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5 Ways to Bind a Book - wikiHow

How to Bind a Book

Five Methods:

Starting Your Book

Adding a Cover to Your Book

Binding Your Book with Adhesive

Binding Your Book with Thread

Repairing and Reinforcing Books

Want to start a scrapbook, nature journal, or diary? You can, of course, buy a
suitable book at the store, but if you really want to make it your own perhaps it's
time to rediscover the not-quite-lost art of bookbinding. There are many ways to
bind a book, from stapling to taping to sewing, and the method you choose
should depend on the book you're binding and the time and skills you have. This
article will teach you how to glue or sew a high quality binding that you can use
for books of any size, whether you're making your own or repairing your favorite
novel.
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Method 1 of 5: Starting Your Book

Choose your paper. To create your own book, you can choose to use any paper you
would like. Regular 8 x 11 printer paper can be used, as can any variety of

handmade papers or cardstock. Make sure that you have enough pages prepared to fill
your whole book, around 50-100 sheets. You will be folding each sheet in half, so your total
number of pages will be double the number of sheets you use.
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Create your signatures. A signature is a grouping of pages that are folded together.
Each signature should consist of 5-8 sheets of paper folded directly down the center

together. Use a bone folder for the cleanest crease and a ruler to make sure you have the
fold centered down the direct middle of the signature. Your book will contain several
signatures, so make as many as are necessary to use all your paper.

Gather your signatures. Pick up all your signatures together, and tap them into
place against a hard, smooth surface so that they are level. Make sure that all the

pages are lined up and even along the spine; your signatures should all be facing the same
direction.

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Method 2 of 5: Binding Your Book with Adhesive

Place your signatures on a textbook. The goal is to raise the signatures above the
level of your table so that they are easier to glue. You can also use a wooden block or

other thick, sturdy material if a textbook is not available. Place your signatures so that of
an inch overhangs the spine of the textbook underneath; be careful not to bump the
signatures so that they fall out of line.

Place weights on top of the signatures. To keep the pages from moving around,
add several more textbooks or other heavy, flat items on top of your signatures. This

will also help to provide a sturdy spine for the glue. Again, be careful not to move the pieces
around too much or bump them out of alignment.

Add your glue. Use Jade bookbinders glue to stick your pages together. Using other
glues such as regular white school glue, hot glue, super glue, or rubber cement wont

allow your pages much flexibility and will crack over time. Use a regular paintbrush to apply
a coat of the glue to the entire spine, being careful not to get any on either the front or back
pages. Wait 15 minutes, and then add another coat of glue. You will need to add 5 layers of
glue total, with a period of waiting in between each.

Add headband tape. This is a flexible fabric-like tape used for binding books that
goes on both the top and the bottom of the spine. It adds extra reinforcement, and

prevents the back of the spine from being pulled away from the signatures. Cut a small
piece (shorter than inch) and attach it to the top and bottom of your signatures near the
spine.[1]

Method 3 of 5: Binding Your Book with Thread

Create your holes in the signatures. Take each signature and open it so that you
can see the center fold of the group of papers. Use an awl to punch holes down the

side, or use an embroidery needle with the eye stuck in a cork if you dont have an awl.
Make your first hole directly along the crease in the exact center of the fold. Then measure
2 inches up and down from this hole to make your other two points (making a total of three
holes).

Sew each signature. Cut a piece of wax thread to a length of about 2.5 feet (0.8 m),
and thread your bookbinding needle. Insert the needle and thread through the center

hole, coming from behind. Leave a few inches of the string on the outside so that you can
tie a knot with it later.
Thread the needle through the bottom hole, so that the thread is on the outside of
the book. Pull this thread tight.
Re-enter the thread through the topmost hole from the back. Then take the thread
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and pull it through the center hole, this time coming from the inside of the paper.
Then tie the excess thread in the back in a secure knot and cut any extra string.

Sew the signatures together. Use one foot of thread for each signature you intend
to sew. Start by sewing two signatures together first, and then add on additional

signatures once the first two are combined. Line up two signatures together, and insert the
needle through the outside of the top hole of one of the signatures. Have a knot tied with a
few inches of space on the end, to keep the thread from sliding through.
When you pull the thread through the top hole, thread it from the inside into the
center hole. When you pull the thread through, insert it into the second hold of the
second signature.
Take the thread from the second hole on the inside of the second signature, and
insert it it into the third hole. Pull the thread through so that it is on the outside of the
third hole on the second signature.
Add additional signatures by take the thread from the third hole of the second
signature, and inserting it into the third hole of a third signature. use the same
process to work your way back up the spine of the third signature.
When you finish adding signatures, tie the end of your sewing thread with the tail
end of the first knot, and cut off the excess string.

Add a bit of glue for extra strength. When youve sewn all your signatures together,
use a bit of glue to make sure that they wont fall apart along the spine. Brush on any

glue (ideally bookbinding glue) along the length of the spine. Place several heavy textbooks
over the top of the book to keep them in place while the glue dries.[2]

Method 4 of 5: Adding a Cover to Your Book

Measure your cover board. You can use cardboard for a soft cover, or book
binding board for a sturdier cover. Place your signatures over the board and draw

around the shape. Then, add an extra to the height and width of the cover. Cut out this
piece and use it to create the template for the back cover of your book.

Measure your book spine. Hold a ruler up to the spine of your signature and
measure the width of the paper stack. Then use this measurement along with the total

height of the papers to cut out a long, thin strip of cardboard to use as the spine.

Cut your fabric. You can use any cotton based non-stretch fabric you would like. Lay
out your two covers and spine on top of the fabric. Space each piece so that they are

apart. Then measure around the three pieces, adding 1 extra in every direction. Cut out
this single piece of fabric.
At the corners of your fabric, cut a small acute triangle with a point that lines up with
the corner of your cover board. This will allow you to fold the fabric in without
making creases in the corners.
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Glue your fabric to your boards. Place your boards back in their original position
over the fabric, with the spine centered and each piece set of an inch away from

each other. Completely coat the front of the board with glue (preferably bookbinding glue,
but any kind will work) and stick it to the fabric. Then, fold the excess fabric over the edges
of the board and use glue to stick them on the inside.

Attach your signatures to the cover. Place your book of signatures inside the
cover you have just created to verify that it fits. Then, place a piece of scratch paper

under the first page of the first signature. Cover the outside of this page in glue, and then
press down the cover of the book to attach it to the cover page. Remove the scratch paper.
Open to the new first page of the book, and use your bone folder to rub the cover
page you just glued to the cover. Make sure that it is completely attached with no
air bubbles.
Repeat this process again for the last page in your book and the back cover.

Wait for your book to dry. Place several heavy books or flat objects on top of your
completed book. Allow it to sit for 1-2 days to completely dry and compress all the

pages. After you have waited long enough, enjoy your new book! [3]

Method 5 of 5: Repairing and Reinforcing Books

Fix a loose hinge. If the spine of your book is loose along one or both of the hinges,
use this quick fix to have it back in perfect condition. Coat a long knitting needle in

binding glue and slide it down the spine of the book along the loose hinge. Turn the book
around and do the same on the other side. Place the book under a heavy weight for several
hours to dry the hinge in place.

Reinforce a hinge. If one of the spine's hinges has come undone from the textblock
of the book, use glue and a bit of tape it to put it back in place. Brush glue along the

exposed hinge and on the corner of the textblock. Put the cover back in place and use a
weight to hold it till it dries.
For extra reinforcement, use a strip of binding tape (or duct tape if you don't care
so much about the appearance) along the corner of the hinge on the inside cover
and the flyleaf page.
Use a bone folder to crease the tape along the length of the hinge and secure it in
place.

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Replace a broken spine. If your covers/hinge are intact with the textblock of the
book, you can replace a broken spine without removing the entire cover. Use scissors
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to cut out the spine without cutting along the hinge. Then, cut a new piece of board to fit the
spine (use the old spine for measurement). Use two long pieces of binding tape the length
of the book to secure the spine to the two covers.
If you want, you can cover the board in a matching fabric before sticking it to the
covers.
If you don't have binding tape and don't mind appearances, duct tape or a sturdy
packing tape can be substituted to hold the spine in place. Binding tape is
especially useful though, because it comes with special corners that fit perfectly
around the top and bottom edges of the spine.

Fix a paperback cover. If the cover of one of your paperback books has come off,
brush glue along the entire spine of the textblock and put the cover back in place. Put

several heavy weights on the book and allow time to dry.

Replace a broken hard cover. If the hard cover of your book is salvageable, use the
directions above for creating a hard cover from scratch to replace your book cover.

You can also choose to buy a new or used hard cover book in good condition and of the
same size, cut off the cover, and use it for your book.[4]

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Tips
You may want to use different colors to mark the edges of the
signatures, so you won't be confused about where to punch the holes.
You'll need a lot of thread in order to sew all of the signatures. But you
can always knot two pieces together, if you don't want to pull a huge
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amount of thread through each and every hole.

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Things You'll Need

Bookbinding needle or other suitable needle
Bookbinding thread or other waxed thread
Cover boards
Glue (usually PVA glue or wheat paste)
Ruler
Binding tape
Bone Folder
Cover Fabric

Sources and Citations

1. http://www.marthastewart.com/270344/how-to-bind-a-book
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec3ebU2r7RU
3. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/old-paperbacks-to-custom-hardb124005
4. http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/acq/bkrpr.pdf

Article Info

Categories: Featured Articles | Organizing and Caring for Books | Making Books
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