Seamingly Smitten: Sewing TUTORIAL: DIY bookholder - bedside book holder

Sewing TUTORIAL: Bedside Book Holder

My children are finally at the age where they LOVE books! At night they each get to choose a book and my husband or I read a book to each child. Those extra 10 minutes reading together at night is so special! The only problem was our book baskets were overflowing and they had trouble finding their favorite books. Do your kids look at the same book for 3 or 4 (or more) weeks in a row? You know that book! It's the only one they want to hear EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! :)

You can practically memorize it, right?

Since the books were overflowing we needed some DIY book storage. I sewed this Bedside Book Holder for my son in about 20 minutes and it can hold about 5 books in each pocket. This bookholder basically looks like a table runner - a long strip that lays between the mattress and box spring and has a pocket on either end. So he can get books on either side of the bed quickly and we didn't have to add any furniture to the room or buy a bookshelf. This is great for small bedroom storage, too.

TUTORIAL: DIY Book holder

*This will create a beside book holder for a twin size bed.

Gather materials: 1 yard duck canvas (because I needed something 62 inches wide and it is very sturdy material), pins, sewing machine, iron, scissors, fabric marker or sharpie, applique shape and heat-n-bond (optional)

1. Cut a piece of fabric 16 inches x 62 inches for the base of your book holder.

2. Cut two pieces of fabric that are 16 inches x 12 inches. These two pieces will make the pockets to hold the books.

*If desired add an applique now. You can iron on heat-n-bond to the back of the applique fabric. Cut out the shape you want. Peel off the back heat-n-bond paper and iron onto your bookholders. Stitch around your appliques. Then continue....

3. Lay out your two book holder pieces and hem the top edges (the 16 inch edges) one inch. Use an iron to press us a half inch hem, then another half inch hem. Press with an iron and pin. Sew along your pinned edges using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. No need to hem the other sides.

4. Spread out your main piece of fabric and pin one bookholder to either end. Pin them down with the hemmed edge facing up and towards the middle of the main fabric.

5. Sew along all three sides of your bookholder pockets using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Trim threads. Repeat for other end. (I'm using a darker thread for you to see the stitches. But use a thread that blends with your fabric.)

6. Now you have one long piece of fabric. Hem it on all sides one inch. Use an iron to press up a half inch hem, then another half inch hem. Pin all the way around.

7. Sew along your pinned edges using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads.

8. Lay your bookholder between your child's mattress and box spring so it hangs off either side of the mattress. Fill with books!!