Inspired by...

I've just been doing some blog surfing, and come across betweenthelines.  There are some great step-by-step instructions for stuff to make from home, including how to make fabric covered notebooks really simply using Vliesofix.  It got me inspired to make a folder of sorts for the schoolboy.  It's big enough to fit A4 paper (I'm going to give it to him with some new paper in it, but after that it'll be a great way of using the reverse side of stuff from the study).

Here's what I did:

I cut some cardboard to a bit bigger than A3 - the blue sheet is A4 size, and I wanted it a bit bigger all round.  My card was reasonably thick, but you could use a manilla folder if you didn't have anything suitable.

I then cut some Vliesofix roughly to size, and ironed it onto the back of the fabric left over from the pencil box.

I peeled off the paper and then ironed the fabric onto the cardboard (I put the backing paper and some baking paper between the cardboard and the ironing board to stop the overhang sticking to the ironing board).

Next I trimmed the material to the same size as the cardboard (not as easy as I expected to get a straight cut - next time I think I'd use a rotary cutter and ruler, or the idea below).

I hole-punched some A4 paper, and then connected them together with a Tubeclip - this will allow the schoolboy to add/subtract paper from his folder easily, and as its adhesive on the back I could then stick the pages in with no problems.

What I'd do differently next time:

• I was using leftovers, and had only just enough fabric and an odd-shape (and again, only just large enough) piece of Vliesofix, and didn't do a brilliant job of lining up the pattern with the edge of the cardboard.  I think ideally you'd have a fresh bit if Vliesofix so that you could line up the straight edge with the pattern on your fabric.  

• I had trouble working out where the edge of my cardboard was when I put the fabric on top of it, which made lining up the pattern even more difficult.  Next time I'd put the fabric face-down and then the cardboard/book on top of it.  I think you'd be able to see through the fabric to line up the pattern more successfully that way.

• The overhanging Vliesofix was a bit tacky after I'd peeled it off the baking paper after stage 3.  I'd be tempted to leave an overhang all round like you do when you're putting Contact on a book, and fold the edges in the same way.  That way the edges are protected and you don't have to worry about making sure that the edges are cut perfectly straight.