How to Bind a Book by Hand
Book binding can be a rewarding craft. Not only are you making a book for yourself, but you can then fill it up with your own writing or sketches. In the end, you can have an entire project you made yourself from the inside out or a lovely book to give to friends. There are many ways to bind a book, but this tutorial will lead you through the most basic ways.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Card stock or thin piece of cardboard
- Thick hand-sewing needle
- Thick thread
- Ruler
- Pen
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Paper clamps
Instructions
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Simple Binding
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1
Measure and mark your paper to your desired size. Cut the paper down.
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2
Measure and mark the card stock to your desired size. Make sure your card stock is about an inch wider and taller than the paper you just cut.
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3
Hold the paper down about half an inch away from the edge of the card stock using the paper clamps. Make sure the card stock sticks out half an inch all around the paper.
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4
Fold the paper and card stock vertically down the middle, creating a defined crease.
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5
Take your needle and thread, and push it from the paper inside out through the card stock about 1 1/2-inch away from the card stock's top edge.
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6
Move your needle and thread over the paper until you are about 1 1/2 inches away from the card stock's bottom edge, and push your needle through the card stock and paper.
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7
Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until the paper does not shift away from the card stock. Tie a large knot on the inside of the book, and cut away your thread.
Binding More Elaborate Books
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8
Divide your pages into groups of four, and sew your pages together as you would in the previous section, leaving out the card stock. These will become your book signatures.
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9
Prepare a cover for your books. It should be the length and width of your signatures with some added width. Fold it into a book shell, leaving space for a spine.
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10
Put your signatures in order by page. Use bookbinding glue and strip it along the signature spines you sewed earlier.
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11
Place the signatures into the shell, and press them tight. You may want to put them under a heavier book or into a book-binding jig while the glue dries.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For a more professional-looking book, see the Resources section below for a few more ideas on how to bind your own books.
