The art of making and dying paper is something that I’ve been interested in ever since I was in middle school. It’s something I’ve done on and off over the years, pending if I had time. In 2026 I am hoping to return to the art of recycling used paper into new, usable paper, and I also would like to get into the art of making and binding books. (This is also an excuse to perhaps dive into cyanotype printing.) So I suppose this page is a catchall of all things paper and books.
Bookbinding Kits
I’m a big fan of either signing up for an in person class to learn to do something, or finding a good kit with good instructions. Once I have an idea of what I’m doing I can move on to more self-guided stuff, but it’s hard to do that when you have no clue what you’re doing or where to begin.
Waiting on Arrival:
• Cased in Journal Bookbinding Kit - Arrived
• Butterfly Stitch Bookbinding Kit - Arrived
• Coptic Bookbinding Kit - TheSmallprintCompany on Etsy (in US)
I’ll add my thoughts on each one as I receive and work through it. :>
Bookbinding References
• Basic Bookbinding by Arthur William Lewis (1957)
This turned out to be a surprisingly concise and useful book. It is a little dated given it's from 1957, but there was still a lot of very good information in this book. I also really like the way the book is organized. I (unfortunately) learned how to tell real pigskin from imitation because of this book.
• Bookbinding & Conservation By Hand: A Working Guide by Laura S. Young (1981)
While I don't like the organization of this book as much as I did Arthur Lewis' book, this book is much more updated than the other and discusses some more contemporary technique. This book additionally discusses specifically conservation technique - such as removing water stains - which I rather appreciate, as I'd like to very low key work toward conservation.
• Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction by Aldren A. Watson (1986)
This falls very similarly to Laura Young's book. It's not quite a detailed as Lewis' book, and it's not as well organized, but there's a lot of good information in it, and it's more contemporary. I really like the sheer amount of illustrations in this one (and Watson did them himself!). I feel that this book is the most accessible of the books I've used for research so far.
• Japanese Bookbinding: Instructions from a Master Craftsman by Kojiro Ikegami (1986)
Written by one of Japan's leading bookbinders, this book gives instruction on how to do traditional Japanese book binding techniques. There are plenty of pictures and illustrations. I went out of my way and bought this to add to my collection. One thing I particularly like about this book is while the tools are being described, suitable replacements are offered. For example: a glue pan is needed, but you can simply use a flat-bottomed baking sheet. A tamping brush is ideal, but a rolled up towel makes an alright subsitute. It's clear that Ikegami tried to make this as accessible as possible.