A lot of tactical hobbies have become popular lately (I think we’re all trying to get off our phones), including bookbinding.
I follow a few social media accounts that discuss books (mostly about reading), and that’s where I initially saw people binding their own books!
Admittedly, I didn’t understand why someone would want to do this (I know I probably sound so lame saying that). One thing I’ve realized about myself in the last few years is that I struggle to find value in doing things just for fun.
Without realizing it, I became someone focused on productivity! I blame it on being a Millennial and having to work multiple jobs to get by, but it could also be part of my personality.
As a result, I’m focusing less on being productive this year and more on doing things just for fun… enter: the bookbinding class! Before I signed up, I even asked the staff member at WNY Book Arts WHY someone would want to bind their own books?!
Ha! It just seems like so much work?! But she said people like to bind journals for gifts or bind their own scrapbooks. I love both of those ideas! Of course, I’d also seen people put new covers on books they loved.
Anyway, I decided to register for a class, and first I had to decide which one, as there are several types of bookbinding. There’s softcover, saddle-stitching, coil-binding, coptic stitch, and stab binding, among others!
I picked hardcover case binding since it’s suitable for beginners, and I’m familiar with that style.
The class was two 2.5-hour sessions. We started by making our covers, which were made of cardboard covered with wallpaper. Then, we selected the type of paper we wanted (we were making journals) and stitched bundles of paper together. The type of paper and thread you use makes a big difference!
Finally, we glued the stitched bundles into our covers. While we worked, our instructor shared a lot about the history of binding and the various types. She’d been binding for years and had all sorts of personal examples to show us; you could tell she really loved doing it!
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I thought it was difficult! I’ll admit that although I looked forward to the classes, I was going through some pretty heavy personal stress at the time, so the classes sometimes felt overwhelming.
But, in the end, we all made journals, and it was cool to see everyone’s finished products.
I’m curious whether you’ve tried bookbinding and, if so, what kind?
I really liked the look of the Coptic stitch binding and might try that at some point 🙂
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