Author Rebecca Meredith explains the basics of making a professionally bound book. She makes a front and back cover, then describes how to stitch the signatures in place. Materials: Two 6" x 4 1/2" pieces chipboard
One 6" x 1/2" piece chipboard
One 13 1/2" x 6" piece fabric
Padding compound
Lightweight sheets of 8-1/2" by 11" paper
Small sponge roller
Plastic container
Craft knife
Optional: paper cutter
Cutting mat
Plastic foam block
Needle and heavy carpet thread
Darning needle
Wine-bottle cork
Waxed paper
Two binder clips
Parchment paper
- Cut a piece of 6" by 10" lightweight paper to be used for the inside cover. Fold the paper in half so it measures 6" by 5". Unfold.
- Apply a coat of padding compound to one side of one piece of 6" by 4 1/2" chipboard, using a roller to carefully cover the entire piece. Padding compound is used instead of white glue because it contains less water so the chipboard is less likely to warp. It also allows for repositioning if you need to move the pieces. Chipboard is available in art-supply stores and is difficult to cut. If possible, have someone at the store cut it to the desired sizes. Or try cutting it yourself with a craft knife.
- Line up the 6" edge with the outer edge of the lightweight paper cover, and glue in place.
- Apply padding compound to the second piece of chipboard, and attach it to the paper cover, lining up the 6" edge with the other outer edge. There will be a space in the center for the spine (figure A). Turn the cover over, and smooth out any wrinkles in the paper.
- Apply padding compound to the spine piece of chipboard, and glue it to the center of the cover paper between the back- and front-cover chipboard pieces (figure B).
- Apply padding compound to the other side of all the chipboard pieces now mounted on the inside-cover paper, turn the paper over, and attach it to the inside of a piece of fabric cut 1/2" larger on all sides than the inside cover (figure C).
- Fold excess fabric over to the inside cover, and glue in place to finish the edges.
- To create signatures for the inside of the book, cut 8 1/2" by 11" paper in half widthwise. Place five sheets together, and fold all in half so the signature measures 4 1/4" by 5 1/2" (figure D).
- Stack seven signatures together, and make four marks with a pencil along the folds to indicate holes for the stitch binding. Start the marks approximately 1" from each end, and evenly space the other two between the outer marks. The book will have 70 pages--seven signatures of 10 pages each (figure E).
- Place the fold of the signature on top of the edge of a foam block, and punch small holes through the paper with a punch made by sticking a darning needle into a wine-bottle cork (figure F). Punch all seven signatures (figure G).
- Stitch the signatures together by beginning at the top hole of the first signature. Start from the inside of the signature, and stitch through the fold to the outside. Go back down in the top hole of the second signature. Come back up through the second hole of the second signature, and go down in the second hole of the first signature. Go up through the third hole of the first signature and down through the third hole of the second signature. Continue in this pattern until all the holes have been stitched (figure H). Stitch the third signature to the second and so on until all signatures are stitched together. Finish off with a half-hitch knot.
- Square off the signatures so they line up straight, and apply a liberal amount of padding compound along the folds of the signatures. Wrap a piece of waxed paper around the signatures and hold in place with two binder clips. Let dry (figure I).
- Join the pages to the cover by applying a coat of padding compound to the top page of the first signature and gluing it to the inside front cover (figure J).
- Apply a coat of padding compound to the back page of the last signature, and glue it to the inside back cover.
- As an added finish to the inside front cover, cut an 8 1/2" by 5 1/2" piece of parchment paper, and glue it to the inside cover and first page of the first signature (figure K).
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