An Amateur's Guide To Bookbinding

New fixation, everyone! Finally, my username has relevance again (/j.) I started bookbinding as a hobby pretty recently. I'm still a beginner, but I thought it would be fun to share my experience and my process. I've made seven hardcover books, and I hope to make more. A quick side note, this post would not be possible without the phenomenal tutorials I've watched. The main one I use, especially in regards to sewing the pages, will be linked below. Also, this is advice that works for me based on my own experience. If this doesn't help, find something that works for you!

I start by figuring out how many pages I want my book to be. I'm sure many people would suggest that you count out how many pieces of paper you want and do some other math. If that works for you, great. Me, personally, I focus on the thickness of the pages. Having a thicker text block makes adhering it to the spine a little easier. I fold each piece of paper individually, then place one folded sheet inside another. This way, I have actual pages. To my knowledge, that is called a signature.

If I plan on sewing the pages, I use a scrap piece of paper as a template to make sure the holes are even. I try to use six evenly-spaced holes so my thread can weave through easily. The holes need to be as level as possible among the sheets of paper, or else it won't be neat. I use a normal sewing thread and needles to stitch the signatures together. Sewing needles are also useful to poke holes in the paper's crease.

Once the pages are sewn together, I use Mod Podge to make the bind even tighter. Due to its viscosity, Mod Podge is thin, giving me the ability to use a paintbrush to control where the glue goes. Instead of using a book press, I place my text block under several heavy yearbooks to dry. The pressure keeps the signatures uniform.

Now, most people suggest gluing cloth to the spine of the text block before you stick it to the cover. I have zero patience and have elected to ignore this advice. So far, it's gone well for me, but who knows? Maybe one day, that will come back to bite me.

While the glue on the text block is drying, I make the cover. I use recycled cardboard boxes for my covers and spines. Again, I hate math and measuring, so take this advice with a grain of salt. I will measure the width and height of a page and round up to the nearest inch for the cover. That way, my cover, and spine are bigger, protecting the pages without being too awkwardly large. My biggest struggle is getting the edges of the cardboard even. I use a metal ruler as a guide and cut the material with a box cutter. The very edge of the cardboard box will be straight, as will the bottom, so I use those sides as a base for my covers. By doing this, I ensure that I only have to make two cuts with the knife. Today, I discovered that facing the straightest edge on the right-hand side makes the book look even. Even if I make a mistake while cutting the board.

This is my favorite part! Making the covers look ~fancy~ is the most exciting step, in my opinion. On cotton fabric, I place the covers and spine, making sure that they are level and on the backside of the fabric. Once I have the placement, I cut out three-quarters of an inch around the perimeter of the cardboard pieces. From there, I fold the fabric down and glue it in place. It's important to use a paintbrush to flatten the fabric to the cardboard.

By now, the text block and covers should be completely dry. This is the perfect time to combine the two. Like most people, I start with gluing the spine to the edge of the text block. Then, I use the end sheets as an anchor for the rest of the pages. After everything is glued in place, I use scrap paper on both ends of the book to protect the end sheets. I rush to my heavy book stack and place the project under the weight overnight.

There you have it! I'm still getting the hang of it, but that's an amateur's guide to bookbinding. To me, the project goes by so fast that I fail to recognize how much work I've done. After everything is dry and I can flip through the pages, I'm amazed at all the steps required to complete this craft. It's hard to not imagine how people did it in the olden days. No wonder books used to be so expensive. Now with the printing press, bookbinding can be a fun art to master in the comfort of your home. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. If you want to support me and my content, please like, share, or subscribe. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @erinhastoomanybooks2.0!

This is the tutorial I used! It's great!

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