Book Binding with Mrs Snug
This is a simple guide for a simple A5 notebook that doesn’t use too many special tools.
Here is what you will need:
25 sheets of A4 paper – it’s nice to use at least 90gsm weight paper
3 pieces of thick card or grey board- Two pieces sized 22cm x 15cm (slightly larger
than A5) and one piece sized 21cm x 1cm
Strong white cotton approx 1m in length
Needle
Wax
PVA glue
Pokey tool
Patterned piece of wrapping paper or fabric measuring 37cm x 27cm
Pencil
Ruler
Cutting mat
Penknife
1. Start by folding the A4 paper in half in groups of 5 pages. These are known as
signatures. If you use 25 sheets, you will create 5 signatures. Trim the unfolded
edges using the penknife and cutting board so that you have a smooth edge to each
of the signatures. Make sure the folds are really tight, you can use a ruler to run down
the crease to help with this.
2. Using the ruler evenly mark 6 dots along the spine of the signatures.
3. Open the signature out flat and use the pokey tool to punch through the paper on
each of these marks. This will make it much easier and neater when sewing the
signatures together.
4. We’re now ready to start sewing the signatures
together to form the ‘book block’. This is the
trickiest bit...
Before you thread the needle, run the thread
through some candle wax. This will help the
thread run smoothly through the paper. Now
you can thread the needle.
Start from the outside of the signature and at
the bottom; sew a running stitch, pulling the
thread snug as you go along, to the top. You
should finish on the outside of the signature at
the top.
5. Take your second signature, place it on top of the first, aligning the holes. Pass the
needle through the top hole on the second signature and come back through the
second hole (coming back down the spine).
Now go back into the second hole of
the first signature and come back up
through the third hole of first
signature.
Next, go back in the third hole of the
second signature, coming back up
though the fourth hole of the second
signature.
Continue working like this
alternatively through each signature.
I found a really good explanation here:
http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/links/files/QnD_A4.pdf
6. When you reach the bottom of the first and second signature, tie a knot using the tail
and sewing thread.
TIP – when pulling the thread taut, pull vertically up as the thread will rip through the
paper if you try to pull it along the spine.
7. Continue with this pattern of going in and out through alternative signatures until you
have joined all of them together.
At the top of each signature, thread the needle
between the signatures to create a loop,
effectively knotting them together.
When you get to the top of the fifth signature,
sew back down just this signature, so that the
thread finished off at the bottom, where you
started. Tie of the end and trim the excess.
Spread some glue down the spine to reinforce
the sewing and leave the ‘book block’ under
some heavy books to dry
Ok, nearly there!
8. Now it’s time to make the cover.
Cut the cover paper and card to sizes as listed in the materials.
Glue the card to the paper, leaving a 2.5 cm around all four edges. When gluing the
card, leave a 2mm gap between the spine piece and front and back cover – as shown
above.
9. Fold over the edges of the cover paper and glue to the card.
Leave it to dry.
10. Now, spread a thin layer of glue on the front page of the book block, being careful not
to stick the pages together!
At this point, instead of gluing the first page directly to the cover, you could add an
additional piece of patterned paper, or ‘cover paper’ to add another touch of colour.
Line the spine up with the inside edge of the front cover and stick down evenly.
There should be a few millimetres at the top and bottom and outside edge of the
cover.
Do the same with the back page, this time closing the back cover on top of the glued
back page.
Leave under some heavy books to dry, and you’ve finished!