Craft & Handwork
Bookbinding
Fold the paper into sections, sew them together, then case it in boards
An awl, needle and thread, and some board is all it takes; a first blank notebook comes together in an evening. The difficulty is squareness — a fold a millimetre out leaves the fore-edge ragged — so every section gets pressed flat before it goes in. Once you can do it, you can repair the fallen-apart books already in your house, which is the real motive for many people.
First stepFold ten sheets into one signature, pierce it with an awl, sew a pamphlet stitch, and wrap it in a card cover.
Barriers
Cost to start
Under $50
Going deep → $300–2k
Alone or with people
On your own
Effort
Sitting
Without a teacher?
Self-taught
One session takes
1–2 hours
Where
At home
Why people take it up