Earlier this year, I decided to take on the task of making my first set of 33 handmade books x2. Up until then, I had never made more than 2 or 3 books of the same style and size. Usually, I make one off books; to use for myself or to give as gifts. Up until now, I have never sold my books to the public. And any custom orders I have received have been for one book only.

So, when I was given the opportunity to produce this project, I thought it would be a great way to experiment with how I would handle a large production order. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I did, of course, learn a few lessons on the way. And mistakes and remakes happened as well. Let me show you a little of my process.

Last winter, I was able to acquire a large stash of paper stock, from a 100 year old print shop that was closing. I used that stock and some items I had on hand, to produce two styles of journals and custom boxes. One journal was a handmade, 5 x 7 lined writing journal. The other, a 4 x 6 Wire-O bound sketchbook.

First up, the 5 x7 Handmade Writing Journal

I always like to make my signatures first. That way, I can ensure the covers are easy to size and fit properly. Each writing notebook included 6 signatures, with 5 pages per signature.The final journal size was 5 x 7. I used my grey, lined middle margin printable for the pages and used my short grain blank paper, as well. After printing, folding and pressing all 198 signature sets,  I encountered an issue with trimming and had to redo them all! So, now I have a large stock of mis-cuts for sample books, yay.

My favorite book binding is the French link. It was the first binding I learned and I love it's versatility. I wanted to incorporate leather into this book, but there wasn't a budget for all leather journals. So, I decided to use the leather as "tapes" to bind over. The cover material would be a light grey, leather pattern textured card stock. Black card stock was used for the first and last signature as a signature "wrapper." And I chose a dark, charcoal grey thread to keep a more streamlined look.

I printed a hand drawn pattern on each cover, using my Epson printer. The card stock with then cut with my Silhouette machine into the cover pattern shape. I used an envelope style pattern cover shape. Each cover was then scored, folded and labeled for binding. (Another lesson learned, label your covers if the design matches. Otherwise, your back may end up upside down and the book doesn't close properly.)  After each cover was bound, I re-enforced the cover with a chipboard sheet, cut to size and inserted before gluing the flaps closed. 

For the leather tapes, I used a small, charcoal grey pebble leather hide I sourced from Tandy Leather. I cut it into 1" strips and from there, into smaller tapes to bind and tuck into each cover. 

Once all the materials were assembled, it was time to start binding. I also pre-measured and cut all my thread to smooth out the production. Of course, this was the longest part of the process. But, once I had a rhythm, it went by quickly. I completed all the journals within about a two weeks or so. If you have any questions about anything discussed in any parts of the project, just leave a comment below. And if have not already, sign up for my email list, so you can be the first know when I post new projects to my blog.

Next post, I'll take you through the 4 x 6 Sketch Book process. (All Amazon links are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I due earn a small commission, but this does not effect your pricing.)

Happy Book Binding!