School begins for us today and it reminds me about the beginning of last year when we were in desperate need of a book  cover. I am normally stocked up on any school supply we might possibly need throughout the school year so that I don’t have to make an unexpected trip to the store. I’ve found that prior to school starting, many of the stores offer deep discounts on school supplies that are usually only offered during the weeks just before school starts.

This year I purchased a few odd things that I thought my daughters might need as the school year went by so that I wouldn’t be purchasing them at full price. I purchased book socks as well, but wanted to offer an alternative solution for either the budget conscious or those in dire need of a book cover at some odd hour of the evening, like bedtime.

While the book sock is not my original idea, I certainly remember the times when my mom would whip out a paper bag and carefully construct an efficient book sock at minimum cost. Homemade book socks are inexpensive and all of the supplies you need are probably located around your house somewhere. To start the project, you’ll need either heavy craft paper, or a brown paper bag, as well as scissors and clear packing tape. I actually have both craft paper and brown paper bags, and will demonstrate construction of a book sock using the craft paper.

First lay your book flat (opened to the middle) on a piece of craft paper that extends one inch past the edge of the book on the top and bottom and four to five inches on both the left and right side of the book.

Next, fold the paper for the top and bottom edge of the book up to the edge of the book so that it makes a crease. Remove the book from the paper and flatten the crease. Lay the book on top of the folded and creased paper. The paper at both the top and bottom of the book will now be even with the edge.

Fold in both sides of the paper into the front and back cover of the book. Having the book completely open like this allows the book to be open and closed without your cover being too tight. Make your crease on both the front and back flaps of the cover. Remove the book, and tape either the back or front cover which will create a pocket. Slide the book into the taped pocket, lay the book flat again, and tape the other pocket to the book.

The finished result, professionally constructed book cover.  The book cover will be in need of some embellishments so keep markers, crayons, and stickers handy for a fun project.

While shopping at Target last night for some last minute school supplies, I noticed that next to the traditional polyester book socks, there was a package of three rolls of craft paper perfect for constructing your own homemade book cover. The cost for the package was $.99 for three book covers (30″ x 13 1/2″ each), while the price of the book sock ranged from $.69 to $.89 per cover depending on the size desired. So comparing these two items, it would seem that the homemade book covers were the better deal.

I thought that the price of the pre-packaged craft paper book covers was a little high so I walked over to the office supplies area and found a roll of craft paper that provided 75 square feet of paper for $4.29. After some quick math, it was evident that the large roll of craft paper was the better deal coming in at a about $.06 per foot while the pre-packaged paper came in at about $.33 per foot.

The great thing about the craft paper is that it serves multiple purposes. I actually purchased mine a few years ago when I needed to ship a package. The roll of paper is clearly a better investment, who knows when you might need to make a homemade book cover or two.