Bookbinding Tools & Materials - beginner friendly

If you want a comprehensive guide on beginner bookbinding, my new book is coming out on December 5, 2023! Every preorder gets a bonus ebook with extra content. Go to my website for preorder links: www.bittermelonbindery.com/

Another tip from an amateur book binder, if you want a book that lays flat, the kettle stitch and coptic stitch are the best binding methods, and mod podge is my favorite glue for the spine. It dries quickly and very flexible but sturdy so that spine fully folds when you open the book but won't break or fall apart.

Awesome tutorial! Tip for others: If you can find pieces of wallpaper somehow, those make great cover material instead of bookcloth! They're sturdy and resistant to last for decades on walls. (I've walked into several paint shops and asked if they have any samples of retiring wallpaper that they were planning to throw away, and have obtained a variety that way!)

Absolutely clear without unnecessary chatter. I really appreciate it, and learned a couple of new things. Thanks!

A cost-saving tip for any adults who want to bind books with kids... Unflavored basic wax dental floss works really well for sewing signatures. (My students hand-bind their 7th grade memoirs every year.)😊

My only tip is for your use of your rotary cutter. They’re designed ergonomically to be pushed forward to cut. I’ve been quilting for decades, so when I started out I tried to use one like you. Didn’t work well in the long run. If you have hand fatigue or use a rotary cutter a lot, try push cutting forward. Works great for paper too. Just have to be careful to use separate blades for fabric and paper (zapper dulls rotary blades fast).

A tool I've come to love is my punching cradle in tandem with handmade punching molds. It saves you so much time if you need to punch a lot of signatures of the same size ❤️ you can easily diy one out of greyboard or wood you have lying about 👌

All in all a very nice demonstration of a minimial bookbinding kit Chanel. The biggest problem I had when starting was trimming the block and yes, I ruined a few just like you, but I persevered with it and now only rarely have to start again. I'm only a hobby binder though and can't justify the expense of a guillotine. My tip would be to put some greaseproof paper between the bookblock and boards when gluing up the spine. It stops the boards getting stuck to the block and the risk of damage when trying to remove them.

I just found your channel and love it, I worked for years in a commercial bindery when I was young and have such fond memories. We had giant machines etc for most of the tasks but the results were the same. It was a lot of fun to create or rebind books. I still think about it 30+years later.

I really like the endbands made with the same fabric as the bookcloth! A very cohesive look

Thank you for sharing and giving the specific materials that you use. Some other tutorials just say things like "thicker paper" but you give us the specifics! Thank you!

Awesome tutorial. So simple and aesthetically pleasing too. Now I can make my own types of covers. Thank you.

Your tutorial is very clear and meticulously done. So calming and I enjoy watching it. Thank you 🤗

Thank you so much! This was an excellent video for a beginner. i'm looking to get into this as a hobby myself and can't afford to spend a ton of money on it. Excellent work! This seems like such a calming hobby.

I've been watching you for quite a while now (first, because the bookbinding sounds are incredibly soothing, then because I got fascinated by the craft), and I finally dared to think about starting the hobby myself. This video was incredibly helpful because I got rather overwhelmed by the amount of information out there on the internet, so this helped me build a list of the first few tools and items I'd need. So, a huge thank you!! <33

Beautiful tutorial; and great reference for anyone wanting to explore this art form. Well done.

I don't think this is the hobby for me but watching this video was so nice and relaxing. Your work is fantastic!

I Love how clean and comprehensive your vids are. Very helpful!! I'm learning a lot. Thank you for making them 😊

What a gorgeous video.

Thank you very much. I suffered from this matter and threw many bad notebooks that I made because I have little experience, but this video helped me a lot in reaching the wonderful result