Notebooks: Materials & Tools
Paper and thread and all the loveliness that is handmade notebook materials!
Seek to Make is an exploration of creativity and making. Each month, I share a monthly theme around making, showcase inspiring makers, share tips, tools and encouragement. Together let's get curious and immerse ourselves in the art of making!
OCTOBER: NOTEBOOKS
Hello makers,
Today we are taking a look at some of the tools and materials you can use to make notebooks. And it can be as simple as a single sheet of paper, or as interesting as egg cartons, flooring samples and sticks! You could even use a sewing machine to make a notebook (I’m definitely trying that out). So, let’s break it down.
Paper
Notebooks usually are made from paper, but there is a crazy whole world of possibilities for what type of paper you can get (or make)! If you want to have a go at making your own paper I can highly recommend it. Super fun and lots of ways to personalise it with adding in special things like leaves, flowers, thread scraps etc. You can even make paper out of egg cartons and denim jeans!! This challenge doesn’t come with any tutorials but if you jump on google you will easily find videos on how to make your own paper.
But don’t worry if you don’t have time to make your own paper. You can use printer paper, special paper from an art store, paper bags, or go thrifting and find all sorts of stationary very inexpensively.
Covers
Again, pretty much endless possibilities here! But maybe think about how you intend to use your notebook and that may dictate what sort of cover you might like. But it is so much fun to be open to new materials and ideas. Here are a few:
Use old book covers
Get creative with embroidery or thread
Use old maps
Use fabric or scraps (I made a quilted patchwork diary cover once!)
Collage
Flooring samples
Pressed leaves and flowers
Sticks
Paint
Cardboard
Wallpaper
Clockwise from top left: thehousethatlarsbuilt.com, bayareabookartists.org, sheknows.com, thetravellingbookbinder.com, sparklesofsunshine.com, makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com
Binding
How you want to bind your notebook will depend on a few things, such as how much time you want to spend on it, or how you want your notebook to look or lay. Here are a few of the main binding methods and the tools you will need:
1. Saddle Stitch Binding
In this method the pages are folded in half and stapled or sewn along the fold. I’m going to have a go using my sewing machine to make a simple little notebook.
2. Perfect Binding
This is where the pages are glued together at the spine and attached to a cover, creating a smooth, flat edge.
3. Coptic Stitch Binding
I first learnt this method at a craft workshop last year and fell in love with it. Coptic stitch is a decorative binding where the stitches are visible on the spine, allowing the book to lay flat when open.
4. Japanese Stab Binding
I’m a huge fan of the overall look of this method but am yet to try it. Japanese stab binding has the pages stacked together and they are then sewn with a decorative stitch along the spine edge.
5. Case Binding
This is a more traditional bookbinding method and involves sewing the pages together in sections and then glueing them to a hard cover (I made that sound super quick and easy, I’m sure it’s probably not!)
Tools & Materials:
Note that it depends on which binding method you use as to what tools you will need from this list.
Paper for pages
Cover
Needle and thread (waxed thread is commonly used)
Bone folder (for crisp folds)
PVA glue
Brush for glue
Ruler and pencil (for marking stitch holes)
Awl (for piercing holes)
Book press or heavy weights
I hope that helps and let me know below if you have any tools or materials you are finding fun to make a notebook with!
Happy making,
Esta
I love the look of the Coptic Stitch binding and the Japanese Stab binding. They make the notebooks look so special. There are some great ideas in this article to get started.