Kindle Cover Tutorial: Updated!

NOW AVAILABLE: A step-by-step video tutorial and printable project guide!  See the post and get the PDF. 

One of the most popular tutorials I have ever published here on the blog is my Kindle Cover Tutorial.  I’m back today with an update to the measurements and construction of that cover!

My daughter saved up for nearly a year to buy her very own Kindle after a family road trip two summers ago.  She had taken the third Harry Potter book with her, sure that it would be long enough to see her through the drive, but finished it while we were away and didn’t have anything to read for the multiple hour trip back home.  Using my Kindle Unlimited subscription, I scored her a copy of the fourth Harry Potter on my Kindle, and passed it back to her in the third row as we drove.  She pretty much thought it was the most incredible thing ever: a million books? instantly?? Magic.

So she did extra chores and saved birthday money and scrounge for change to save up the cash for her very own.  When back to school came around, Amazon offered a deal on the kids’ Kindle package: a new Kindle, a cover, and no ads all for $79 (current price is $99 with Prime shipping).  She was in heaven.

When it arrived, the cover was great, but she wanted to tote her Kindle back and forth in her backpack to school.  We both were a little concerned that the screen would get scratched, since the included cover offered drop protection but no screen cover, so I offered to make her a cover like mine that would protect the screen and give a little more cushion when she carries it to and fro.

The newer Kindles are slightly larger than mine from the original tutorial, so I’ve adjusted the measurements and altered the construction very slightly.  See the original tutorial for the step-by-step images to guide you through construction.

Updated measurements:

From the outer fabric, cut

• 1 @ 12.5″ x 8.5″ for the main body of the cover
• 1 @ 8.5″ x 6.5″ for the inner pocket
• 4 @ 3″ x 3″ for the corners

From the lining fabric, cut

• 1 @ 12.5″ x 8.5″ for the inner body
• 1 @ 8.5″ x 6.5″ for the inner pocket lining

From the batting, cut

• 1 @ 12.5″ x 8.5″

In the original, I used standard cotton quilt batting for the padding.  In this version, I tried out using ByAnnie’s Soft & Stable, which has more body and will retain its shape better, but without being too firm.  It gives a nice puffiness and shaping to the cover, and prevents it from being at all floppy.

On the whole, I love this new cover, though I wasn’t as careful as I ought to have been about the placement of the elastic to hold the flap shut, and it bothers me just the tiniest bit–but she loves it and it works really well.  She chose her own fabrics, and we download books from the public library instantly, for free!

Hope you love making a Kindle cover for YOUR e-reader!  For details on how others have adjusted the measurements for other models, like the Kindle Fire or an alternate brand of e-reader, check the comments on the original tutorial–readers have been very generous with sharing how they’ve altered this design!