How to bind/make your own book, journal, etc. from scratch.

Step 1: Get Started

You will need the following materials to make your own book: 1.) Stack of average-sized paper 2.) Needle and thread 3.) Glue 4.) Narrow piece of ribbon for bookmark 5.) Piece of canvas 6.) Chipboard 7.) Fabric for the cover 8.) Sheet of decorative paper or card stock the same size as your other paper. First, fold each of the sheets in half. Then, gather them into signatures of 4-6 sheets each.

Step 2: Sewing

First, make an appropriate amount of holes on the spines of each of the signatures (usually about 4), equally spaced. Then, grab a needle and lots of thread and begin sewing from the OUTSIDE in. Then, when you reach the end, gradually keep adding signatures and see them together from the previous one. Once they've all been sewn together, tie the strings at the end together as we'll.

Step 3: Glueing

Next, glue the spine and above the strings. If desired, you can add a bookmark by simply glueing the ribbon onto the top of the spine at this time. Of course, you will want to make it long enough to surpass the length of the spine.

Step 4: Add Structure

Take a piece of canvas that is about an inch shorter than the spine and about 1 1/2 in. wider than he width of he spine, center it, and glue it to the spine. This will help structure the space in between the paper and the cover.

Step 5: To Create a Cover...

Grab some chipboard and measure the length and width of your pages and the spine. You want to cut the chipboard so that it is just slightly larger than the paper. You should have three pieces: front and back cover, and spine. Glue this onto the fabric, leaving a quarter of an inch in between each piece, and about an inch around the borders. Then glue the borders over onto the chipboard as well. Let dry.

Step 6: Put It All Together...

Now take the book and put glue on the canvas at the bottom of the spine and glue this onto the center of the cover you just made. Now the paper is centered and glued to the spine. Next, take the two decorative sheets of paper or card stock, spray on some adhesive and stick it o the inside cover. Do this to the backside as well. Let dry.