Hello! Wanting to do some sketching, but don't have a sketchbook to keep them all in? Well here's the project for you! The project doesn't take many supplies, and most of it you should be able to find from materials around the house. Follow along with this Instructable and you should be sketching in your new book in no time!

Supplies

A Few Sheets of Sketch Paper (or really, any white paper will do!)
One Sheet of Colored Paper (yellow if you want a yellow sketchbook!)
String or Twine
Some Needles
Binder Clips
Ruler
Pencil/Pens
Heavy Books (optional)

Step 1: Gather the Supplies!

I find it helpful to gather everything you need prior to starting the project. It's just nice to be organized before you start to make the process easier!

Again, here are those supplies:

A Few Sheets of Sketch Paper (or really, any white paper will do!)
One Sheet of Colored Paper (yellow if you want a yellow sketchbook!)
String or Twine
Some Needles
Binder Clips
Ruler
Pencil/Pens
Heavy Books (optional)

Step 2: Stack the Paper!

For this step, you will need the sketchbook paper, your colored paper, and some binder clips.

All you need to do is stack the sketchbook paper with the colored paper on top. Make sure that everything is squared off, and use the binder clips to hold everything in place. I used 8 sheets of sketchbook paper for this book. The pages are going to get folded in half later, so this will make a book of 16 double-sided pages. Also, it is important to note that the yellow page will become the cover, so make sure it looks nice!

I'd recommend using less than 10 sheets of paper for ease of stitching/folding, but it's up to you! Just remember that you can always make another book if you run out of space!

Step 3: Mark Stitching Locations!

For this step, you will need the stack of paper, a ruler, and a pencil.

Take the stack of paper, and flip it over so that the white pages are facing you. Divide the stack of paper in half vertically using the ruler. Each half will be the size of one page, so if you have a particular page size in mind, this is where you can customize it. My paper was roughly 9" x 12", so my sketchbook pages are about 9" x 6".

Once divided in half, you will want to mark the hole locations for stitching. Using the ruler again, measure out five holes, evenly spaced across the centerline.

Step 4: Start the Stitch!

For this step, you will need the stack of paper, string, and a needle

You won't need too much string to get the job done. I cut a length of 24" and it was plenty; but I would recommend going this route! It is much easier to tie off the stitch with excess string, plus you can always trim it up!

Thread the string through the eye of the needle. Pull it through a few inches, but don't tie off the string. The first hole you're going to go through is the center hole. Carefully poke the needle through, and pull the string until there's a few inches left. Do not pull all the way through! You'll need these few inches at the end to tie off the stitching!

Tip: It can be easier to pre-poke the holes for the stitching! If you're struggling, try pre-poking when you don't have to deal with the string.

Step 5: Stitch to the Top!

Nothing new is needed for this step, we're just going to keep on stitching!

After going through the center hole, move up one hole (in the photo, the second from the top) and go back through to the center of the book. Repeat this pattern again, but do the reverse. Move up one hole (in the photo, the top hole) and go through to the outside of the book. Remember to keep the stitch tight, but not so tight that the string is pulled through the center hole.

Step 6: Stitch to the Bottom!

Again, nothing new is needed for this step, we're just going to keep on stitching!

After going through the top hole, we are now going to start working down to the bottom. The pattern will stay the same, alternating between the outside and inside pages, but it can get confusing when the string starts to double up. Just take it slow, and remember the pattern! You'll get it, I promise!

From the top hole, move down one hole (in the photo, the second from the top) and go back through to the center of the book. Continue on moving down one hole (in the photo, the center hole) and go through to the outside of the book. Keep on going down, always one hole at a time (in this photo, the fourth hole from the top) and go through back to the inside of the book. Repeat the pattern one more time, and we get to the the bottom hole. Pull through to the outside, and you're ready for the next step!

Step 7: Stitch to the Center!

Again, nothing new is needed for this step, we're just going to keep on stitching!

After going through the bottom hole, we are now going to start working up to the middle. The pattern is still the same, alternating between the outside and inside pages, so by now you should be a pro!

From the bottom hole, move up one hole (in the photo, the fourth hole from the top) and go through to the center of the book. Move up one more time (in the photo, the center hole) and go through to the outside of the book. Make sure the string is tight between each hole, but be careful not to pull the few inches you left on the inside through to the other side!

Step 8: Tie a Knot!

Again, nothing new is needed for this step, we're just going to tie off our string!

With the stitching done, it is time to tie off the string! This step may be a little confusing, so if the words aren't making sense, refer to the images. When in doubt, follow the path of the string!

Start with all of the string left of the center line. Go underneath the stitch between holes 3 and 4 (the center hole and the fourth from the top) and pull to the right, but leave a loop on the left side. Next, bring the string back to the left side by going on top of holes 2 and 3 (the second hole from the top and the center hole). Lastly, pull the string underneath the loop you just made, and pull the knot tight!

Step 9: Tie Another Knot!

Again, nothing new is needed for this step, we're just going to tie another knot!

After the first knot is completed, pull the knot through from the outside to the inside. Tie another knot with the two ends of the string to make sure everything is tight. Once it is tied off, you can trim the extra string with some scissors.

Step 10: Fold the Paper!

Again, nothing new is needed for this step, because all the work is (almost) done!

The last step is fold the stack of paper in half along the stitch line. Make sure you crease the fold really well so the book will sit nicely! If you want to help work in the fold, you can use some heavy books to your advantage - just set the books on top of your new sketchbook, and the fold will set in place!

You're now officially done, and ready to start sketching! Hope you enjoy the new book!

Step 11: Bonus! Decorate the Cover!

If you want to make your sketchbook unique, you can decorate the cover and express your creativity! The sky is the limit, so there's no instruction from me here - just have fun and make something you think is cool!