Introduction: Secret Book Case for Raspberry Pi

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Today we are going to make a case for your raspberry that looks just like a book.

For this Instructable, you will need:

  • a Raspberry Pi (we used the Old School Pi 1 for this Instructables!);
  • a book bigger than your Raspberry Pi;
  • all-purpose glue a paint Brush (not in the picture);
  • a rule, pen and paper to draw where to cut the book;
  • a cutter

The choice of the glue is important as it will determine the finished-look of your book. Prefer transparent, non-reflective glue that will not alter the appearance of the book once applied. I personally used DEMCO Mat Podge, All-purpose glue.

Step 1: Preparation

Once you have all the required hardware, start by taking the dimensions of your books and the ones of your Raspberry Pi. You can draw them with a 1:1 scale on paper so that you can prototype it more easily.

Leave some space so that the borders are thick enough. I kept 0.75 inches for each sides.

Be aware that you will have to cut holes later for the cables. You can already draw it now if you prefer. We will do it in a few steps here.

Step 2: Cutting the Inside

Once you draw where you planned to cut the inside of the book, you can start to cut it using the cutter, cutting pages 5 by 5. It might take a while, but the more precise you are, the better the result will be! Start cutting from the back since you do not know exactly how many pages have to be cut to fit your Raspberry.

Cut the pages, try to fit your Raspberry inside from time to time and see if it fits. If it does not fit, continue cutting pages until it does.

Step 3: Gluing It All

When the Raspberry fits in the book, it is time for some gluing!

Take some glue with your brush and start putting glue on every sides of the cutted pages, inside and outside. Put enough so that the pages get a little bit wet (not too much!) and the glue get sucked into the paper.

Once over, put some weight on the closed book to compress it and let it dry for a day. You should obtain a result similar to the one on the pictures.

Step 4: Making the Holes

We then need to cut the holes for the connectors. I only did it for the USB, power and HDMI connectors so there is not too many holes in the book. First draw the center of your connectors, then cut around the necessary size so that it fits. Begin small, and enlarge if necessary. The goal is to have the smallest holes possible. Just like when cutting the pages to fit the Raspberry Pi size, start cutting the holes from the bottom and remove as many pages as necessary to fit the cable plug.

I did some corner finishing but this is not necessary. This gives a smoother appearance for the holes.

Step 5: Final Result

Here is the final result. The raspberry is put on the bottom of the book, returned and then closed.

When put next to other cables, the trick is perfect. Cables connected to the Raspberry Pi are barely distinguishable from the other cables and you now have a perfectly hidden computer.

I use it with the Unified Remote application, that allows to use your smartphone - tablet to control the Raspberry. This way, no keyboard or mouse is necessary. Enjoy!