Budget-Friendly Book Pockets

           My classroom library shelves are overcrowded, and I'm the only third grade teacher with reading rugs in my room.  To say I'm a little bit of a bookworm is putting it mildly.  Book order time is like Christmas every month. As a result, I was having a little trouble keeping my classroom library books in safe spots while the students were reading them.  I tried table buckets, putting them on the bottoms of student seats, and leaving them on the corners of the desks but nothing ever quite clicked to my satisfaction.  
       Then I saw book pockets while I was looking up materials for a science grant. Sure, only the K-2 rooms use them at my school, but it seemed like an ideal solution to me.  I drooled over book pockets for my students' chairs, but there was no money in my classroom budget for such a pricey purchase.  For a little over six months I contemplated how I could get my hands on these handy little items, before inspiration struck me.
      I was digging out a huge pile of rarely used pillowcases from my linen closet to sell in our family yard sale, when it hit me... These naturally pocket-shaped gems were the perfect size and shape for book pockets! All I needed to do was figure out how to fold them and then I could sew them up.
      
Before you tackle this little project, you'll need a few things: 

• a sewing machine (or a volunteer who has basic sewing skills)
• heavy duty thread (I used 1 large spool)
• 1 pillowcase per student (I cleaned out my linen closet and asked relatives for gently-used donations. You can also bulk order heavy cases online, or hunt around local garage sales for super cheap buys.)

Lay your pillowcase out flat (This project works best if you iron, or tumble press them in the dryer first)

Next, turn your pillowcase inside out. Fold the (open end) edge back up to the  bottom seam of the pillowcase. It should have two-pockets now. 

The edges should line up like this!
Then comes the tricky part:  carefully fold the entire thing  inside out.
The hard part is done!

Use heavy duty thread to sew the sides (only) of each pocket up (double stitch if you want added strength). The ends should still open. 

Clip your stray threads and turn your pillowcase pocket right-side out again.

Viola! A practically free book pocket!

       Don't be intimidated by the sewing part.  It's just one long straight line!  If you don't sew, maybe you could recruit a relative or parent volunteer to stitch these up for your classroom.  Once you do the first pocket, you'll be surprised how quickly they come together.  I made twenty pockets in one day (while I was off for summer break)!  

      The pocket will slide over the chair back like a slipcover. My class uses the pocket that they leaned against to store a small pillow, which they can use to read around the room (plus it makes their seats a little more comfy!) The pocket that faces out holds their classroom library books and a clipboard (for working around the room).  A word to the wise: Be on the watch for students who shove everything they own into their pocket.  One of my students overloaded his pocket this year and it finally torn open.  That's the only drawback to the homemade version; they're not quite as sturdy as the pricey counter-parts. But, they sure are much more budget friendly!

Happy Crafting!