You want to look your Sunday best when you attend church, but your Bible has seen better days. Passed down from generation to generation in your family, the cover has begun to show a bit of a weathered look to it. The edges have creased and the leather has begun to crack and fade.
Since the Bible is a family heirloom, you don't want to replace it with a new one, but you also want to protect it so that future generations of your family can use it. You're stumped on what to do.
Why not use a Bible cover?
Bible covers are great to keep your religious text clean and dry. Many religious stores carry them, or you can find a used Bible cover at a yard sale or a church donation event. If you can’t find any in stores, you can purchase Bible covers online by doing a simple search.
A Bible cover can be as simple as a plain book jacket or a nicer carrying tote. Whatever look you decide, you can give the cover a bit of your personality by decorating or writing down your favorite verses on the cover. You can even make it an entertaining craft project for the entire family.
Clean Your Bible Cover Before Decorating
The surface of the Bible cover should be
clean before placing on any decorations. For leather Bible covers, use a dry cloth to wipe away any dust. If the cover is dirty, lightly moisten the cloth to clean the dirt away, then immediately dry off the leather so wet spots don't form. Even if you'll be covering over the entire leather with decorations, it's still a good idea to work on a clean surface so dirt doesn't accidently get on your decorations.
For an ordinary paper cover, simply wipe with a dry, clean cloth. Make sure the paper cover is thick enough to support the weight of any decorations or glue added to it. If you're afraid ink may seep through the paper and set into the Bible's surface over time, attach a piece of clean, flexible cardboard between the paper and the Bible.
Decorating a Paper Cover
The sky’s the limit when it comes to decorating a paper cover. Have the kids draw pictures of what they learned during Bible classes. Glue on buttons and sewn decorations using craft glue. Use stickers or write down your favorite
inspirational quotes or poems with colored markers.
The great thing about using paper covers is that you can make several of them and switch to a different cover whenever you want. You can even make seasonal Bible covers such as an Easter cover and a Christmas cover.
Decorating a Leather Cover
Decorating a leather cover can be a little trickier. Sometimes markers can smear and glued decorations can fall off eventually. Your best option is to sew on decorations. Add a bit of lace and decorative yarn to the edges of the bag. You can even sew on a quilt cover that has sentimental value to you.
If you have an old quilt, lay your leather cover open on the material and trace out the pattern with fabric chalk. You'll want to have an extra inch to 2 inches of material along the top, bottom and sides.
Cut out the pattern. Lay the leather cover on the quilt and fold up the extra material along the edges as you pin it in place. Then sew on the quilt cover by hand or use your sewing machine.
Let Your Personality Shine On The Bible Cover
However you want to decorate the cover, always let your personality show. Let it tell people you're truly inspired by the verses and words found in your Bible. Let this become a family project everyone can enjoy. Whether you're adding a few decorations or changing the entire bible cover, having your entire family involved as you share inspirational moments and stories creates lasting memories for a lifetime.
Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys spoiling her niece with homemade goodies. Danielle is particularly fond of needlepoint, working with pipe cleaners and the smell of a fresh box of crayons. Read her work at eatbreatheblog.com
