I had a couple of sheets of fused plastic left over from my backpack project, so I made a fused plastic checkbook cover for today's MSCE. This is a quick, small, and simple project. You can also make a checkbook cover using scrap fabric.

Project Materials:

• 3 sheets of fused plastic, free
• 1 piece of recycled (thin) cardboard or stiff cardstock, on hand
• Your checkbook & register to measure, on hand

Total cost: FREE

Make it:

1. My fused plastic pieces were made from small trash bags folded in quarters. They were about 7x7". I sewed two together to make a big enough piece of fabric to make my checkbook cover. You will want to make sure this piece of fabric is wide enough to accommodate your checkbook's width, and long enough to cover the whole checkbook plus make two pockets about 2" deep.

Fold over two opposite ends (short sides) about 1/2" and sew a seam down each one. Then fold the other sides (long sides) to the same width as checkbook cover and hem.

2. Cut a piece of heavy paper to the same size as your current checkbook cover. This is going inside of the checkbook cover to stiffen it. Cut another piece of fused plastic to the same exact size, then sew the paper to the fused plastic.

3. Place the paper/fused plastic insert inside the outside layer of fused plastic.

4. Fold pocket flaps over and sew along ends. (Check to make sure your checkbook fits in the space allotted before you sew! Don't sew it too small! Ask me how I know...).

5. Sew a seam down the middle of the checkbook cover to help it bend in the right place and to keep everything together.

Insert your checkbook and register!