I made a bunch to sell on DoA and etsy, though some aren’t completely finished yet and are lacking endpapers. I think they’re all roughly 1.5″ x 2″, with one of them being a little more square, about 1.5″ x 1.5″.

Ready-to-print bound books for BJDs!

The Raven Part 1
The Raven Part 2
The Raven Part 3

This printout makes two copies of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Each page creates two identical four-page signatures.

Instructions:

1. Print out Raven_01.

2. Flip the paper over and print out Raven_01 again. You should have a two-sided page with the same thing on each side.

3. Repeat for Raven_02 and Raven_03, creating double-sided pages for each.

4. Trim pages according to the crop marks.

5. Fold pages according to the fold marks.

6. Collate the signatures.

7. Sew signatures together.

I’ve tested this style of bookbinding a few times and each book has come out better than the last. This method is a little more complicated than my other tutorial, Glue (aka Perfect) Bound Books. It requires a few more supplies that may be harder to come by. Let’s get started!

+ + +
Supplies

1. Paper for the pages: I recommend using a nicer grade of paper (24 lb. or more), like resume paper which can be found at most stationary stores and chain office supply stores. I wouldn’t use regular (20 lb.) copy paper, it doesn’t hold up to the sewing very well and tends to tear easily. Resume paper is usually acid-free as well.

2. Cardboard for the cover: Any kind of cardboard will do, as long as it’s not corrugated. If the cardboard is rather thin, just glue two sheets together. Cardboard from the back of sketchbooks is pretty nice, but I actually like to use scrap mat board. I get the scraps from my local photo/framing store for free, since I only need little pieces. I prefer the mat board because it’s archival (acid-free).

3. Glue: I usually use a type of glue called PVA (polyvinyl acetate). It sounds fancy, but any store that carries scrapbooking supplies should have it. It’s acid-free, and unlike Elmer’s it doesn’t dry hard, but remains flexible and is very strong. The key part is that it remains flexible after it has dried, but if you find another glue with the same properties that’s fine to use too (I believe Aleene’s Tacky Glue dries flexible).

4. Decorative paper and cloth for the cover: I like to use cloth for the spine of the book as it holds up much better than paper. Most cloth or fabric will work as long as it’s not too thick (denim or regular leather) or too sheer (silks and gauze). Nothing stretchy either. You can either cover the whole book in cloth, or just the spine in cloth and the covers in a decorative paper. A lot of stationary and craft store carry decorative paper, and you only need a teeny bit. Fancy wrapping paper, brown paper bags, nice packaging…paper is everywhere! I get cheap bars of soap in Chinatown that have the nicest wrapper with a cherry blossom print.

5. Thread for the binding: Through trial and error I’ve found that thread for stringing pearls works the best for miniature binding. It’s very strong, and very smooth so the sewing process is very easy (no beeswax required). I’ve tried regular cotton/poly thread meant for sewing, but that broke too easily. I also tried an artificial sinew thread meant for leather crafts, and although the results looked a little sloppy, it held up well and was easy to sew. I found both the pearl stringing thread and artificial sinew at Michael’s.

6. Muslin, cheesecloth or similar light-weight fabric

7. Needle: Just a regular sewing needle works fine.

8. Waxed or freezer paper

9. Clamps, binder clips, flower press or heavy books to act as a press: I got some small, cheap plastic clamps from the hardware store and they’re such a big help.

10. Ruler, razor/X-acto knife, scissors, pencil, scrap cardboard/old magazine, large safety pin

11. Industrial paper trimmer: Sometimes called a guillotine, it trims a whole stack of paper at once. I have access to one at my work, and it makes the pages look incredibly neat and trim. You can try finding a printing store to see if they will trim the book pages for you – at my job we trim things for customers all the time, usually for just a few bucks.

+ + +
Part One: Making the Pages

1. Decide what size book you’d like
I usually cut out different sizes from some scrap paper to see what looks good with my doll. For this tutorial I’m making book that’s aproximately 1.5″ x 2″. The book will get a little (approx 1/8″) smaller when the pages get trimmed.

2. Making the pages
The easiest way to make pages is to just take a ruler and mark out the pages on the paper. Since the pages are going to be folded into signatures, cut out the pages twice as long as the finished book size will be. For my book, I’ll be cutting out 3″ x 2″ pages, which will get folded in half into 1.5″ x 2″ pages.

Cut out the pages using the ruler and razor blade. Don’t fret if they’re not all perfectly the same size, it won’t affect the binding process, and they’ll get trimmed later on. I ended up cutting out 25 pages (also known as folios), which will make me five signatures using five pages each. Cut out one extra page to be used for the hole-punching guide.

3. Making the signatures
Now, take your pages and fold them in half. I use something smooth, like a spoon or the edge of a large paperclip (or a fingernail), to get a really sharp fold.

Take five of the folded pages and collate them, sticking them one inside the other. This is what is called a signature. Repeat with the other pages until you have five signatures. You should have one folded page left over, this is going to be used for a guide for hole-punching the pages.

4. Punching the holes
Take the extra page and lay it flat. Using the ruler, make a mark along the fold line 3/8″ in from each edge. From those marks, measure in another 3/8″ and make marks. Basically, you’re trying to make four semi-equally spaced marks on the page.

Put down a piece of scrap cardboard or old catalogue to protect your work surface. Take the safety pin, unfold it to about 90 degrees, and punch holes through the marks you’ve just made. Refold the guide page when you’re through.

Take the punching guide and place it inside one of the signatures. Holding the pages slightly open with the spine on the cardboard, use the safety pin to punch holes through all five using the guide sheet.

Alright, now you’re ready to sew!

+ + +
Part Two: Sewing the Signatures

1. Measure the thread
I usually measure a piece of thread that equals the number of signatures times the height of the book, plus some extra. In my case, that would be five signatures x 2″ tall = thread 10 inches long. I add another 5-10 inches just to be on the safe side…it’s always better to have thread too long than too short.

2. Start sewing
Here’s a guide to show you where the needle will be going. Blue numbers indicate the thread is going into the spine, red numbers indicate the thread is coming out. It’s kind of like connect the dots.

Thread the needle, and go through the pages at hole #1, leaving a 2″ tail. Do not make a knot.

Try and keep the thread as tight as you can without tearing the paper. I tend to just hold the signatures very tightly together while sewing, using clamps or binder clips when I need to tie a knot or put the book down for a minute.

Follow the guide until the thread exits at hole #10. Tie a regular square knot with the tail at hole #1.

Follow the guide until the thread exits at hole #16. Here we’re going to make a kettle stitch. You’re going to use this stitch every time you exit the last hole of a signature.

When you exit the last hole of the last signature, you’re going to secure it with two half hitches. Trim the excess threads.

You can open it up and check out your stitching. Almost done!

+ + +
Part Three: Glueing the Signatures

1. Line up your sewn signatures and either clamp them or press them under something heavy, leaving the spines exposed.

2. Apply 2-4 coats of glue to the spine, depending on how thick the glue is. Try not to push it too far in between the signatures, as it may affect how your book opens. Make sure to glue down the loose thread ends.

3. Cut out a small piece of muslin. This is what is going to hold the bound pages to the cover. For my size book I cut a piece about 1.5″ x 2.5″, basically a little bit shorter than the height of your book and a little shorter than the length of the unfolded page. Apply a small amount of glue to the spine and center the muslin.

Press the muslin into the spine, then apply a small amount of glue over the muslin. Let dry. Then pages can be trimmed, or put into the cover at this point.

+ + +
Part Four: Trimming (Optional)

1. You’ll notice the edge of the pages has kind of a triangular zigzag shape. I like to trim the edges (top and bottom as well) of the bound pages to give it a clean, sharp look. This doesn’t affect how the book is held together, it’s just a cosmetic thing.

2. I placed several sets of bound pages in the trimmer, one on top of the other. I then trim off about 1/16″ from each edge (except the spine).

3. Here’s the pages all nice and trimmed…ready to be put into the cover!

+ + +
Part Five: Making the Cover

The part is exactly the same as for my other tutorial. I will eventually be reshooting new photos for this tutorial, but the instructions will remain the same.

I think the full body tattoo would work great for a doll, maybe done in white paint. Both pictures are from a Dover collage book.

Cut Man (sold)
5×7

+

 
Bookmaking for Dolls!

For this tutorial, I’m making a blank sketchbook for my doll. I’m planning another tutorial on how to ‘shrink’ and format the contents of a book down to doll size, but it involves a lot of computer skill and/or photocopying. So let’s first learn how the books are put together, anyway.

This method is pretty cheap to execute, and really simple once you know the steps. The only major investment is time & patience….lots of time spent waiting for the glue to dry…. Okay, let’s start with supplies: 
1. Paper for the pages: this can be any type of paper. I like to use resume paper (available at stationary stores) but regular computer paper works great too.

2. Cardboard for the cover: any type of cardboard, any thickness, just no corrugated. I use pretty thin cardboard, and glue two sheets together. for thicker cardboard, one sheet is fine. (I like to steal cardboard from the back of sketchbooks)

3. Glue: this is the only item where there can be no substitutes. You’re going to need a type of glue called PVA (polyvinyl acetate) Sounds fancy, but any store that’s got scrapbooking supplies should carry it. It’s acid-free, and unlike elmer’s or craft glue it doesn’t dry hard, but remains flexible and is very strong. It’s key in the binding process, and it’s also great for everday projects.

4. Decorative paper and cloth for the cover: I like to use cloth for the spine of the book as it holds up much better than paper. Most cloth or fabric will work as long as it’s not too thick (denim or regular leather) or too sheer (silks and gauze). Nothing stretchy either. You can either cover the whole book in cloth, or do the spine in cloth and the covers in a decorative paper. A lot of stationary and craft store carry decorative paper, and you only need a teeny bit. Fancy wrapping paper, brown paper bags, nice packaging…paper’s everywhere. These cheap bars of soap I get in Chinatown have the nicest wrapper with cherry blossom print.

5. One index card or similar weight cardstock.

6. Wax paper. This project involves a lot of pressing, and the wax paper keeps the glue on your book from sticking to the weights. 

7. Heavy books, bricks, etc, to act as your press….a lot of pressure needs to be put on the book as it dries, so have a stack of heavy items available.

8. Razor blade/Xacto knife, ruler, and scissors

Making the Book!

Section 1: Preparing the pages

1. Decide what size you want.
The book I’m making here is 2 inches by 2.75 (2 3/4) inches, but do whatever size you please! Bigger, smaller (not too small!) square, anything! Cut out different size pieces of paper and see what looks good with your doll.

2. Make your pages.
For this I’m using a nice cream-colored resume paper, but you can use anything! The easiest way to make pages is to just take a ruler and mark out the pages on the paper. I used just 5 sheets of paper, I got about about thirteen mini pages on one sheet of 8.5×11 (letter size) paper. 

Then, cut them out using the ruler and razor blade. Don’t fret if they’re not all perfectly the same size, it won’t affect the binding process. 

So now I’ve got about 60 loose pages. You could do more, but I probably wouldn’t reccommend doing less than 35 pages, just because you’re going to need a thick enough spine for the glue to hold on to.

Section 2: Glue-binding

1. Find a counter, table, box, etc. with a flat surface and nice, clean edge. You are going to get glue on the edge, so find a surface that’s easy to clean, like formica or plastic. The glue does come off, but make sure it’s not a surface that’s going to get easily damaged.

2. Line the stack of paper up with the edge of the counter (or box, table, whatever) so it is flush with the edge. For this step it is very important to get the sheets perfectly lined up, as this is going to be the bound edge of the pages.

3. Add weight to the top of the stack of pages. You can use heavy books, boxes, bricks, anything heavy, just keep in mind that it’s going to get glue on it. I usually put down a few scraps of cardboard first, then add the weights.

4. Now we’re going to score the edge so the glue has something to grab onto. I use the razor blade to score vertically and diagonally, just to rough up the edge of the paper a bit.

5. Apply the glue with a brush. You can give it a pretty thick coating as long as it’s not drippy. Don’t apply it lightly, try to smoosh the glue into all the nooks and crannies. Wait for the glue to be dry to the touch before applying another coat.

6. Add 4-5 more coats, letting the glue dry thoroughly between each coat.

7. After the last coat is dry, carefully remove the weights from the stack of papers. Use a butter knife or credit card (anything slim and sturdy) to separate the cardboard from the pages and to separate the stack of pages from the edge.

8. Now we’re going to make the thing that attaches the bound pages for the cover. Cut the index card into a long strip 2.75 inches high (or whatever the height of your pages is), the length doesn’t matter at this point. 

9. Fold the cut index card around your pages like you’re making a makeshift cover for them. Take the index card off and go over the folds with your fingernail (or a bone folder, etc.) to get clean, sharp folds.

10. Apply a coat of glue to the spine of your bound pages, then stick them into the index card cover. Let the glue dry completely before going on to the next steps.

11. Cut the index card cover smaller than the pages themselves, they’re just going to be ‘tabs’ that hold the bound pages to the hard cover.

And voila! We’re now ready to make the cover!

Making the Cover!

1. Cut out two covers and a spine from the cardboard. If you’re using two sheets of thin cardboard glued together, make sure the pieces have different grains – one going vertically and the other horizontally, otherwise the cover will curl. 

The cardboard spine is roughly the same width and height of the spine of the bound pages. The back and front covers I usually make just a tiny bit larger than the actual book.

2. Cut out the fabric or paper to cover the spine with. I used a piece of old cargo pants, cut to 2” x 4”, so I would have enough fabric to fold 
over the edges. 

Glue the spine and covers to the fabric, leaving a 1/8” gap between the spine and covers as shown. Place some heavy books on top and let it dry.

3. Fold the cloth over and glue it down, then put some heavy stuff on top and let dry.

4. Before we glue on the nice paper for the cover, glue down some index card paper to the parts of the cover not covered with cloth. This gives the decorative paper a flat surface. I’ll try to explain with this diagram:

5. Now we make it look pretty! For the decorative paper I’m using a brown paper bag that has some cute designs printed on it. Cut out area you want to use (leave a lot of overhang) making sure you’ve got a nice straight cut on the edge that’s on the front of the book. Apply a thin layer of glue with your finger or brush to the decorative paper, then carefully place it on the cover and smooth with your finger so there’s no air bubbles. Don’t worry if the paper the around edges buckle and crinkle, just make sure the paper glued to the front is nice and smooth. Do the same for the back cover, then press under some heavy books while it dries.

6. Trim off the excess paper around the edges, then trim the corners as shown.

7. Fold the paper edges over and glue in place. Place some heavy stuff on top and let dry. 

Now the cover is complete!

8. Now we attach the bound pages to the cover. Place some wax paper between the index card ‘tabs’ and the pages. Apply glue to the tabs only, not the spine of the bound pages. 

Place the tabs and pages inside the cover, close, and press until dry. When pressing, make sure the spine does not get pressed, like in the diagram below.

When it’s all dry the inside covers should look like this:

9. Yay! There’s only one more step, and that’s to add endpapers. They cover up the folded over paper and tabs on the inside cover. Cut a piece of paper the same height as your pages but twice as wide. Fold in half, then glue in place as shown. Close the book, weigh down with heavy stuff, let dry, then that’s it!

You’re done!

From Elegent French Fashions of the Late Nineteenth Century, from Dover Publications.