Today, modern mass production has all but obscured the art of custom bookbinding, except for those who have discovered the craft. With the advent of the e-book, however, this art is making a comeback as people look for ways to protect printed copies of the e-books or bind their own handmade journals and works for self publishing.
The practice of hand binding written materials into book form began in 1st century AD with monks who copied manuscripts by hand. When German native Johannes Gutenberg developed the first printing press in the 1400s, the process of hand binding books also followed the road to automation.
Bookbinding Instructions
You don't need a lot of book binding equipment to bind small books at home, but you will need a short list of book binding supplies, all of which should be easily found at at your local craft store or a high-end stationery store, including:
This method of bookbinding is a simple variation of spiral bookbinding. Spiral bookbinding uses wire loops through holes to keep a book together and allow books to be opened flat.
For your first book, start with anywhere from 10 to 12 sheets of 8 ½" x 11" paper. You'll be folding each single sheet to create two sheets for your book.
Take the first piece of paper and fold it half to create an 8 ½" x 5" folder, called a folio. Continue folding your remaining sheets of paper in half, then stack the folios one inside the other. This group of folios is called a signature. You can use a bone folder made especially for bookbinding or a butter knife to help you make good creases.
Next, fold your card stock into an 8 ½" x 5" folder and place the signature inside. Some of your interior pages may stick out. If you like, use a pencil to mark the pages to size and trim them to fit with a paper cutter. Return the signature to its place inside the cover when you're satisfied with the page width.
Now, open your soon-to-be-completed book. Using a ruler, find the exact center of the book along the fold and mark it with pencil. Measure 2 ¼" down from your center dot and mark the fold again. Then measure 2 ¼" up from the center and place another mark.
Use your paper awl to punch through the top, center and bottom marks, taking care to gently twist the awl to create smooth, open holes.
Cut a 2- to 3-foot length of bookbinding or waxed thread and thread your bookbinding needle. Turn the book sideways, so the holes run left to right. Pull the thread through the center hole from the outside in. Do not pull the thread all the way through; leave a couple of inches on the outside to knot later.
Next, pull the thread through the hole on the left and pull it taut, while maintaining a good hold on the knotting thread. Carry the thread across the outside of the book and through the hole on the right. Your needle should now be back inside your signature.
Pull the thread through the center hold again. Pull everything tight then make several knots against the cover of the book. Trim to a length you like (this length is often referred to as the tailing).
Next Steps in Bookbinding
Once you get the hang of bookbinding, you might want to work with better quality or even handmade papers or try other bookbinding methods to make the process of binding bigger books easier, like adhesive bindings.
You might also get creative with your binding materials, using ribbons or leather cord to bind the pages together. Bead or embellish your tailings for visual effect or choose to leave flat ribbons long to use as bookmarks.
Customize your book covers by covering them with handmade papers that have interesting textures or collage your own designs with other materials you have on hand. Gently tear the ends of your folios to make for a roughhewn appearance (this works particularly well with heavier stocks and handmade papers).
Finally, if you get bit by the bookbinding bug, take heart: you're not alone. Not only can you find several books on this art at the bookstore or library, but chances are that you might find a bookbinding group or guild in your area where you can gain more hands-on experience in bookbinding classes, receive immediate feedback on issues or problems and learn tips from other bookbinders.
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