Various Traveler's-Style Covers modified to Attach Pens

April 14, 2024

What follows is a brief presentation of a number of covers I've either made or modified recently. They share two characteristics: (1) they provide some way of attaching a pen and (2) they're set up to handle more than one size of refill. Perhaps someone crafting their own customized cover will find an idea here useful.

The first three covers described were each made from a single piece of leather cut to the size A5. (I was able to order the leather in this size through Amazon; I didn't have to alter the size at all.) An A5 piece is suitable to make a cover that can hold 3-4 "pocket size" (3.5"x5.5" or 90x140 mm) notebooks.

All three of these covers have holes spaced to accommodate elastics that will hold "pocket", B7 ("passport") or A7 booklets.

The brown and green cover sports a single column of four elastic loops on the front cover to hold one pen. I've found that this arrangement of four loops is adaptable to a range of different pen sizes.

Here you can see a B7, and A7 and a "pocket size" booklet all installed at the same time.

There are two braided closure elastics, one emerging from the spine and the other from the back cover. Use both to close the cover tightly and securely.

On the inside I've installed elastics to accommodate all three supported booklet sizes though I've omitted the A7 elastic from the middle position. The column of four pen loops are all parts of a single elastic which is tied to form a loop on the inside of the cover.

The grey and blue cover sports two columns of pen loops on the front cover. It is otherwise quite similar to the previous design.

Both columns of pen loops are formed from a single elastic. I've added two bookmark strings which differ both in color and in number of terminating knots to make them distinguishable by sight and touch.

The dark brown and orange cover has only a single closure elastic, which emerges from the spine where you'll also find a single column of pen loops.

One of the elastics inside the cover holds a craft folder in B7 size which hosts a Leuchtturm 1917 adhesive pen loop. (This was my earliest ploy to add a pen loop to covers that don't otherwise provide them.)

The top and bottom pair of pen loops are each provided by a separate elastic which are tied to look like an "X" on the inside of the cover. Here, as before, only the right and left notebook elastics will take A7.

This "light brown and staples" cover is made of two flimsy pieces of upholstery leather, some card-stock, glue and staples. The card stock is in three pieces between the leather layers: back cover, spine, front cover, which gives the cover its boxy shape.

I've adhered a pen loop to a piece of card stock cut in the shape of a "pocket size" booklet.

I've finished the edges with staples since I can't sew. I used a pair of pliers to press them flat.

The cover provides 5 elastics for "pocket size" booklets. The four sets of elastics for B7 and A7 are offset so that they run between the previous 5 elastics.

The brown floral cover is one of my oldest covers. It is intended for B7 booklets. It originally provided only a single elastic, which was thick and very tight. I've replaced that and added two pairs of holes and run new elastic such that the cover will accommodate four booklets.

I recently added a single column of pen loops to the outside of the front cover.

The lack of a clip on the Karas Vector meant it didn't see much as I'd have liked. The pen loops hold the pen perfectly and so it now sees regular use.

What is now the back over the cover was originally the front, but had become rather worn over the years.

The elastic I've used for the pen loops is thick enough that it does not slide freely through the holes in the cover so once the loops are set to accommodate a particular pen, they will stay that way. There is slack enough on the inside of the cover to adjust the loops to accommodate an oversized pen if need be.

The heavily modified Passport Size Traveler's Journal in olive has a double closure elastic and two sets of pen loops.

The brass clasp a the top of the spine is a fiddly hindrance when using the pen loops on the spine. I may remove it.

I have modified the cover to accommodate B7 and A7 booklets on three sets of elastics.

The modified Passport Size Traveler's Journal in dark blue is my oldest traveler's journal. Attaching the pen horizontally above the back cover is convenient when carrying the notebook in a pocket.