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Journals
Welcome to the wonderful world of journaling! i promise, if i can make one then you
can too. The following instructions will make a journal that is 5 3/4 x 4 1/2.
(View more journalshere)
Materials:
60 - 70lb. paper (i use 20 sheets per journal)
one sheet of white paper for the cover guide, cut to 5 3/4 x 9 1/2
decorative paper for end papers (I used scrapbook paper: you will need 2
papers that measure 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 each)
cardboard
o covers are 5 3/4 x 4 1/4 each
o spine is 5 3/4 x (width of pages; to be discussed later) fabric (1/2 wider than cover guide on all edges)
pencil
scissors
glue
wax paper
clothespins/paperclips
ruler
sewing needle
strong thread (you can buy bookmaking thread, or just use hand-quilting thread)
bone folder (*optional)
awl (*optional)
Part 1: Sewing the pages
1. Cut pages in half, leaving you with 40 - 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 papers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14325233@N00/sets/72157594240208257/http://www.flickr.com/photos/14325233@N00/sets/72157594240208257/http://www.flickr.com/photos/14325233@N00/sets/72157594240208257/8/7/2019 Cuaderno Hecho a Mano (tutorial en ingles)
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2. In groups of five, fold papers in half.
Each group becomes a signature.
3. When all the papers are folded, squeeze the signatures together at the fold. Measure
this width;
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You can now cut the spine cover at this width.
4. With a book this size, you will need 4 sewing holes. Mark a vertical line 1/2 in from
either end of the page, and then mark 1 1/2 from those lines.
5. Punch holes through the signatures where they have been marked.
6. Now comes the sewing. This is what you should have at this point:
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Write top on the top page to help keep your orientation of the signatures when
sewing. Thread up your needle, knot it 2 from the end, and here we go:
go into #1, come out #2, go into #3, come out #4. go down to #5, come out #6, go UP
into #7 (also hole #3), come out #8 (also hole #2), go DOWN into #9, and out #10. at
this point tie a knot with the string end that is hanging at #1.
*the blue lines indicate which sewing lines will be visible to you
go into #11, come out #12, go UP to #13, come out #14, go DOWN to #15, and come
out #16. string the thread through the loop that was created between #4 and #5, and
carry on as before.
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**remember: you are only ever working with 2 signatures at any time. Try and keep
the thread as taut as possible.
7. When you are finished sewing, you should have something like this:
.
8. Apply a layer of glue to the spine, wrap in wax paper, and clip in place with
paperclips/clothespins.
Allow this to dry for at least 1/2 hour.
Part 2: Making the book cover
* try to use a medium weight fabric such as cotton, as a heavyweight fabric will be
difficult to glue down and a lightweight fabric may show glue seeping through. youdont need to iron the fabric (see below).
1. lay out your covers, spine, and cover guide.
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when the covers are laid on top of the cover guide, there should be 1/8 space between
the covers.
if not, trim your cover guide.
2. glue the covers to the guide.
3. now glue the covers to the fabric, with the cover guide UP.
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pull the fabric taut underneath to stretch out any wrinkles.
4. glue down the corners.
5. glue down the edges of the fabric, trying to make precise corners.
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6. allow the cover to dry, pinning in place if necessary.
Part 3: assembling your book
1. with wax paper underneath, apply glue to your first page.
2. press it to the front cover, leaving a 1/8 margin on all 3 sides.
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.
3. repeat steps 1&2 for the last page. push the signatures back into the spine.
4. fold your endpapers in half.
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5. apply glue to the inside of the front cover, and the inside edge of the adjacent page.
smooth endpaper on top.
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Repeat for the last page.
6. with wax papers between covers and pages, place your book under a heavy weight
and allow to dry for at least 24 hours.
7. tada! admire your freshly made handbound book.
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