The Rabbit Hole of Binding Books!

 

I have fallen down the rabbit hole of binding books!  I love it and want only to make books!  

 

I recently (last night) gifted two books to friends as part of that Handmade 2013 Challenge that was floating around on Facebook.  I used an old book cover…

 

 

…and I bound it using a Coptic stitch.  I love the Coptic stitch because not only is it pretty, but it allows the book to lie flat when it’s open.  

 

 

And I used found papers.  It totally, as one of my friends pointed out to me last night, justifies my hoarding tendencies because I had so many to choose from.  No, the book isn’t upside down here, Pinocchio’s picture is.

 

 

I added a wine bag to act as a pocket on one page and a pull out on the other.  These books are great for taking notes or doodling pictures.

 

Their variety is intended to be inspiring for either pursuit.

 

Here’s the other book.  I used Bingo cards as covers.

 

 

This pretty paper that was really hard not to rip when I was binding the book.  I don’t know if I’ll use it again.

 

 

The pages I made from old books are mostly from books that were bound for the recycling bin, so I like to think I gave them one last gasp of life.

 

 

 

The folded page is a little tuck in pocket.  I just folded over the paper and taped it at the bottom.

 

 

I’ve given myself a “One Book a Day” goal since I’ll be teaching this as a class in January.  It’s an easy goal to reach because they are so satisfying to make.  I’ll stop, I guess, when I feel like I’ve got it down.  Or I run out of paper – Hahahahahaha…never gonna happen.