You really don't need to be particularly good with your hands or artistic to make your own books. You just need to have the right bookbinding supplies, a willingness to learn and the time to dedicate in order to create a beautiful personalized book or journal.
Basic Bookbinding Materials
The core of any book is bookbinding paper. You have a wide variety of choices when looking at paper. For example, you can choose simple printing paper or invest in one of many different types of fine paper for your book. In addition, your paper doesn't have to be white. Look through the various colors available to you. You can even mix and match shades. Another option is to make the paper yourself, which will lead you to another satisfying, easy-to-do craft.
The next part of your book that needs to be considered is the cover. At its simplest, this kind of bookbinding paper can just be a heavier grade of paper stock. Choices include construction paper or cardstock. Keep in mind that you can complement or contrast the colors of the papers inside your book with the color that you choose for the outside of the book.
While some commercial books, such as cookbooks, use bookbinding wire or plastic, many crafters prefer to "sew" or stitch their books together. Therefore, wax thread or bookbinding thread are essential bookbinding supplies.
Depending on your project, you may also need bookbinding tape. Bookbinding tape is available in several different colors and can also be used for archival purposes. You may need bookbinding tape if you are securing photos into a scrapbook or repairing a book.
While not essential, beads can add beauty to your book. You can work beads into the binding thread to give the outside of your books more depth and feel. Beads can add more color variations to your book.
Basic Bookbinding Equipment
One advantage of bookbinding as a craft is that you do not have to make a huge initial investment in equipment in order to create books. As a beginner, all that you will drop-dead-absolutely-need-to-have is a paper awl to punch holes through your book and a bookbinding needle to sew the book together.
 | Follow these beginner bookbinding instructions to make your own handmade journals to keep or give as gifts. |
The joy of altered books is that it's not difficult to find great altered book ideas, especially since there are no definitive altered book instructions. |
Making handmade paper isn't difficult and will yield beautiful results with a just a few simple supplies. |
Japanese bookbinding stitches are a basic and classic way to bind a book. |
Spiral binding, also called coil binding, is a popular commercial binding style and has many applications. |
