Do you want to start a scrapbook, a Herbarium or a diary? You can, of course, buy a suitable notebook from the store, but if you really want to personalize it, maybe it's time to rediscover that not entirely lost art of binding. There are several ways to bind a book, from stapling, to tape binding, to stitching, and the method you choose depends on the book you are binding, your skill and the time you have available. This article will teach you how to make high-end bindings that you can use for books of any size, whether you're making your own, or need to repair your favorite novel.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Starting the Book
Step 1. Choose your card
You can use whatever type of paper you prefer to create your book. Regular A4 sheets for the printer are fine, but there are also handmade varieties and different cardstock. Make sure you have enough sheets for the whole book, at least 50-100 sheets. You will need to fold each sheet in half, so the total number of pages in the book will be exactly double the number of sheets you have available.
Step 2. Prepare your dossiers
The "cards" of a book are the sheets of paper that make up four pages of the book (2 pages on each side of the sheet). Issues are groups of cards. To make a sturdy book, stitch a few papers together - usually 8 - to make a booklet, and then stitch all the booklets together. Use a bone folder to make sharp creases and a ruler to make sure you get them in the exact half of the page. Your book may contain many issues, so you may need to use all of your paper.
Step 3. Collect the files
Bring them together and place them against a smooth, hard surface to line them up. Make sure that all pages are aligned and accurate on the spine of the fold and that they are all facing the same direction.
Part 2 of 5: Bind the Book with the Adhesive
Step 1. Lay your files on top of a textbook
The goal is to keep them above the level of the table so that it is easier to glue them. You can also use a piece of wood or some other thick, sturdy material if you don't have a textbook available. Place the booklets so that about half a centimeter of the spine protrudes from the edge of the book below; be careful not to collide with the files, to prevent them from losing alignment.
Step 2. Place weights on top of the files
By doing this you prevent the pages from moving, you can use other textbooks or something alternative that is flat and heavy. You now have a compact booklet spine that you can glue on. Also in this case, be careful not to mess up the alignment of the files.
Step 3. Add the glue
Use a type of binding adhesive, if you use regular glue such as vinyl glue, hot glue, super glue or latex glue, the pages will not be very flexible and will break over time. Spread the glue with a normal brush on the back of the booklets, being careful not to let it fall on the front or back of the pages. Wait 15 minutes and then apply a second coat of glue. In all, you will have to apply 5 layers of adhesive, waiting 15 minutes between one and the other.
Step 4. Add binding tape
It is a flexible tape, a material similar to fabric that is used in binding on the backs of the sets. It serves to reinforce the structure and prevents the spine from detaching from the files. Cut a small piece of it (less than an inch) and attach it to the top and bottom of the booklets, near the spine.
Part 3 of 5: Binding with the Thread
Step 1. Drill holes in booklets
Take each set and open it so you can see the center page of each set of sheets. With an awl, punch holes in the fold or, alternatively, use an embroidery needle with the eye threaded into a cork. The first hole must be made directly in the middle of the fold. Then measure 6.25 cm above and below this first hole and make two more holes (in all you will have three).
Step 2. Sew each set
Cut about a meter of waxed thread and insert it into a binding needle. Start by passing the needle through the central hole, from the back of the booklet where you will leave about 5 cm of thread to be able to tie a knot later.
- Now pass the needle through the lower hole, which will come out from the back. Pull the thread taut.
- The needle must now go through the upper hole, check inside the file and return to the outside, passing through the central hole. Now you will need to tie it to the small piece of thread you left in excess and cut the length you don't need.
Step 3. Sew the bundles together
You will need about 30cm of thread for each bundle you need to bind. Start sewing two together, then add the others later. Align the two files and from the outside pass the needle through the upper hole of one of the two. Make a small knot leaving a "tail" of a few centimeters to prevent the thread from slipping outside.
- At this point the needle is inside the booklet, so pass it through the central hole and then again through the central hole this time in the second booklet.
- Now the needle is inside the second booklet, stretch the thread and pass it through the third hole.
- The needle is located outside the second set, take a third and join it to the other two by passing the thread through the lower hole. Continue with this logical process until you have stitched all the bundles you want.
- At the end, tie a knot at the end of the thread tying it to the "tail" that you initially left. Trim any excess strands.
Step 4. Add some glue to strengthen the binding
When you have finished the stitching, the glue will allow you to keep the spine of the book together: spread some of it with a brush and place several heavy books on top of the booklets until it is dry.
Part 4 of 5: Adding the Cover
Step 1. Measure the cover
You can use cardstock or stronger binding material, depending on what you want to achieve. Place the booklets on top of the cover and draw the outline. Then add half a centimeter in width and height to the shape you drew. Cut out the cover and use it as a template to make another identical one.
Step 2. Measure the spine of the book
Use a ruler and measure its height and width. Cut out a strip of cardboard that respects these values.
Step 3. Cut the fabric
You can use non-stretch cotton or a similar material. Place the two covers and the cardboard back you cut out on the fabric. Space them apart by half a centimeter. Cut out the fabric around these three elements leaving a 2.5 cm border in each direction.
At the corners of the fabric, cut small triangles with the tip facing inwards. This way you can fold the fabric without wrinkling
Step 4. Glue the fabric to the cardboard covers
Place the cardboard shapes back in their original position on the fabric, with the back in the center and spacing them half a centimeter. Cover the front surface of each template completely with binder's glue and bond it to the fabric. Next, fold the excess fabric at the edges inside the shapes and glue it.
Step 5. Attach the booklets to the cover
Place them inside, in a central position, checking that the measurements coincide. Put a piece of protective paper under the first page and cover the latter with glue. Close the cover to make it adhere to the page and finally remove the protective paper.
- Open what is the new first page of your book and with the help of a bone folder, eliminate any wrinkles. Make sure it adheres well to the cover and that there are no air bubbles.
- Repeat the process for the back cover and the last page of the book.
Step 6. Wait for the book to dry
Place several books or heavy objects on top of your creation. Let it sit for 1-2 days for the glue to dry and the pages to flatten. After this time, enjoy your new book!
Part 5 of 5: Repair and Reinforce a Book
Step 1. Repair a loose spine
Sometimes the spine cover comes off, but you can use this method to quickly repair the damage and still have a book in perfect condition. Cover a long knitting needle with glue and thread it between the pages and the spine. Repeat the action for both sides. Let the glue dry for several hours by placing the book under a set of weights.
Step 2. Strengthen the back
If either side of the spine has come loose from the booklets, you can use glue and binding tape to reinforce it and put it back in its place. Spread some glue with a brush on the broken side of the spine, close the cover and put different weights on top of the book while the glue dries.
- If you want more reinforcement, you can add a strip of binding tape (or insulating tape if you don't really care about the appearance of the book) along the edge that has come off, inside the front cover.
- Help yourself with a bone folder to avoid wrinkles and to spread the tape better.
Step 3. Replace a broken spine
If the covers / spine are intact but have simply detached from the booklets, you can repair the spine without changing them. With the scissors, remove the spine completely from the book, cutting along the edges. Take a piece of cardboard of the same length as the spine and attach it to the front and back cover with the help of two pieces of binder's tape.
- If you wish, you can cover the card stock with a fabric similar to that of the covers before attaching it.
- If you don't have binder tape and you don't mind the appearance of the book, you can use electrical tape. However, the binder-specific one works best because it has special angles that fit snugly around the top and bottom edge of the spine.
Step 4. Repair a paperback cover
If your paperback cover has come off, spread glue all over the spine and put the cover back in place. Place several weights on top of the book while the glue dries.
Step 5. Replace a hard cover
If the cover is recoverable, use the same instructions to create a cover from scratch and attach it to your book. You can also buy a new hard cover (or a used one but in good condition) to replace the broken one, just pay attention to the measurements that must match.
Advice
- You will need a lot of thread to sew all the bundles. But you can always tie two pieces together, if you don't want too much thread through each single stitch.
- You can use different colors to mark the edges of the bindings, so you don't get confused where to punch them.
