Tiny books

How to practice the techniques of bookbinding in a non-resource-intensive manner?


Tiny books!  Each is about 2.5" tall and 1.5" wide.  The pages were cut from sheets of tracing paper (which is suitably thin for this scale).


The first is a traditional book on raised cords with a scrap of leather on the spine, and scraps of marbled paper on the covers.  Observe: my first successful French groove!


For the second, I decided to try a coptic binding.  The first such binding I saw was a revelation; a book that shows off the stitching of its own spine?  Wait—you can do that?


Yes.  Yes, you can.  My first try was a little sloppy around the headbands, but I intend to get better.  Here's what it looks like from the inside:


I may add a ribbon to hold it closed; I think my stitches were a little too tight, because this one loves to fly open.  Like a puppy with an open door, I sweartogod.

The next project, currently in the works, is a rose-themed notebook with tear-out pages.  The paper is handmade and contains real rose petals.  Which...might be kind of hard to write on, but I'm counting on it being cool enough that nobody will mind.  (There aren't that many of them.)


3 comments:

  1. Awesome minis! I'm in the process of attempting one myself but am having issues cutting the pages even. So I have two questions! Any tips on keeping the paper square? and did you make the paper yourself? Because it rocks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! Buechertiger gave me some tips about cutting things square here: http://www.bookartsforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1483. I use a straightedge and exacto knife, one sheet at a time, and I have a chisel and wooden block on hand if the text block needs trimming after assembly.

    I did not make the rose paper myself...someone handed it to me for free ages and ages ago. I don't have the faintest recollection where it came from, sadly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay cool. I can do this perfectly fine with large paper but I seem to have issues when things are on a smaller scale :P

    Ah gotcha. I've had an urge lately to make some handmade paper so I just figured I'd ask :)

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete