Bookbinding: Tutorials by others

Welcome to the  Bookbinding Tutorials Page

Here you will find a selection of links to bookbinding tutorials, that I have gathered from around the internet.  The tutorials and films were made by the authors quoted, not by me.

Bookbinding video tutorials playlist

Tutorials on Tools

These tutorials feature information about how to use various tools for bookbinding.

• Glue and Roller Basics Film shows how to use a roller to apply glue to bookbinding projects by Ceropegia
• How to Use a Paper Knife by Kiley
• Turning Edges with a Jig  Film showing a jig used to speed up turning edges for covering by Ceropegia
• Sea Lemon: Supplies and Substitute tips

Bookbinding Techniques

These tutorials feature preparation techniques for bookbinding. Preparing covers, making tools etc.

• Pamphlet stitch
• Insetting A Ribbon Tie How to attach a ribbon to a board. Suitable for books, boxes and portfolio’s by Ceropegia
• Making an Inset How to create an inset cover board by Ceropegia
• Multiple Insets How to make a jig for cutting multiplle insets by Ceropegia
• Notes on Accordian Binding Part 1. Making and using jigs to speed up folding pages for accordian books, by Ceropegia
• Notes on Accordian Binding Part 2. by Ceropegia
• Paper Backing Silk How to add a paper backing to fabric for bookbinding by Ceropegia
• Paper Marbling A free manual to download from Eden Workshops. Includes edge marbling for books.
• Preparing and Guarding a Photo Album by Ceropegia
• String Filled Case How to reinforce the edges of the head and tail of the spine, for large books by Ceropegia
• Sea Lemon: DIY Bookbinding methods
• Sea Lemon: Projects

Making A Case by Ceropegia

The case is the hard backed cover you see on hard backed books.

• Making A Case Part 1 Creating the case
• Making A Case Part 2 Casing In

Sewing Printed Signatures by Ceropegia

A collection of folded pages is known as a signature, these films show you how to prepair them and later to sew them together to create a book. Watch the Making a Case tutorial series next to cover your book.

• Sewing Printed Signatures; Part 1
• Sewing Printed Signatures; Part 2 This film also features a close up detail of a weavers/binders knot, used if you run out of thread before you finish your bind.

Making A Slip Case by Ceropegia

A slip case is the box where you can gather a single book or a collection or series of books together. These excellent films show you how to measure your book and how to create a perfectly fitting slip case for it.

• Part One: Cutting & Lining
• Part Two: Fitting & Lining
• Part Three: Covering
• Part Four: Finishing the Covering Process

Binding Styles

These tutorials show you how to bind books in a variety of different styles.

Case Bound Books

In layman’s terms, you are most likely to recognize a case bound book as a hard cover book, as opposed to a paperback.

Case Bound Book

• Book Binding with a Photo Album Insert by Paper Studio How to case in a pre made book block.
• Casing in a journal

These tutorials are sometimes available on You Tube or as a paid film from the authors website. I’ve left them listed as if they come back, they are amazing.

• Bookbinding Part 1 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Bookbinding Part 2 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Bookbinding Part 3 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Bookbinding Part 4 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Bookbinding Part 5 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Bookbinding Part 6 by Buchbinderbaumgartne

Coptic Stitched Books

I admit it, these and the Japanese stab bound books are my all time favorites. Like the long stitch book these books open flat and are very user-friendly. The Coptic stitched books feature decorative stitches on the spines and the covers of the book do not cover the spine area, so the stitching remains visible. These are just a few, there are many different styles within the Coptic stitching range.

• Coptic Stitch Binding, Hard Cover by Jim Escalante
• Coptic Stitch Binding, Soft Cover; Part 1 by Jim Escalante
• Coptic Stitch Binding, Soft Cover; Part 2 by Jim Escalante

Buchbinderbaumgartne’s Coptic Stitch Tutorials

Many of these videos are under a minute long, best viewed in slideshow/shuffle on You Tube as they then stream in order and make it easier to watch. I have listed them individually so you can find a particular ‘episode’ easily if you are stuck on any particular aspect.

• Coptic Binding 01: Vorstechen
• Coptic Binding 02: Vorbohren (Piercing the cover board)
• Coptic Binding 03: Heften (Applying the first signature to the cover board)
• Coptic Binding 04: Heften (applying the first signature to the cover board)
• Coptic Binding 05: Heften (Tying the knot to attatch the first station of the first signature to the cover)
• Coptic Binding 06: Heften (Sewing the remaining stations to attatch the cover board to the first signature)
• Coptic Binding 07: Heften Final station of the first signature attatching to the front cover)
• Coptic Binding 08: Heften (Applying the second signature to the book)
• Coptic Binding 09: Heften (Sewing the second signature)
• Coptic Binding 10: Heften (Applying the third signature)
• Coptic Binding 11 Heften (Applying the third signature)
• Coptic Binding 12: Heften
• Coptic Binding 13: Heften
• Coptic Binding 14; Heften (Attatching the back cover to the book)
• Coptic Binding 15: Heften. (Final knot (kettle stitch) to secure the back cover to the book)

Folded Books

These books feature pages that are joined by folding rather than stitching.

Magic Briefcase / Zaubermappe Fold book by Buchbinderbaumgartne

Update Please note the videos marked Club Scrap were previously TV Weekly episodes. These are online communities that you need to join before you can view the videos/content. The links to Club Scrap Videos below will take you to the TV Weekly Design Guides page and this will help you find the downloadable PDF content from the videos where applicable and also links to their list of videos.

• Flag Book Tutorial Part One by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Flag Book Tutorial Part Two by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Flippin’ Folio Part One by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Flippin’ Folio Part Two by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Flippin’ Folio Part Three by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Flippin’ Folio Part Four by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Magician’s Box. Exploding box meets bookbinding by Tricia Morris Club Scrap
• You Are A Star How to make a star book by Tricia Morris, Club Scrap

Japanese Stab Bound Books

Keith Smith lists four styles of Japanese stab binding in his book; Volume I Non Adhesive Binding. Japanese 4-hole Binding (Yotsume Toji), Tortoise-shell (Kikko Toji), Hemp Leaf Binding (Asa-No-Ha Toji), Noble Binding (Koki Toji). I highly recommend you get his book for detailed instructions on these binding styles, but here are the some video tutorials by other people, that I’ve found so far, on-line. These are all sewn bindings.

Japanese 4 hole binding; also called Yotsume Toji

• Japanese Bookbinding by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Japanese Stab Binding Tutorial Pt 1 by Vanillajoy1
• Japanese Stab Binding Tutorial Pt 2

Noble Binding; Koki Toji. This binding is also called the Kangxi Binding

• Japanese Binding Part One by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Japanese Binding Part Two by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Japanese Binding Part Three by Buchbinderbaumgartne

Long stitch

This is a superb bind, that would be great for Art Journals as the pages open flat. If you use the slit across the spine version of the bind, it allows plenty of space if you like to add a lot of collage to your journal pages. As the extra gap between the pages, allows the pages to expand with the content of the book.

• Part 1 Long stitch by Katinsuebart
• Part 2 Long stitch by Katinsuebart
• Part 3 Long stitch by Katinsuebart

Perfect bound

A glued spine rather than stitched

• Perfect Binding; A glued bind rather that stitched.

Post Bound

Album binding with post and nut is often seen on Scrapbooks. Especially useful in that situation as if extra allowance is added to the spine, you can get extender posts to make your album larger over time.

• Post Bound Album Classic scrapbook album style by Tricia Morris

Supported Spines

Supported spines are those created using a sewing frame.Bookbinding Hand Sewn by DjRPS

The films show sewing onto cords using a sewing frame. I don’t speak Italian but the demonstration is so clear, even without understanding the language it is still a superb tutorial series.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Wire Bound

These films feature a tool called the Bind It All. Made by a company called Zutter. The tool punches holes in the pages, you then use O Wires to secure the pages together.

• Zutter Binding- Demo of Bind It All by the Paper Studio

Miscellaneous Bindings

Sewn bindings

• Ancient Scroll Book by Tricia Morris
• Autograph Book by Tricia Morris
• Venetian Blind Book by Tricia Morris
• Stitched Bound Book Tutorial Part One by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Stitched Bound Book Tutorial Part Two by Kristen @ Club Scrap
• Nook Book by Kay

Box Making

• Stationer’s Box by Tricia Morris

Making  A Prototype Box by Ceropegia

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3a Covering
• Part 3b Glueing it In
• Part 4 Making the Lid
• Part 5 Final Lining

Pencil Box

• Stifteetui / Pencil Box Part 1 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• Stifteetui / Pencil Box Part 2 by Buchbinderbaumgartne
• An Easy way to  make beautiful Boxes by Buchbinderbaumgartne

Miscellaneous Techniques

• Traditional paper making in Bhutan
• Waterfall fold  An interesting folding technique, by Tricia Morris

 Links to Authors

Here are links to the authors of the tutorials listed. I’ve added their You Tube Channels or websites.

•  Buchbinderbaumgartne  Peter Baumgartne’s You Tube Channel
• Ceropegia Sage Reynolds You Tube Channel
• DjRPS  You Tube channel
• Karin’s  Karinsuebart’s You Tube Channel
• Paper Studio You Tube Channel
• Tricia Morris, Kristen & Kay video’s can be found at Club Scrap in the Club Scrap Cinema.

Looking for a tutor?

This is the link for Society Of Bookbinders a UK site where you can find a whole host of useful information relating to bookbinding.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie 🙂

**Dead Links**

We all hate dead links, but from time to time sites do change their address. If you do find a dead link on this page, please leave me a comment , with details of which link failed to let me know. I will attempt to repair the link or remove it.