the covers can slide in.

Hand holding a pink hot glue gun, applying glue to the folded edges of blue patterned cotton fabric to create pockets for a DIY no-sew fabric book cover.

5. Form the pockets (Photo 5).
Fold the LEFT and RIGHT ends inward to create sleeves for the covers. Press. Run a thin bead of hot glue along the top and bottom hems only where each flap overlaps—leave the vertical openings unglued so the covers can slide in.

Hand sliding a vintage hardback book into blue patterned fabric pockets to finish a DIY no-sew fabric book cover.

Fit The Book Inside The Sleeves

Slide the front and back covers into the pockets and close the book.

Open hardback children’s book showing the inside view of a completed DIY no-sew fabric book cover with blue patterned cloth sleeves.

Add Embellishments

Wrap your book with ribbon or fabric strips, then use hot glue to attach simple embellishments like greenery, berries, or wooden beads. This extra touch makes your fabric book cover look polished and gift-ready.

Scissors, cream-colored ribbon, and blue patterned cotton fabric laid on wood surface, showing supplies for finishing and styling a DIY no-sew fabric book cover.

Pink hot glue gun adding greenery and berries to a finished blue patterned DIY no-sew fabric book cover tied with ribbon and styled with wooden beads.

The Finished Fabric Book Cover

Making this DIY no-sew fabric book cover was such a fun and budget-friendly project! I love how it instantly gave my old book a new look that fit with the color theme I was going for!

Blue patterned DIY fabric book cover tied with a stitched white ribbon and decorated with greenery and red berries, styled with a wooden bead garland—perfect as a no-sew handmade gift idea.

The best part is you can totally make it your own—use scrap fabric, add pretty little embellishments, or dress it up for the season. However you style it, these covers are simple, practical, and oh-so-cute.

DIY no-sew fabric book cover made with blue patterned cloth, tied with ribbon and greenery, styled on a wooden tray with a Christmas tree, wooden beads, and holiday decorations.

If you make one, I’d love to see it! Share in the comments or tag me on Pinterest/Instagram so I can cheer you on!

Like it? Pin it! Gathered In The Kitchen

Collage showing DIY fabric book cover process and finished project: supplies with fabric, scissors, and ribbon, plus a styled blue patterned no-sew DIY book sleeve decorated with ribbon and greenery.

Stephanie Bruce

Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).

No-Sew Fabric Book Cover (Easy DIY + Giftable Finish)

Supplies