Instruction on How to Bind Books

Binding books with an awl makes the work much faster.

Whether you're a writer or illustrator wanting to make a new project from start to finish, or looking for a homemade gift, binding your own books is easy and rewarding. This simple technique can be expanded upon to include larger projects or more complicated designs.

Things You'll Need

• 10 sheets of 8 ½ inch by 11 inch office paper
• 1 sheet of 8 ½ inch by 11 inch cardstock or heavy weight paper
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Awl, ice pick or thick sewing needle
• Tapestry needle or bookbinding needle
• String
• Scissors
• Candle

Instructions

1. Organize the folios for your book. Individually fold the 10 sheets of 8 ½ inch by 11 inch office paper in half. These make up the folios for your book. Each sheet makes four 5 ½ inch by 8 ½ inch faces, which are the pages of your book. Put one folio into the next until all 10 sheets of paper are in line and square. These pages make the books signature.

2. Prepare the cover for your book. Fold the 8 ½ inch by 11 inch cardstock or other heavy weight paper in half. Place the heavy cover stock over the signature and square the signature with the outer cover.

3. Mark the position for binding holes. Lay the unbound book in front of you with its spine facing away. Measure 2 ¾ inches from the right side of the signature on its center fold with the ruler. Mark a dot here with the pencil. Measure halfway from the center dot and the right edge of the center fold (about 1 2/5 inches) with the ruler. Mark a dot with the pencil. Measure halfway from the center dot and the left edge of the center fold (about 1 2/5 inches) with the ruler. Mark a dot with the pencil. These three dots provide you with guide marks for the awl.

4. Make holes for the binding string. Use the awl, ice pick or thick sewing needle to punch three holes through the pencil marks. Move the tool back and forth to make smooth, rounded edges on the holes.

5. Prepare the string for binding. Run the string over the candle a few times to give it a wax coating. This helps the string to last longer and provides a tight, solid bind.

6. Bind the signature to the cover stock. Cut approximately two feet of waxed string with the scissors. Thread the waxed string through the tapestry or bookbinding needle. Start from the outside of the book's spine that is away from you. Thread the needle through the center hole leaving some excess outside of the book for later knotting. Thread the needle through the inside right hole. Pull the string semi tight so that all of the extra string is on the outside of the book. Thread the needle through the left hole and pull all the string inside the book again. Thread the needle through the center hole from the inside and tie a knot on the outside of the books center hole after pulling the waxed sting so that the binding has no loose sections.

7. Cut the ends of the string, or leave them for a decorative, hand-made look.

Tips & Warnings

• To add more or thicker pages, make five holes instead of three and bind the book the same way.

• Be careful of your supporting fingers when putting the awl through the signature and cover stock.

References

• The University of Iowa Center for the Book: Bookbinding

Resources

• Princeton University Library: Hand Bookbindings