This tutorial will show you
how to make a good quality, archival book from
beginning to end. Book
binding requires a lot of
patience and practice, but
the result is a beautiful work
of art that you can give as
a gift, or fill with your own
drawings, notes and photos. Let’s begin!
Make sure your paper, book
cloth and book board are acidfree if you want your book to
be archival. You will need a
Supplies
clean, flat surface to work on
• 2 pieces of book board
like a desk or the kitchen table.
cut to 12 x 15cm, short grain
Try to keep your hands clean
(What is short grain?)
• Book cloth large enough to and dry as much as possible to
prevent glue or oil stains on your
cover your book boards
book. Always double-check your
• 30 pieces of acid-free
measurements before cutting!
drawing paper cut to 11.5 x
Bio Beauty
29cm, short grain
• Piece of 6.5 x 11.5cm scrap
paper
• 2 sheets of acid-free paper
for the inside of the cover 11 x
14cm, short grain
• At least 4 sheets of newsprint
• pH-neutral glue
• Clean brush for glue
• Bone fold
• Scissors
• Awl
• X-acto knife
• Ruler
• Set square or triangle tool
• Cutting mat
• Waxed linen thread
• Book binding needle
• Paper weight
Step 1: Cut Your Book
Cloth
On your cutting mat, cut
your book cloth to 2cm larger than your book board
on all sides. Cut the corners
of the book cloth at a 45
degree angle. Make sure
the edge of the paper is
3mm away from the corner
of your book board. Use
your triangle to line up the
corner.
Step 2: Cover the
Outside of the Book
Boards
Grab your glue, brush,
bone fold, book cloth and
book board. Lay your book
board on a piece of newsprint and glue the entire
side of book board with a
thin layer of glue. Place the