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The Art of Book Making

  • Feb 19, 2025
  • 2 min read

Updated: May 12, 2025







Supplies List:

  • Bone Folder

  • Awl

  • Cutting Mat

  • Sewing Needle

  • 12 sheets of paper: 8.5x11

  • Book Clip

  • Cardboard

  • Thread

  • Paper Cutter

  • Pencil

  • Ruler

  • Scissors

  • Folded paper







Terminology:

Score - a light cut on your paper, as to not cut through the material but only an incision for the material to easily be folded without creating a crease.

Hot dog style - folding paper vertically

Hamburger style - folding paper horizontally

Signature - a group of folded paper, 3-4 papers in total




Creating Signatures:


  1. Fold a piece of paper hamburger style, with the shorter ends of the paper into each other. Use the bone folder to make sure that the fold is neat and crisp.



  1. Neatly organize 4 of them into a pile, repeat this 3 times to create 3 signature.

signatures
signatures

Jig

  1. With the dotted paper, fold it into hamburger style twice, so that afterwards, the paper is divided into 4 equal section.


  1. Repeat the same process hot dog style after unfolding the paper.


  1. Then with the awl, pierce 9 holes into the paper, each at an intersection of the creases created by the folds.


  2. Use the jig to measure the middle of your signatures and put a hole through them using the awl



Cardboard


  • On your cardboard, measure 5 inches from both sides, so that there is a 2 inch with space in the middle

  • Apply your jig onto the cardboard and poke in the 9 holes that matches through the cardboard

  • After that, on the edge of that 2 inch width space, lightly score the cardboard so that the edges can be folded inwards



The Stitching



  • Take your first signature and line the middle fold (with the holes) up with the vertical row of holes on the left most of the card board.


  • Choose your string of color and with a clip board, secure the signature, the card board and the string together.


  • Attach the string to a needle, and push it through the middle hole of both the signature and the cardboard.



  • From the outside of the book, push the string and needle into the bottom hole through the 2 layers again.


  • Then, repeat with the top hole.


  • Finally, push the string and needle through the middle from the outside and detach the string from the needle



  • Proceed to tie the two loose ends of the string together into a knot, and keep it as close to the signature as possible to make sure it's tight and secured


  • Repeat the process 3 times for all of the signature, then you will have a sketchbook finished.


  • Add your finishing touch with paint, color or other media forms.





 
 
 

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