First off you are going to need
- Paper (any paper will do, for this I am using normal printing paper)
- A metal rule
- Waxed linen thread (though any thread will do)
- Bookbinding needle (or any needle with a large enough eye for your thread)
- Awl
- Scalpel
- Bone Folder (optional)
1. Start by folding all of your paper in half
2. Then using the bone folder run over each of the creases so they are perfectly folder (you can also use the edge of the ruler to do this)
3. Next using the rule you need to measure out the holes for the binding.
I normally minus 1cm from the top and bottom of the paper and punch a hole, then I divide the measurement between these two holes by how many holes I want.
(Example the measurement on the paper is 21cm take away 1cm from the top and bottom and punch a hole at each end. The measurements between these two holes will now be 19cm, I then divide this by the amount normally be 5 and this gives me 4 holes.
I normally do this part on a spare piece of paper and use it as a stencil for the actual book, you can always keep it to one side and re-use it again and again.
Disclaimer: most tutorials say to make an odd amount of holes, for this notebook I punched an even amount of holes so that tying a knot at the end would be a bit easier, this is my preference, feel free to punch as many holes you see fit.
4. place the stencil on top of the folder paper and make sure it is all in line
5. using the awl punched the holes in to the paper ready for binding
Make sure you repeat this step for the cover, In this case I have used a piece of white card for the cover.
you may want to turn the paper over and place awl back through each hole to make them a bit bigger but this is optional.
6. now you will need you needle and thread to sew the pages together,
don't tie a knot at the end of the thread
7. Starting from one of the middle holes, feed the needle from the inside of the folded pages and bring it so the needle is on the outside (as above), make sure you leave enough of a tail to be able to tie a knot when you are finished sewing.
8. feed the the thread into the next hole, from the outside going in) and then feed the needle back out through the next hole, so you have something that looks like the image above.
9. Now feed the needle through the hole that you have already placed the thread through, the needle needs to go from the outside through to the inside of the book. (as shown above) each hole will have the thread fed through twice.
Continue this with the other holes on the other end of the book.
You should now have something that looks like this on the outside.
10. Once you have finished you should now be left with 2 ends of thread (as shown above)
11. Take the 2 ends and tie a double knot, I normally try and tie the knot as close to hole as I can,
And there you have it a simple notebook using the saddle stitch method of bookbinding!!
Disclaimer - This tutorial is showing you how I personally bind a notebook using the saddle stitch method, there are many different tutorials available on the internet and in books that may or will show a different way of binding that what I have shown here. I am note saying that my way of binding is correct, just this is my preferred method of binding.
