Make Your Own Discreet iPad Book Case
If you’ve always liked the idea of hiding your iPad in a discreet case, why not build your own out of an old book? This is a great idea and it’s pretty simple, you don’t need much to get it done either:
- Old book that is a bit larger than the iPad
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Wood glue or similar
- Exacto knife, box cutter, and/or Dremel tool
- Patience
The Instructables guide has the following advice for choosing a good book for this project:
Take your iPad to a second-hand book shop or thrift store and find a book that is the right size. I found the best size was when you set the iPad on the pages of the book, there is about 20mm (3/4″) to 25mm (1″) all around it. Too small is a problem because the paper won’t be strong enough to hold the iPad in and too big is fine, if you like carrying alot of size and weight you don’t need. The perfect thickness is when the pages of the closed book are the same or slightly thicker than the iPad. I also chose a book with lots of photos because the pages were thicker which meant stronger and less to cut.
Basically you just open the book, outline and measure the iPad, and start cutting. If you’re OCD, the Dremel tool is used to make clean lines around in the inside of the book, but it’s not a requirement. After the pages are cut out to accomodate the iPad snuggly, glue the pages and back cover together (but not the front cover!), wait for it to dry, and you’re done. Instructables suggests you don’t glue the pages together so you can slip the power adapter through and charge the iPad while it’s in the book, but I think the protection offered by having the pages bound together is worth the trade off. The only thing I’ve noticed that the guides are missing is a little thumb notch so you could easily pull the iPad out of the book.
Instructables: Recycle an Old Book into a Stealth iPad Case
You could use the same guide to create a discrete case for the iPhone, an iPod, MacBook Air 11″ or any other laptop too, although building one for the 17″ MacBook Pro may pose a physical challenge. This is much cheaper than buying something like the BookBook iPad case
, although admittedly unless you get a fancy leather book it probably won’t turn out quite so classy.
If done properly, it looks just like a standard book when closed:
Inside the iPad sits snuggly:
The iPad is completely usable inside the book case:
Great weekend project! These additional pictures come via Imgur, thanks for sending this in Andy!
[…] not quite as elegant of a weekend project as building your own iPad book case, and your friends might make fun of you, but they’re probably just […]
[…] Make Your Own iPad Book Case – Grab an old book, some glue, and an exacto knife and make a do-it-yourself discreet case to carry your iPad in. The guide is intended for an iPad, but find an appropriately sized book and there’s no reason you can’t do this for an iPhone, iPod, or a MacBook Air too. […]
Ok – what’s the app being used?
it is pages
I totally did this last christmas for my girlfriend. I got her a kindle 3 and put it in a totally crappy book. When she unwrapped “The Ruins” i thought i was going to get punched until she opened the cover and realized how awesome i am.
This is a great way to disguise a surprise tech gift also. they’ll never know what hit them!
Just a nit, but the word should be “discreet”; “discrete” implies “distinct” and/or “separate”, while “discreet” implies “hidden” or “not obvious”.
Yeah, I know, but misspellings like that take away from the otherwise great professionalism of the site. Please take it as it was intended: as help, not an attempt at trying to make you look bad.
Feel free to delete this comment after reading it. (Matter of fact, I’d rather you did.) :-)
Thanks Ted, we don’t always catch that kind of stuff.
Want to be a part time copy editor? LOL
Paul
Wanna do this for my iTouch!
How do you reach the Power, Volume and Rotation Lock/Mute Switch? Won’t they be “stuck” in the book?
Yes unless you cut holes for them, I think it’s intended more for carrying around then for using entirely inside the book.
totally doing this, awesome idea
I may actually do this…..
What a great idea. If you selected the proper book you could inlay the power cord as well and cut a thin slot for the adapter to slide through. With iOS 5 you’ll be able to sync without pulling the iPad out of the case too.