From Fabric to Tome: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Book Cloth

With the recent launch of our online course, The Beginner’s Bookbinding Blueprint we have been talking a lot about bookbinding materials. In our beginner’s course (both online and in person) we create a half bound cloth binding. This style of binding has a hardcover, with a cloth spine and decorative papers on the sides of the cover. The spine material used in this binding is ‘bookcloth’ or can be ‘buckram’. To the beginner, this may be an unfamiliar material and can be something perceived to be really hard to find.

So what is book cloth?

Buckram, muslin, canvas and linen are all used for various purposes in bookbinding. Book cloth is a specially designed fabric used in bookbinding to cover and protect the exterior of a book. It’s usually made from cotton, linen, or a blend of both, and is often starched and coated with an acrylic or vinyl material to provide durability and resistance to wear and tear. A good book cloth should not stretch easily, should be reasonably resistant to water, and have a fairly tight weave to prevent adhesives from seeping through. Obviously if you just do a Google search for ‘book cloth’ or ‘buckram’ you will find there is a vast array of options for purchasing ‘ready-made’ book cloth, but if you are interested in really unleashing your creativity, you’ll be pleased to know that it is possible with a little trial and error, to make your own!

DIY bookcloth

There are actually several ways to make your own book cloth. Which one you choose will ultimately depend on how you want to use your book and the result you would like to achieve. Read on below for a few options, with the pros and cons of each method.

IRON - ON BOOKCLOTH

We’re starting with the easiest one! You only require a few basic items to complete this.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Fabric (a cotton or linen fabric works best)

• Iron-on adhesive (like Heat n’ Bond Ultrahold)

• Tissue paper or Japanese rice paper

• Baking paper

• Iron.

STEP 1:

Place your fabric, face down, on your cutting mat and cover with a matching amount of iron-on adhesive (eg. Heat n’ Bond Ultrahold - available from Spotlight or similar stores) and cut the amount required.

STEP 2:

Use an iron to adhere the iron- on adhesive to the back side of your fabric (follow the instructions on your chosen product for this step).

STEP 3:

Allow your fabric and adhesive to cool and remove the protective backing from the adhesive. Place your tissue paper over the adhesive and usse your baking paper to protect the tissue from direct contact with the iron. Iron the tissue onto the adhesive. The heat from the iron will activate the adhesive, while the baking paper will stop the tissue from burning.

Finally, complete your bookcloth by trimming the edges to ensure that both the fabric and tissue lining are fused together.

PROS: Mess free, only a few steps, quick to do

CONS: Fabric won’t be water resistant, Fabric can mark, easily - (ie. not ideal for recipe books!), fabric can not be hot foiled or embossed.

PASTED BOOKCLOTH

This is almost identical to the previous method with the main difference being using a paste to adhere the fabric to the backing tissue.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Fabric (a cotton or linen fabric works best)

• A batch of paste (Click here for how to make your own Wheat Paste)

• Tissue paper or Japanese rice paper

STEP 1:

Cut your fabric and tissue paper to the required size.

STEP 2:

Place your fabric face down on a hard surface such as your bench or a piece of stone if you have one. Next you are going to paste one side of the tissue.

STEP 3:

Apply a thin layer of paste to one side of your tissue. Gently lift the paper (it will want to curl so lift both edges at the same time) and place the pasted side of the tissue onto the back of your fabric.

STEP 4:

Use your hand or a rolling pin to smooth down the paper on the fabric. You need to press or roll out any air bubbles but you should try to avoid pressing the paste through the fibres of the fabric.

STEP 5:

Leave your book cloth to dry overnight. Trim the edges. It is now ready to use.

PROS: Very inexpensive, Easy to make, Not time consuming (excluding drying time)

CONS: Can be messy, Fabric won’t be water resistant, Fabric can mark, easily - (ie. not ideal for recipe books!), fabric can not be hot foiled or embossed.

COATED BOOKCLOTH

The final method we’ll explore in this post is for a ‘coated’ or ’filled’ book cloth. Again there are several methods to do this using slightly different ingredients. This is the most complex of the three but the result is the most like the book cloth that we would use in the bindery on a regular basis.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Fabric (this method requires a tightly woven cotton or linen)

• Acrylic medium (available in art supplies shops like Zart Art)

• Starch Paste (The bindery one is from the UK - but I used this Silver Star one that is easy to find)

• A piece of stone, glass or heavy plastic

• Paste Brush or Mini Paint Roller

Acrylic medium, Cotton Fabric, Silver Star Starch

STEP 1:

Cut your fabric so that you have enough for your book cover - make sure you allow extra for turning the fabric over the cover boards, plus about an extra 2cm on one short edge.

STEP 2:

Make some starch paste by mixing a tablespoon of starch powder with about 4 - 5 tablespoons of water & microwave for 20 seconds. Whisk while warm to get rid of lumps.

STEP 3:

In a small dish or bowl, mix the starch paste with the acrylic medium in a ratio of 1:1. How much you mix will depend on how much fabric you want to coat/fill. For one small book approximately 50ml of each (100ml) adhesive in total is more than enough.

STEP 4:

Lay your fabric on the stone/glass/plastic. Coat the entire side (excluding the extra 2cm on the top edge- I taped my edge) with a thin but even layer of the adhesive mixture. Use brush strokes from the top to bottom, slightly overlapping each stroke to ensure no gaps.

STEP 4:

Turn the fabric over and repeat step 3 on the other side,(again excluding the top 2cm on the same top edge) ensuring no gaps.

STEP 5:

Depending on the temperature/humidity and if you are using air conditioning, the book cloth will completely dry overnight. My preferred method for drying is to leave it on the piece of stone until just tacky but not completely dry, then peel off the stone and peg the top edge that you didn’t apply glue to on a drying rack (or clothes line) so that both ‘filled’ sides are not touching anything. To finish trim off the ‘peg edge’ as this hasn’t been treated and you’re ready to use your book cloth.

The end result was a stiffened fabric with a slight but not too obvious coating. The fabric was slightly darker than the original uncoated fabric, but was definitely more resistant to marks. In addition, a huge bonus was that the fabric was able to be embossed with names or decorative elements.

PROS: Protects the fabric with a coating, somewhat water resisant, wipeable, most fabrics treated this way will tolerate hot foiling/ embossing, Gives you huge variety of colour/pattern options

CONS: More expensive than other methods mentioned, Takes a bit or trial and error, Messier than the other methods, Slightly more time consuming

Find Your Style: A Guide to Different Bookbinding Styles

If you're someone like me, who appreciates the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating a beautiful book, then you've come to the right place. Whether you're a book lover, an aspiring bookbinder, or simply intrigued about the various styles of book binding, I want to ignite your passion for bookbinding and maybe even convince you to give it a try!

Within the world of bookbinding, there is no shortage of styles to discover and appreciate. Each style has its own unique characteristics, offering a blend of tradition, innovation, and personal expression. If you are an aspiring bookbinder, there is likely a particular style of bookbinding that captivates you the most.

Bookbinding is a fabulous way to unleash your creativity, and crafting your own book is not only REALLY satisfying, but once you have done it a few times, it can be a a mindful exercise that is relaxing too. To help you uncover ‘the style’ that you are most drawn to, I’ve listed five different styles of bookbinding from the most basic, to those that are slightly more complex.

1. perfect binding

   Perfect binding is a popular method of bookbinding that provides a clean and professional finish. The pages of the book are gathered together and glued along the spine, creating a sturdy and durable binding. This type of binding allows the book to lay flat when opened, making it a convenient choice for reading and referencing. It is the standard binding technique for modern paperbacks.

2. concertina binding

The concertina style of bookbinding is characterized by folding a long strip of paper back and forth in accordion-like pleats. It creates a continuous structure that can be unfolded to reveal the entire content of the book in one long strip, or folded for compact storage. This versatile style allows for unique artistic designs and innovative storytelling, making it a popular choice for artists and hobbyist bookmakers.

Want to try this yourself? Click here to get the FREE step by step guide

3. stab binding (also known as japanese binding)

A traditional bookbinding technique that originated in Japan. It involves sewing the pages together along the spine using a series of evenly spaced holes punched through each page. The result is a visually stunning and functional binding that basically consists of 4 holes with the thread wrapping each time around the spine and also at the top and bottom. This style of binding allows the book to lay flat when opened, perfect for showcasing intricate artwork or calligraphy.

4. Coptic binding

Coptic binding is a traditional bookbinding technique that originated in early Christian Egypt. It is characterized by its distinct exposed sewing on the spine, creating a visually striking pattern. The binding allows the book to open completely flat, making it ideal for sketchbooks, journals, or any book that requires easy accessibility and durability.

Image Source: Shutterstock

5. traditional section sewn binding

Traditional section sewn binding is the method of assembling a book where folded sheets of paper, known as signatures, are hand stitched together with thread. This technique ensures durability and allows the books to lay flat whn open, providing a high-quality, artisanal feel. Each signature is sew to the next, creating a strong, flexible spine that can endure years of handling - think large, vintage leather bound volumes.

This style of binding is ideal for precious works and limited editions as it lends itself to becoming a precious heirloom.

We run workshops teaching section sewn, hard cover binding to benginner’s. Click the link to join our mailing list if you want to know when our workshops are scheduled! You’ll also receive a FREE guide to making a Concertina Binding like the one pictured above(No.2)

Have you found your favourite bookbinding style? Let me know in the comments below!

Crafting a Full Leather Journal

There's handcrafted and there is truly handcrafted. 

This term can be used loosely and I often find that products that are labelled as handcrafted will have only 'just' come into contact with hands ... But when we say that we craft our books by hand, we mean just that.  Every individual book is crafted by hand, from the pared leather and raised bands to gluing the boards.  It is a fairly time consuming and labour intensive process, but for us it is a labour of love.  Each book is individual, not machine replicated, and it is this care and attention to detail which guarantees the longevity of our books.  

People often put their head into our View Street bindery and ask questions about the process of binding a book.  So to give you a bit of an idea, here are a few pictures showing some of the steps involved in 'hand' crafting the cover of one of our full leather journals.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions at the bottom of the post.

Cheers,

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To learn more about the craft of bookbinding, come and do a Beginner's Workshop and have a go at making your own hard covered book.  Further details can be found here.

Book Care - Part 1: New Leather

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from customers is how they should handle & care for their books.  From deluxe bindings to freshly restored family bibles, people want to make sure their precious books stand the test of time and can be handed down from generation to generation. 

There are some basic care guidelines for books that should be followed regardless of the binding material or age of the book in question.   However, there are further things to consider that are only relevant to books bound using particular materials or books of a certain age and condition.  With this in mind, I decided to split the Caring for Your Book post into 3 parts;

• Part 1: New Leather Books
• Part 2: Aged/Antique Leather Books
• Part 3: Non Leather Books

In this first part of our three part blog series we will look at care of new leather bindings.  The great thing about new leather is that there are many things you can do to help protect and preserve its pristine condition without worrying about existing problems.

The main things to consider when caring for your books are housing, environment, nourishment and handling.

Housing: Books can be kept in a variety of ways to help preserve their binding.  The most simple housing of course is on a bookshelf, this should be in an area that is not exposed to extremes of temperature ie. not in close proximity to heating or cooling vents.  Store books upright (not leaning) with spines facing out, or lying flat on the shelf. A door on the bookshelf can help to protect from dust and other air born elements that can deteriorate the binding.  For very precious bindings such as deluxe editions, archival solutions such as slip cases or clam-shell boxes made from acid free materials are ideal to keep your book protected from elements that can cause deterioration.

Environment: Keep books in a moisture free environment to avoid cockled pages, and out of direct sunlight which can cause the leather to dry out, crack or fade. As leather is a natural material it will be affected by extremes of temperature.  In short, keep your books somewhere where the temperature is kept fairly stable (room temperature or below)

Nourishment: There is fierce debate regarding the ongoing use of leather dressings. Common practise is to apply dressing to leather books to preserve the leather and retain strength and flexibility of the binding.  Without getting too detailed about the debate, the bottom line is that dressing has not been found to have a preservative effect but most agree that if done correctly it does provide an immediate improvement in the feel and look of the leather and can improve the flexibility of the spine and book hinge if the book gets regular use.   For a new binding, we recommend a light dressing applied once every 1 to 2 years only.  We use a neatsfoot oil and lanolin dressing in a mix of 60/40.  You can make this yourself or purchase something similar from Shepherds, Hewitts or other reputable bookbinding suppliers.

Handling: Handle books with clean, dry hands that are free of any oils or moisturisers that could penetrate the leather.  This is probably stating the obvious, but you should use the book in an area that is clean and dry also.  When removing books from the shelf or slipcase, grip the middle of the spine where the book is strongest (not pulling down from the top). Many slipcases and boxes have a ribbon that allows you to gently lift the book from its housing so that you can easily grip the spine to remove. Make sure you correctly place the ribbon for this purpose before putting the book back.

Following these guidelines will ensure that your precious books will remain in great condition.  Books are meant to be read and used, so if you are not planning on keeping your book untouched in its housing, over time some wear or damage can occur.  By getting any damage attended to quickly you will prevent further and sometimes irreparable damage from occurring. Visit our restoration page for details if you have a book in need of repair.

Want further information?  Please add you comments or questions below or you can submit an online form here.

Hope this answers some questions.  Stay tuned for the next two parts to this blog in the coming weeks.

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