I love bound books with their pretty covers and blank or lined sheets. The market is flooded with a wide assortment of books that come in all sizes, shapes and bindings. For each personality that’s out there in the world writing their thoughts down on paper, there is a perfect blank book to match their style and mood. However, purchasing journals from a store is not only addicting, but can get expensive. That is why I’m going to spend the next few articles here on D*I*Y Planner to introduce you to the art of bookbinding and making your own perfect journals. This week I plan on starting off simple by giving you an quick and dirty overview of the world of bookbinding. Next week, I’ll show you just how easy it is to make your own book in a few simple minutes. And finally, two weeks from now, I’ll take you through a more complex and stunning example of the art.

Ever since man has had the desire to record their thoughts there has always been a medium on which to store them. Some of the earliest books appeared as large tablets or long scrolls made of papyrus. Early books were bound and scribed by monks. The process to create modern books evolved from two early inventions: paper and the moveable type printing press. Not only did this produce books as we know them nowadays but it also allowed printers to publish the written word much faster, making books more appealing to a mass audience. The introduction of printing spurred the beginnings of the bookbinding movement. The early 16th Century was one of the finest periods of decorative bookbinding. Towards the end of the 19th Century, modern bookbinding techniques had been perfected into a fine art. Fast forwarding to today, hand bound books can be found everywhere, along with the instructions and a few unique tools, anyone can possess the knowledge to bind and create their own small works of art.

As you can see by the pictures in this article, there is no end to the imagination of creating books for use to record thoughts. From variance in each book’s size to the way each is sewn together. While many of the books look complex and hard to produce, there are many ways to bind books easily, quickly and elegantly. Binding a book can be as simple as folding and stapling a few sheets of paper. However, to make a more studier book, you need is some book board, paper, adhesive, book thread (waxed or heavy thread) and some imagination. Most of these items can be found in many forms and purchasable at your local art supply store (except for the imagination which you already come equipped with).

Just like any discipline, bookbinding comes with its own list of terminology. I’ve listed a few of the more common terms that most books on bookbinding use below. This list is not exhaustive, as the list of terms could go on and on and become a glossary. These are just a few of the most common words to get you started. Over then next two weeks week, when I teach you how to create some simple books, I’ll be using words from the list below.

Book board: heavy cardboard that is used for making the cover of hard bound journals.

Folio: A folded sheet of paper. It forms two leaves or four pages in a book.

Fold: The folded edge of a folio or signature (pages of the book).

Signature: Folios (usually three) make up a signature.

Signature-Set: A number of signatures make up the signature-set, which in turn makes up most of the pages inside the book.

Awl or Paper Punch Tool: Used to punch holes in the signatures (pages of the book) so that they can be tied together.

Bone Folder: Used to fold or crease paper and smooth-out air bubbles.

Endleaves: The page at the beginning of the book and the end of the book.

Book Block: The inner part of the book, consisting of the signature-set and endleaves.

PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate): a type of glue most commonly associated with binding books, this can be found in any craft store.

bookbinding needles: Special needles constructed for use on paper and

Wax thread: Waxy thread used to hold signatures together for binding.

Today, many artists are pushing the traditional limits of what is called a book. These renegade artists use all sorts of things to craft their books. Large tags cut from cardboard paper or envelopes that can be used to carry all sorts of dimensional collections are being sewn together. Pages can be glued together to create niches where smaller books can rest inside a larger book. Some artists are even crafting books to be held in wedding ceremonies or worn as jewelry with their clay covers protecting private thoughts from being washed with the weather. There is no limit to what a book can become.

Thus concludes my whirlwind introduction to bookbinding. Next week I’ll demonstrate a one signature book that is simple to make and easy for you to carry around inside your planner or hipster to record thoughts, dreams or sketches. If you are curious about bookbinding and want to know more about the art and don’t want to wait until next week’s tutorial, I’ve listed a few good books that go more in depth into the art. I do have one word of caution, once you’ve assembled your first handmade book, you will never look at store bought journals with the same eyes. You will start looking at them in terms of “how can I make one of these” and dissecting every bit of how that book was constructed so you can make your own version.

Basic Bookbinding author: A. W. Lewis asin: 0486201694