Book Binding DIY

Ever bound your own book?

Now’s your chance! Heather, from Mixed Musings Art, takes us step-by-step through the process! Learn, try and then show us your fabulous book binding skills by tagging @HandmadeLoves in your final product on Instagram!

Great!

I love to bind books. Definitely one of my favorite pastimes. What do you need? Well, that is up for debate. Is this your very first time? Hmmm… Ok.

1. Buy all of the supplies and try to bind a book and find out that it is not for you.

2. Use things that you may have around the house or more inexpensive supplies. Find out that it is not for you and have some extra crafting supplies.

3. Use things that you may have around the house or more inexpensive supplies. Find out it is for you and accrue the supplies.

I would opt for the third approach. If you are a professional bookbinder, turn away… I’m giving you a chance. Just a warning… I can wait.

Ok. Last warning for professional bookbinders…

Getting Started

So, if you are going to bind a book, you need to know that there are all kinds of ways to bind books from all different parts of the world. Check out my Journals board on Pinterest for examples and ideas. I like my binding on the outside. It is way easier to do the kind we find in the library. For an awesome overview of binding types, check out this great site on Deviant Art.

Hint:

The easiest to start with is the Japanese stab bind. All of the binding is on the outside.

Materials

There are all kinds of professional bookbinding materials. They get expensive. I pay the bills as a Technical Writer, so, true to form, I have created a table with the professional tool and the “hack” that can get you started until you have decided that bookbinding is the thing for you. I have also include any comments.

To me, these are the most basic tools to use for binding. There are other things which are of some help:

A really good T-square – Nothing beats a straight line.

Binder clips – These are the kind you get at the office supply store.

You probably have them lying around your house. Use with thin cloth or paper to avoid marks on your book covers or paper. Always look for coupons, they are all over all the time for craft stores like JoAnn’s, Michael’s and AC Moore. You will be amazed at what you can save on just the few items that I mentioned in the table above!

Now What?

Great, you have most of your supplies. Now, you have to get started! I have not covered any of the decorative elements such as covers for your boards, but we can talk about that another time. There are so many great tutorials on the Internet. Check out my Journal board on Pinterest. The other thing is that you learn so much through watching/reading more than one tutorial.

I really suggest starting with a Japanese stab-bind. Yes, really.

Here is a place to find a tutorial that may work for you: iBookBinding

Here is the one that I used: DesignSponge

Binding books is awesome. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It is a creative outlet in so many ways with so many different approaches. Hopefully, we can explore this more.

Leave any questions or comments for me. I will answer them all the best I can! If I can’t answer your question, I will find a place that has an answer or direct you to someone who can help.