How to Bind a Book With Single Pages

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Do you want to start a scrapbook, nature journal, or diary? You can, of course, buy a suitable book at the store, but if you really want to make it your own perhaps it's time to rediscover the not-quite-lost art of bookbinding. Bookbinding styles range from simple to more complicated, and you can tape your book, bind it with a ribbon, or even sew it in place.

1
Fold your pages in half. Make sure the fold is crisp by using a bone folder or running the top of your nail over it and smoothing it down. You can choose to fold pages individually or fold multiple pages together.
- If you have too many pages to fold crisply, try creating packets of signatures. A signature is a group of 4 sheets folded down the center. Stack signatures on top of one another.^[1]
2
Staple at the folded crease. You should be stapling with the crease facing down, so the flat part of the staple faces out and the staple "arms" rest on the inside of the crease. Use a long reach stapler if your regular stapler can't reach the middle crease.^[2]
- If you chose to make signatures, staple each signature separately.
3

Make sure you have ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of margin, if your pages are printed. Any words printed within ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of the crease will become part of the binding and therefore be impossible to read.^[3]
4

Cut a piece of binding tape about 2 inches (5.1 cm) longer than the height of your book. Your tape can be colorful or simple. Make sure your tape is strong enough to hold the book together - avoid masking tape or clear tape. Purchase a linen or cotton tape for the support you need.^[4]
5
Place the tape on flat surface and press the book into it. By doing this instead of attempting to place the tape on the book, you will have an easier time maintaining a straight, even tape line. Make sure you press the book into the middle of the tape, since you will need to fold the rest of the tape to cover the other side of the book.^[5]
- If your book is thick, leave a larger margin of tape so you have enough tape to cover the spine and still reach the other side.
6

Wrap the tape around the book's spine. Use your fingers to guide the tape up so that it sticks to the spine of the book. Wrap the tape all the way around so that it covers both the bottom of the book, the spine, and the top of the book.^[6]
7

Reinforce a thick book with several layers of tape. If your book has many pages or several signatures, you might want to try taping it more than once. Repeat the process of taping the book until the book's binding feels secure.
8
Cut the excess tape. Because your tape was longer than the book itself, you should have some excess tape on the top and bottom of the book. Use scissors or an X-ACTO knife to cut the tape, making sure to cut it as close to the book's page as possible.^[7]
- Any leftover tape should be trimmed. Avoid folding leftover tape over, as this may make your book harder to open.

1

Ensure your pages have at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of margin on the left-hand side. If you printed your pages using a conventional Word document, you should automatically have 1 inch (2.5 cm) of border. If you wrote your pages by hand, make sure the writing has a margin. If you don't have a margin, any words on the left-hand edge will be impossible to read.^[8]
2

Punch a hole ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the top and ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the left-hand side. Use a hand-held hole-puncher for a clean look. If you're having trouble measuring and hole-punching at the same time, mark where the hole should be with a pencil before hole punching.^[9]
3

Repeat the process on the bottom of the page. This time you'll be measuring ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the bottom and ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the left-hand side. Ensure your holes line up properly.
4

Use a ruler to draw a faint line connecting the two holes. Use a pencil so you can erase the line later on. You can also choose to draw a thick line with pen or permanent marker if you want the line to remain on the cover.^[10]
5

Punch holes every ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) along the line. Make sure your holes are on the line. You'll be threading the ribbon through these holes later on.^[11]
6

Measure and cut ribbon that's twice as long as your book. The thickness and style of ribbon won't affect the ribbon binding process, so go all out! Choose a simple black tape for a classic look or go for a colorful design if you want something more personalized.^[12]
7

Thread the ribbon in and out of each hole. Make sure you don't completely pull the ribbon through the first hole, since you will to tie the ribbon binding closed. If your ribbon isn't long enough, remove it and cut a longer piece.^[13]
8

Loop the ribbon back through the top and bottom holes and tie. Looping the ribbon a second time reinforces the binding. Depending on how many pages you have, loop it a third time for an even stronger binding. Tie it off with a simple knot or a fancy bow, and cut off excess.^[14]

1

Fold your pages in half. Use a bone folder or the top of your nail to get a crisp fold. You can fold individually or in groups, depending on how many pages you have.^[15]
2

Use a ruler to measure how long the book is. If you know your page measurements, you don't have to measure. If you don't, or if you're not using a standard page size, make sure you measure precisely.
3
Divide your measurement by 6. This bookbinding method requires 5 holes at the crease. They should be equally spread apart, but the spacing between the dots will depend on how large your paper is.
- For example, if you have a paper that's 8.5 by 11 in (22 by 28 cm) printer paper, dividing that by 6 gives you 1.4 inches (3.6 cm).
4
Mark the dots ("stations") on the page with a pencil. Do this on the inside of the crease, and use a ruler to make sure your measurements are precise. These dots are known as stations, with the first station being the one on the "bottom" of the page and the fifth station being the one on the "top" of the page.^[16]
- For example, if you have a paper that's 8.5 by 11 inches (22 by 28 cm), your first dot will be 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) from the edge. Then, each progressive dot will be 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) up from the previous dot. Your fifth dot should be 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) away from the top of the page.
5

Pierce each station with an awl. An awl is used to pierce small holes in anything from paper to leather to wood. Make sure you're using an awl made for paper. If you don't have an awl, you can use a large needle.
6
Put your needle through the third station and pull about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of thread through the page. Hold the rest of the thread with your non-dominant hand to make sure you don't accidentally pull too much through.^[17]
- You can use whatever color thread you like, but remember your thread will be visible!
7

Put your needle through the fourth station. Your needle and thread should now be on the inside of the crease. Let go of the rest of the thread and pull it through as needed.^[18]
8

Thread your needle through the fifth station and back through the fourth station. Your needle should go out of station five and then loop back into the fourth station's hole, so that it's once again inside the crease.^[19]
9

Go through the second station. Your needle should now be on the outside by station two.^[20]
10

Put your needle through the first station and back through the second station. Your needle should go inside the first station and then go back outside the second station. Your thread should now be facing away from the crease.^[21]
11

Finish by pulling your thread through the third station. Every station should be threaded, and your book should now have thread both inside and outside of the crease.^[22]
12

Tie a knot inside the third station's crease. Tie the thread to itself and pull firmly. You can tie whatever knot you'd like as long as it firmly keeps the sewing in place.

1

Tape the edge of your paper with clear tape to reinforce it. This helps reduce the chances that your stitching will tear our. Place half of the tape on one side and fold it over to the other side. Repeat with every page.^[23]
2

Use a ruler to measure ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the top of the page. For a more dramatic look, you can measure ³⁄₄ inch (1.9 cm) from the top of the page.^[24]
3

Make three marks ³⁄₄ inch (1.9 cm) apart. The first mark should start ³⁄₄ inch (1.9 cm) from the edge of the page. Make the marks against your ruler to make sure they're straight. Repeat the process on the bottom edge.^[25]
4
Stack your sheets in groups of four and pierce the holes with an awl. If you don't have an awl, you can also use a thick needle.^[26]
- You should also use this process to pierce holes in your covers.
5
Measure your thread. Your thread should be about the size of the area times the number of pages you will be sewing. Make sure you cut 6 individual pieces of thread.^[27]
- If you have 20 pages, and your area is 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) long, you will need 45 inches (110 cm) of thread for each thread.
6
Put your binding needle and thread through the first hole on the bottom page. Bring your thread around and tie a knot in the thread against itself. The knot should be on the side of the paper that faces "up," not the edge.^[28]
- Make sure you don't tie a knot on the sewing thread.^[29]
- Once you've tied the knot, you can trim off the end and tuck it in for a cleaner look.
7
Go around to the bottom cover's first hole and thread the needle through it. Pull the thread until it pulls the paper flush with the back cover's edge, and then thread the needle under the first loop you made.^[30]
- Make sure you go under both threads.
8

Thread each remaining hole with a new binding needle and thread, and repeat the looping process. For a more whimsical look, choose a different color thread for each binding hole, or keep all of the thread colors the same for a more uniform style.^[31]
9

Repeat the process with each subsequent page for each hole. For a more sturdy book, loop your needle and thread around the stitch below the page you're currently working on, starting on the third page. Once you've threaded the paper, looped the thread, and hooked the needle under the first loop, thread the needle under the previous stitch.^[32]
10

Bind the top cover like you would bind any regular sheet. Loop around and under the previous stitch, and then thread the needle back inside and open the book. Tie a knot by looping the thread under the previous page's stitch.^[33]

Add New Question

Question

Can I use double sided tape instead of staples?

Yes, but staples are much stronger. It's unlikely your book will stay together very long if you use tape.
Question

How long does this project take ( approximately )?

It depends on which method you choose to use. The taping method is the shortest and easiest, and each method takes progressively more time, with the Single Sheet Binding Method taking about half a day.
Question

How can I make a book with a lock?

Cut or drill two holes in the cover and reinforce it with metal. Then you can stick a lock through it.
Question

How do I design a book cover for a horror book?

That depends on what kind of horror it is and what type of mood you're trying to set. Dark colors and rich tones are good. Be creative and think about what would grab the reader you're trying to attract.
Question

How can I add new pages to the book after binding it and adding a cover?

You can't, unfortunately.
Question

How do you make a book hardcover?

You can make a book hard cover by using the Single Sheet Binding Method! Just make sure your cover is thin enough to pierce with an awl
Question

What type of thread do I use?

Wax thread is the strongest, but also the most expensive. You could use sewing thread instead, though it's best if you double-thread it. If you don't double-thread, it's unlikely your book will stay together for long.
Question

What is the best binding for a children's book that is printed using card stock?

Sewing the book would be easier since you used harder paper. Using wax thread would be the best, but it is also expensive. You can also use regular sewing thread, but you would have to double thread. If you don't double thread, it is likely your book will fall apart.
Question

Is there any way I can bind a book so that the pages are normal printer size, with stuff pre-printed on them?

Catherine Criscuola

Community Answer

Yes, that is possible. Just make sure that your typed/printed content has a 1-inch (2.5cm) indent, so that you can sew/tape the book together.
Question

Can you use cardboard for a hardcover book?

Catherine Criscuola

Community Answer

Yes, cardboard is definitely the best material to use for a hardcover book. You can either print or draw your cover content on a piece of paper and then glue it to the cardboard, or you can glue on blank paper. You can also use fabric or leather to cover the cardboard.

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Things You'll Need

Stapler
Linen or cotton tape
Scissors or X-ACTO knife

Ruler
Hand-held hole-puncher
Pencil
Ribbon

Ruler
Awl
Needle
Thread

6 threads
6 binding needles
Awl
2 hard boards
Ruler

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To bind a book, start by folding your pages in half and stapling them together at the folded crease. Then, cut a piece of binding tape that's about 2 inches longer than your book and lay it sticky-side up on a flat surface. Next, line up the creased edge of your book with the center of the tape and press your book down into the tape. Finally, wrap the other half of the tape around your book's spine and then cut off any excess tape at the top and bottom. To learn how to bind a book using ribbon or thread, scroll down!

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How to Bind a Book With Single Pages

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Bind-a-Book

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How to Bind a Book With Single Pages

Things You'll Need

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