Wood Kindle Case

I was given a Kindle for Christmas a few years ago and I had in mind to make a case for it.  It took me a while to decide on what I wanted.  Since most of the reading I do is on public transit traveling to and from work, I needed something that would protect my e-book reader from the wear and tear it would get in my bag, and judging on how some of the paperback books look after suffering in my bag, I needed something sturdy.

BONUS: I've also included a tip on how to read your e-book in the bathtub!

 The wood measurements are made to fit a second generation Kindle, adjust for other devices.  Sand the wood before you begin and if you want you can varnish or paint it too.

• plywood: 2 pieces 8 1/2 inches by 6 inches
• wood for edges: 2 pieces 6 inches by 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch and 1 piece 8 inches by 1/2 inch  by 1/4 inch 
• bamboo placemat or sushi mat
• soft fabric (ie; felt)
• velcro
• magnets and bits of metal
• glue (wood glue and super glue)
• saw, sandpaper, clamps

• Set the three edge pieces on the plywood back and place your Kindle within.
• Mark on the bottom edge piece where the hole for the USB connector should go
• Cut and sand the hole, test to make sure the USB connector fits

• Mark where the on/off  and volume switches are
• Cut a gap in the edge pieces large enough so that you are able to access the switches
• Sand the edges of the wood by the gap so that they are rounded and smooth

• Before you glue, check to make sure that your Kindle will fit properly and holes and gaps line up (I had to sand the inside edges a bit for it to fit -due to my uneven cutting)
• Glue the edge pieces to the plywood back
• Place clamps to hold them in place and allow to dry.

I wanted to be able to flip the front cover back so I needed a way to connect the two plywood pieces that was fairly flexible.  I thought about using leather or fabric, but then I spotted my bamboo place mat and thought it would perfect.  My placemats are already painted a nice blue colour, if yours are the natural colour you can paint them with water colour paint. 

• I measured the width I would need and added another inch and cut the strings connecting the bamboo slats
• I remove the slats in the extra inch and knotted the loose strings (I found it helpful to put tape along the slats so that the string doesn't unravel before I tie the knots)
• Measure the height that you would need and cut the mat

• Glue the bamboo mat to the front and back pieces of plywood, leaving the sides unglued. 
• Clamp or place something heavy on top to hold the bamboo to the plywood.
• Allow to dry.

I sanded the corners so that they were rounded and smooth.  I also sanded indentations near the side buttons so that they are easier to access.

I used a couple of magnets to keep the front cover closed.  With super glue I attached small metal strips to the inside cover at the corners.  On the corners of the edge pieces I made a couple of indents for the magnets to fit so that when you close the cover it will sit flush.  I also glued the magnets on with super glue.

• Cut your fabric so that it is large enough to cover the inside of the case.
• Glue the fabric onto the plywood, don't glue the fabric to the gap where the bamboo binding is.
• (Optional) stick velcro strips (hook side) to the back of the Kindle so that it attaches to the fabric liner, holding it in place. (I found that my Kindle fits very snuggly in the case and didn't need the velcro strips)

I absolutely love reading in the bathtub (especially with a nice glass of wine).  When I started reading more books on my Kindle, I figured I would have to forgo reading in the tub, considering I had once dropped a hardcover book in the bathtub.  However, there is a simple solution, a zip lock bag.

• Find a ziplock bag in which your e-book reader will fit. You can use a large freezer bag and fold the excess over.
• Before you use it fill the bag with air, seal and check for holes
• If hole-free place the reader inside, seal the bag and enjoy!