Bookbinding 101
by Wendy
Hi, it’s Wendy here from Scrappy Bags today with a basic
tutorial on Bookbinding 101.
I made this journal for my
daughter today and it only took me a little over an hour to make this from start to finish.
Gather your supplies — you will need scrapbook paper, plain white copier
paper, a paper cutter, Zip Dry Glue, paper piercer, irish linen thread (or some
other heavy duty thread) and an embroidery needle.
Next, decide what size you want
the journal to be. My finished journal
is 5 1/4”
x 8.
Start by taking six coordinating pieces of scrapbook paper and cut them
to 10 1/2”
wide by 8” high. I recommend using the heavier scrapbook paper
as it will be more sturdy.
Once you have your papers cut,
glue them together back to back. I used
Zip Dry glue which is wonderful for gluing paper together without getting the
wrinkles. Once you’ve let the paper dry for a few minutes, fold them in
half. Trim up your edges if your paper
does not exactly line up.
I then cut some plain white copier
paper down to 10 x 7 1/2” size and folded them in
half. This will be your writing paper
and you want it to be a little bit smaller than your cover.
Next, you will need to make a
template for cutting your holes. Take a
piece of the leftover scrapbook paper and make a 1” strip the same size as the width of your book
cover. Fold this paper in half
lengthwise, then fold it in half again from top to bottom, and then once again
from top to bottom. Open up that piece
of paper and you should have a vertical line going down the center, then three
horizontal lines intersecting that center line.
The spots where those three lines intersect is where you will make your
holes fold binding. Make sense?
Using the guide that you just
made, make three holes with a paper piercer on your pages at the folds. One in the center and one on either side
using your paper template.
After you have your holes punched,
you are ready to start binding your journal.
The best thread to use for this is irish linen thread that has a wax
coating. You can order it online, but it’s difficult to find at any of the craft stores. You also should have a heavier needle, such
as an embroidery needle. You want it to
be pretty sturdy so that you can work through the paper with ease. Thread your need and start binding your
papers together. You should start from
the outside middle hole to the inside.
Then go to the top hole and through to the outside. Then go all the way to the other hole and
through to the inside. Go back to the
center hole and to the outside again.
Repeat this process three or four times keeping your thread tight so
that your book is sturdy. Before you tie
off your thread, be sure to make a double knot so that your book does not
unravel. You’re done!
Now go ahead and have fun adding
die cuts, stickers, whatever you like to embellish your book. Feel free to mix it up and make it your own.
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DIY /Craft Contributor: Wendy Diem
Wendy is a stay at home mom living in Hershey,
Pennsylvania, also know as the sweetest place on earth!
She loves creating memory
books and cards and would spend my whole day scrapbooking, but I do need to
make time to take care of my family. You
know, those fun things like laundry, cleaning the house, etc.
Back in March, 2012, she
had the privilege of going to NYC as part of Martha Stewart’s Dreamers into
Doers to attend some workshops and the live taping of her show. She enjoyed meeting lots of wonderful
entrepreneurial women. What a great
experience it was!
You can follow Wendy
