The Binder's Bench

Choosing the Right Paper for Bookbinding: A Beginner's Guide

Not sure which paper to use?Start here. This simple guide walks you through the essentials — plus a free printable swatch sheet to keep by your workbench.

Why We Make Books By Hand (& Why We Think It Matters)

Bookbinding isn't fast work - not the way we do it, anyway! It's slow, steady and hands -on.  When we say our books are 'handcrafted', we don't just mean they've been assembled by hand. We mean tha...

Make 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 cre...

5 Signs You’re Ready to Make Your First Book

You might be more ready than you think. If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to try bookbinding, but…” — you’re not alone.Maybe you’re waiting for the right time. Maybe you’re wondering if you’re skil...

Now Open: Learn to Bind Books by Hand (From Home)

Beginner’s Bookbinding Blueprint — Now OpenLearn to bind your own hard cover book, step by step.Final intake for 2025 closes Friday 30 August at 8pm AEST. → [Join the Course]

What You’ll Learn Inside the Free Bookbinding Masterclass

The Invitation Before the Invitation There’s something exciting about learning a new craft — especially when it’s the kind of thing that feels just out of reach. If you’ve ever looked at a beautifu...

New Dates Announced: 2026 Bookbinding Workshop Series

New dates are here for our 2026 in-person bookbinding workshops — held in our Bendigo studio with just five spots per class. Learn traditional hand-sewn binding in a warm, hands-on setting.

Starting Out in Bookbinding: A Few Lessons

I started bookbinding by accident — helping out at my dad’s bindery while recovering from a back injury. I watched, followed along, and slowly found my way. Here are a few things I wish I’d known b...

Why Learn Bookbinding (Especially Now)

There’s something about mid-year that makes you want to slow down and make something with your hands. If you’ve been feeling the pull, this is your sign to begin. In this post, we share what bookbi...

How it All Started

Before there was a bookbindery, there was a table in the lounge room… and a small idea. This is the story of how SB Libris came to be — a journey shaped by craft, family, and a love of beautiful bo...