Crochet or Knit

• If you crochet or knit, you can find a variety of free patterns on the Internet for bookcovers. A wide variety of fibers are available, including nylon, so your cover can do its job for many years. All you really need to make is a rectangle slightly larger than the book, with extra length on each side to fold over and sew together in order to have pockets in which to insert the book's cover. You can add handles and a bookmark as well, if you like.
  
  

Needle Work and Sewing

• Many crafters turn to plastic canvas needlepoint patterns for bookcovers, as they are easy to follow and simple to make. However, sewing a bookcover is just as easy, and you really don't need a pattern to do it. Just cut your fabric one and one-half times as long as the open book with one-half inch extra fabric all the way around for a seam allowance. Hem the fabric all the way around, and then fold each side inside to one-quarter the length of the book. Sew at the top and bottom on each side. If you are making a Bible cover, you may want to include a penholder on one side. You can also embroider a design or the person's initials on the front of the bookcover for an extra special touch.
  
  

Contact Paper and Duct Tape

• Contact paper and duct tape come in a wide variety of colors these days. Making your bookcover from them will be a bit more tricky due to the sticky side, so you will need to plan how you are going to put it together a bit more carefully than with other materials. If you want to permanently protect a book, you can use clear contact paper or packing tape to do the job without obscuring the title.