Build your trainer, and practice covering that. believe me, you'll have ample opportunity to recover it over and over again, as the learning process for flying tends to bend up those trainers pretty good. Chances are, you'll partially or completely rebuild some section of the plane and you'll have to recover it, so just read up on it and do your best. Covering is a skill to be learned, so just do it!

You could also build a section of a wing out of scrap balsa, or a section of a fuse and cover that, but why not practice on the real thing? Trainers are for training!