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On the Go Organizer-DIY Notebook Cover

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What’s the Project? This fun DIY notebook cover is a fun sewing project to get yourself organized! You can add pockets for notebooks, phones, pens, business cards, to do lists, anything you need to get you organized!

I am so in love with this project. It encompasses so many things that I love in life-bright colored fabric (polka dots are a bonus), pens and notebooks and organization and sewing! Put it all together and what do you get? An On the Go Organizer! This DIY Notebook Cover is a fun sewing project and you can customize it however you want!

DIY Notebook Cover

Open it up and you’ll find space for so many things! You’ve got pockets for notebooks, cards, your phone, pens, your to do list-whatever else you need!

Notebook Cover Pattern

This could be perfect for taking to conferences or business meetings or for moms who have too much to keep track of to keep it all in one place. Mostly it’s just cute and fun to sew!

Notebook Cover Sewing Pattern
But there’s one more thing I love about this that I haven’t told you!

Do you know where I got that fabric? Go on, take a guess. Bet you didn’t get it…

This fabric is from Target!

Oh ya! You read that right. TARGET now carries fabric! And not just any fabric, but this amazing line from Fabric Loft!

Find out if your store carries it here. If not, start shopping online!

 

On the Go Organizer Notebook Cover Tutorial:

Supplies Needed:

  • Fabric: I used 4 different fabrics for mine. You need about 1/4 yard of your main fabric and then smaller amounts (like fat quarters) for your other pieces
  • Lightweight iron on interfacing
  • Small piece of elastic

 

Sewing Instructions:

Here is your cutting guide-

From your main fabric cut:

  • Two pieces that are 15 inches wide by 10 inches tall
  • A small piece to hold your phone-my piece is 5.5″ wide by 6″ tall. That holds my iPhone 5S without a case on it. If you have a case, add at least 1/2″ or if you are using a different phone, size it to fit yours. You will be hemming both sides, so measure your phone’s width and then add about 2 inches.

From accent fabrics cut: (mix and match these as desired with your other fabrics)

  • One large piece for a pocket that is 7 inches wide by 10 inches tall (this is the hot pink in the picture)
  • One piece for a larger notebook or planner that is 8 inches wide by 9 inches tall (this is the chevron in the picture)
  • Pockets-in my pictures I have three pockets in the top left corner. This is a little tricky to sew through this many layers. If your machine struggles at all with sewing through bulk I am going to recommend just 2 pockets here. Cut them 5.5″ wide and then mine are 4, 5, and 6 inches long. Adjust as needed.

Cut your iron on interfacing for all of these pieces as well. Then iron it on to the back of the fabric.

Hem (fold under half inch, fold under again half inch) the top of your notebook pocket piece (the 8″ x 9″ one) and the left side of it. Stitch the top part but don’t stitch the left side, just press the hem for now.

When you hem these, you will want to fold it under towards the side with the interfacing using your fingers:

Hemming

But press it on the other side so that you don’t melt the interfacing:

Press

Hem the top of your phone pocket and stitch it. On the two sides, hem it under with your iron but don’t stitch yet.

On the 2 or 3 small pockets hem the sides that will be in the center of your organizer (the right side of them). Stitch that part. Hem under with the iron the bottom side of the pockets.

Now, take the largest pocket piece (7″ x 10″) and hem the 10 inch side of that. The part that will be in the center of the organizer.

You are now ready to sew the pockets on to the 7″ x 10″ piece. Place the phone piece so that the bottom is even with the bottom of your large pocket piece. Sew up each side of the phone pocket. (Not across the top or bottom though).

Here is a layout view before I sewed to help you: (but my phone pocket is too far to the left in the picture. Make sure it is at least 1 inch in from the left side.

When you start sewing pockets on the left part you are ONLY sewing them to the large pocket piece (the hot pink in this image) for now. You will sew them to the polka dot piece later.

Layout

Place your small pockets in the upper left hand corner so that the top and the left side are even with the top and side of your large pocket piece. Sew them along the bottom edge of them. Set this aside.

Do this same thing-line up the edges and bottom of the notebook pocket with the right side and bottom of one of your MAIN fabric pieces. Sew up the left side.

Layout2

Last, take a piece of elastic and cut it about 1 1/2 inches long. Sew it into the center of your fabric. You will sew it in place on either ends and then also sew lines down it to form a couple of pen holders:

Penholder

 

With all of that done, grab your other main piece and place it on top of all of this, face down, so that right sides of the fabric are together:

Ontop

Sew all the way around it but leave an opening in the top right side to turn it (above the notebook pocket). The opening should be about 4-5 inches big.

Turn it all right side out:

Turning

 

Then carefully press it all flat. This will take some work. Also, press the opening closed nicely so that you can’t tell it is there.

Pressflat
Top stitch all the way around the outer edge, closing your opening as you do this. 
Planner Sewing Pattern

And it’s finished! Did you have fun sewing that?!

You Might Also Like:

Scrap Fabric Projects:

Scrap Fabric Projects

Mini Messenger Bag Pattern: Messenger Bag Pattern

 

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On the Go Organizer-DIY Notebook Cover! Holds notebooks, pens, to do lists cards. phone and everything else you need

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Comments

  1. Sunshine says

    September 24, 2014 at 6:24 am

    I love all of them……but the Escape line captures the projects I am working on now. The Trapeze looks like so much fun and make me think of things for my grandbabies!

    Reply

  40. Karen Siegfried says

    September 24, 2014 at 8:44 am

    I’m having a hard time choosing just one favorite fabric line. I really like Trapeze and Escape, but if I absolutely had to pick one, I guess it would be Trapeze.

    Reply

  47. Sandra L Chavez says

    September 24, 2014 at 8:56 am

    I really like the Vogue line; sophisticated enough for a woman yet masculine enough to make the organizer for a man.

    Reply

  54. Laura McMeeking says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:07 am

    I love the Escape line for myself, but the Trapeze line would be so cute for my girls…or if I’m feeling in a particularly fun mood! Actually, the Trapeze line probably matches most of my purse-type items at the moment. These are so pretty!

    Reply

  58. MrsHowley says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:16 am

    What a great collection of fabric. It is hard to find just one to like. I guess I’ll go for Trapeze canvas 1. What fun!

    Reply

  76. lynn Euerle says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:50 am

    I love the colors in the escape line for my own items and the trapeze line for my granddaughters as well. Very impressed

    Reply

  79. Leslie Gallagher says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:57 am

    I really like the Escape, the Motley, and the Vogue! Tough choices! Too bad there isn’t a Target in my town. I guess I may need to order online! :-)

    Reply

  81. Crystal Wall says

    September 24, 2014 at 10:03 am

    I love this idea.Every morn I wake up looking forward to seeing what project Crazy Little Projects are up too! I love your Pinterest board too. Keep up the great patterns and sewing. I love all the patterns. The trapeeze line is pretty and we dont have a target close so I have to order online. Love CRAZY LITTLE PROJECTS! TY!

    Reply

  101. Candias Chalker says

    September 24, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    I love the escape line….can not wait to get home to my target, which it says now carries fabric….alot can happen when you have been gone from home for 3 weeks…lol!

    Reply

  107. Catherine says

    September 24, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    I like the Vogue Arrow Feathers. Lucky for me, there are no Targets carrying this line in MI…or I’d be in trouble! ;)

    Reply

  108. Kesh says

    September 24, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    The colors in the Escape palette are more my style, but the Trapeze palette is perfect for my daughter’s room… And to be honest, I’m not sure when I’ll get back to sewing stuff for myself again. Baby Girl stuff is just so darn cute and fun to make.

    Reply

  128. Sarah J. says

    September 24, 2014 at 6:37 pm

    Could Target get any better!? Really wish they had fabric at mine, but that might be waaaay too dangerous. I love the Escape collection– the blues are beautiful! Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  161. Deby says

    September 25, 2014 at 9:37 am

    I really love the bright colors of Trapeze. Thanks so much for the giveaway. I was just looking at your project and thinking, wow, she gets all the best fabric and I couldn’t believe it when you said where it was from!

    Reply

  166. Leslie Bower says

    September 25, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    I love them all, but especially Trapeze (what I refer to as bright pastels). My favorite fabric in the line is the high tops.

    Reply

  171. Kristy says

    September 25, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    WHAT??? Fabric at Target??? Be still my heart!!!!! :) And it’s beautiful too! I like the Motley collection…will be looking for these the next time I’m at Target!

    Reply

  179. Lori Morton says

    September 25, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    Ooooh I Love Love LOOOOOVE the Trapeze line very Best!! (But Escape comes in second, due to being my Daughter’s favorite colors! lol)

    Reply

  186. Elissa says

    September 26, 2014 at 6:10 am

    Escape is my fav OMG doesn’t it just take you away what wonderful items you could make with this material! I am off to target for sure

    Reply

  187. Cheryl Yoder says

    September 26, 2014 at 9:12 am

    I love the Escape line of Fabric Loft. It has a good mix of patterns but keeps a professional theme that I can be comfortable taking with me to work.

    Reply

  199. Teresa says

    September 26, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    If I want it to make it for me, the Escape fabric is the line. But if I’m making it for the girls’…. I would definately pick Trapeze!

    Reply

  204. Gayle S says

    September 26, 2014 at 10:17 pm

    For myself I like the selections in the Escape group best but the Trapeze group would make some really adorable doll clothes for my granddaughter.

    Reply

  205. Katherine says

    September 27, 2014 at 1:56 am

    WoW! They are all so lovely! But I especially love the Trapeze selection! Would make some beautifully bright and bold things! Love it! :)

    Reply

  209. Karen Berard says

    September 27, 2014 at 10:54 am

    They are all beautiful, Escape and Motley would be great for these small projects. I also make small change purses with 3 slots for cards, money etc. All of these will work wonderfuly

    Reply

  215. Christine says

    September 27, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    The Escape collection would fir very nicely with the decorating scheme of my house. But. . . the Trapeze collection makes the five year old girl that lives inside me do cartwheels.

    Reply

  231. Deborah McDonough says

    September 28, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    The Escape line, hands down– I love hummingbirds (and penguins) so naturally I’m drawn to the Escape line because of the hummingbird pattern. That said, I adore the earthy tones in this particular line.

    My second choice is the Trapeze line because it is just so happy and bright.

    Reply

  234. Dieni says

    September 29, 2014 at 2:09 am

    Hi Amber!
    Always love ur CLP posts especially the monthly project challenge, it’s inspiration pool for what to sew next ;) Anyway for this one, my favorite would be ALL the Trapeze line, so refreshing, young,& fun :)

    Reply

  237. Margaret says

    September 29, 2014 at 9:35 am

    The hummingbird designs in the Escape group are great! Our family has a special connection to hummingbirds so I have several projects I could use those fabrics for.

    Reply

  244. Katherine says

    September 29, 2014 at 10:39 pm

    I love them all!! I can’t choose between the Escape and the Trapeze Those are my favorites I have to say if I had to choose but I do love them all.

    Reply

  252. Beth says

    February 6, 2015 at 4:48 am

    LOVE this organizer. I’ve made 3 in the last 2 days. One for me, my sister and my sister in law. Need to do one more for my daughter. Love it!!

    Reply

  253. Kathryn says

    April 15, 2015 at 4:51 am

    Hi there! Love this tutorial! Just wondering if this has an option for a hard cover? From what you’ve said up there I cant see any option so as to make it sort of binder like, perhaps putting something along the lines of cardboard between the layers of the outside and inside. One piece slightly smaller than that of the material (to give it a snug look) on each side leaving the middle floppy (Depending on the material?) so the “folder” is able to close. Or is the material such that you don’t need anything to support it?

    Sorry to bother :)

    Reply

  255. Trinity says

    November 17, 2015 at 11:42 am

    Those are some beautiful colours and designs I mike make one myself. Well if I can fined the fabric.
    love it!
    Thank you for the idea!

    Reply

  258. Jennifer says

    July 22, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    DON’T PRINT THIS PATTERN!!! FIGURE OUT A WAY OF NOT PRINTING ALL 81 PAGES OF JUNK – COMMENTS!!!! :( I made that mistake!! Please save yourself the expense and use http://www.printfriendly.com
    I love the designers that have this button on their web sites. It’ so so helpful!

    Hope this helps someone save themselves…learn from my stupidity :(

    Reply

    • quilter4charity says

      July 30, 2017 at 2:09 pm

      Jennifer, this is a little late, but I just highlight the part I want to print, then right click, and choose “copy” (or “print”) to put it into a word document. Then I can save it and/or print it. You may have figured this out by now though.

      Reply

  260. Kimmy says

    August 7, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    Will one of those large yellow memo pads fit into the left largest pocket on this? I do not have one to measure it but I am wanting to make this as a gift for my dad who I know uses them for work. Thanks in advance for your reply!!

    Reply

  264. Luanne Kleiman says

    April 4, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    I love this Amber! I’m wondering if you know the finish size? I’m hoping to modify the right hand pocket to open on the left side so I can slip a note book back cover into it if that makes sense! I’d like to fit an 8″l x 6″w notebook. Thank you for any measurements you might be able to give!

    Reply

    • Amber says

      April 16, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      It should be just an inch or so shy of what your dimensions on each side are if you sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. So you can tweak accordingly to make it any size you want. :)

      Reply

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