I've really enjoyed doing a makeover for this Kindle cover.
It's for the latest Kindle, which is an 8in, and more of an oblong shape. The cover I bought was a plain white leatherette, which quickly discoloured to a nasty cream, and it also marked up badly. So the cover was well overdue for a makeover.
I've used rice paper from Imagination Crafts.
I lightly sanded the cover first, wiped over to remove any powdery surface, then gave it a very thin coat of gesso, to give it a tooth.
To prep the rice paper, I used a paint brush and clean water to draw onto the paper. This makes it easier to tear apart (although you can also tear it when dry, it's easier to wet it if tearing larger areas). This results in a lovely feathered edge, which virtually disappears when glued down.
With this particular paper, I wanted the text centred on the front cover, so needed to remove an area on the right (not wasted - it's now on the far left of the back cover). This left a little space, filled in by a strip of lace rice paper. Look as closely as you like - feathered edges make the joins invisible.
Make sure to use good layer of decoupage glue (gel medium or Mod Podge would also work) on the cover, then more glue on top of the rice paper as you stick it down. Work the paper well into the creases, and bend the cover back and forth to make sure it's well stuck and moves easily.
The rice paper has strands of fibre trapped inside, which makes it really strong and flexible. As you can see, it's stuck well and bends beautifully with the cover, and has not torn.
Finally, I added a coat of protective wax once the cover was totally dry (I left it overnight to make sure). Tim Holtz Distress Wax, Dorlands Wax Medium or even clear shoe polish will do the job for you - add a thin layer with a cloth or your finger, wait 5 minutes, then buff off any excess.
After several weeks of being taken everywhere, in and out of various handbags as well as being used constantly at home, the cover is showing no signs of wear. It's also wipeable. So I feel it's a really good job done.
Best of all, I showed the Kindle to Sue (owner of Imagination Crafts, where I bought my rice papers) who liked it so much she asked me to post a pic to her facebook page! Yay!
It's for the latest Kindle, which is an 8in, and more of an oblong shape. The cover I bought was a plain white leatherette, which quickly discoloured to a nasty cream, and it also marked up badly. So the cover was well overdue for a makeover.
I've used rice paper from Imagination Crafts.
I lightly sanded the cover first, wiped over to remove any powdery surface, then gave it a very thin coat of gesso, to give it a tooth.
To prep the rice paper, I used a paint brush and clean water to draw onto the paper. This makes it easier to tear apart (although you can also tear it when dry, it's easier to wet it if tearing larger areas). This results in a lovely feathered edge, which virtually disappears when glued down.
With this particular paper, I wanted the text centred on the front cover, so needed to remove an area on the right (not wasted - it's now on the far left of the back cover). This left a little space, filled in by a strip of lace rice paper. Look as closely as you like - feathered edges make the joins invisible.
Make sure to use good layer of decoupage glue (gel medium or Mod Podge would also work) on the cover, then more glue on top of the rice paper as you stick it down. Work the paper well into the creases, and bend the cover back and forth to make sure it's well stuck and moves easily.
The rice paper has strands of fibre trapped inside, which makes it really strong and flexible. As you can see, it's stuck well and bends beautifully with the cover, and has not torn.
Finally, I added a coat of protective wax once the cover was totally dry (I left it overnight to make sure). Tim Holtz Distress Wax, Dorlands Wax Medium or even clear shoe polish will do the job for you - add a thin layer with a cloth or your finger, wait 5 minutes, then buff off any excess.
After several weeks of being taken everywhere, in and out of various handbags as well as being used constantly at home, the cover is showing no signs of wear. It's also wipeable. So I feel it's a really good job done.
Best of all, I showed the Kindle to Sue (owner of Imagination Crafts, where I bought my rice papers) who liked it so much she asked me to post a pic to her facebook page! Yay!
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