Sneaky dictionaries: French and German

The books I mentioned in my last post are now finished. I took a paperback French phrasebook and a German/English dictionary, removed their old covers, sanded down their spines, and treated them to hard covers. They are now case-bound books with cloth hinges. First up is Charles Berlitz's "Passport to French" phrasebook:

As I was deciding how to decorate the covers, I realized I had a perfect opportunity to make these books interesting: don't include a title. In fact, don't include any identifying marks at all. The result is an unobtrusive little hand-bound volume which can be carried the world over without advertising its owner as "not from around here."

Next we have the Bantam New College German & English Dictionary:

Again, stealthy, but the red, gold, and black marbled paper on the spine does subtly conjure the German flag. The book is unique and easy to spot on a shelf for the German student at home. It might make for a pretty gift to a German language student.

Here's a quick shot of the hollow spine I was so excited about in my last post:

Both dictionaries are available on my Etsy store (which also has more pictures).

• French phrasebook
• German/English dictionary

In progress: rebinding paperbacks

A quick trip to my library's bargain used book corner landed me with $6 worth of ready-made text blocks to practice binding. Here's what's on the workbench right now:

I don't feel bad about potentially destroying a dictionary, so this one seemed like a good guinea pig. Next up maybe I'll give Emily Bronte or Ralph Waldo Emerson a shot, and eventually I'd like to rebind my friend's Lord of the Rings trilogy and my own Elements of Euclid.

In addition to the German/English dictionary, I also have an ancient Passport to French book under surgery. Here they both are with endpapers and mull applied; the French book has an elegant, subtle pinstripe on the endpapers, while the German book has ivory 100% cotton endpapers.

I'll be casing them in once their covers are done drying. Speaking of, here's my new favorite tutorial for making the cover: Dave's Book Tutorial. His advice to use a manila folder makes for a lovely joint, and the spines of these books will be hollow (finally!). Plus, easy-peasy very pretty French groove = bonus!