The sketchbook is in book style (as in it is formed like a book and not spiraled). The making of this contains book binding and sewing.

Supplies

- Your choice of paper

- Your choice of fabric (preferably strong)

- Cardboard

- Needle

- Your choice of thread

- Hot glue gun and sticks

- Bar clamps

- something heavy

- Scissors

- Elastic band

Step 1: Pages

Take your paper and fold them in half. I made 25 of the folded paper giving me 50 sheets in the sketchbook but you can make as many as you want. I used 5.5 x 8.5 paper giving me a 4.25 x 5.5 sized sketchbook. You can also use whatever size paper you want just keep in mind that the size will be decreased by half since you are folding them in half.

Take the folded paper and stack them all together

Step 2:

Take the folded paper and stack them all together

Put the paper between something heavy (ex. A hardcover book) and clamp them together Draw lines directly down the folded side Take the needle and pre-poke holes in the paper where the dots are marked

Step 3: Sewing the Pages

Next thread the needle

Stick the needle through one of the end holes leaving about 3 inches of thread hanging out the end. Then sew in and out the other holes. Thread the needle into the next page, thread it back out the next hole then stick the needle under and over the exposed thread that is on the first page (it should look like a ‘x’). Continue sewing in and out until you get to the last hole in the second page. Tie the thread together then thread the next page and so on. Make sure you are going under and over the exposed thread on each of the new pages as you thread them together. After you sew through all your pages tie it off and stick the finished text block back in between something heavy (clamp them together like before). Take some glue or Modge Podge and coat the folded, sewed end of the text block.

Step 4: The Cover

After that is dry it is time to make the sketchbook cover. Add 1/4th of an inch to the original height of the text block and 1/8 of an inch to the original length.

Measure that out and cut 2 pieces of cardboard that size. On one of the cardboard, cut a small resting place for your elastic to go on the top and bottom. Cut through the cardboard so the elastic can go through to the back. Roll out your fabric and place the cardboard and text block and measure out how much fabric you will need ( Make sure you do not measure exactly only that amount of fabric. Leave a border of fabric around 2 inches thick) Also trace where your cardboard and text block will go. Cut out the fabric. Carefully hot glue the cardboard and text block to the fabric. Fold and hot glue the border of fabric left over, over the cardboard Cut the fabrick where the slit was cut, in the cardboard, where the elastic will go through. If you want, cut 2 squares of fabric to cover the inside of the cover to make it look nicer.

Step 5: Cover's Elastic and Decorate!

Measure how much elastic it will take to go around the whole sketchbook. Let it be snug but not to tight.

Stick the elastic through the slits and glue it in After you can glue the squares of fabric over the elastic if you chose to do so The last step is also optional. Decorate your sketchbook in any way you want. I chose to use ribbons and other add-ons to decorate.