I chose a simple, creative bookbinding technique.
The Coptic binding
The little books we’re making will be open-backed, so the Coptic binding will be visible. So there’ll be a jacket, with a cardboard front and back which we can decorate or treat with different techniques before we start the binding.
Despite having both sections and front and back jacket stitched together, our books will remain very flexible. The binding is popular, because the pages open beautifully and, once opened, remain flat easily.
Step 1
Jackets are cut and decorated before you start. You can use textiles, felt or paint on paper.
In collaboration with Mieke, we chose a paper treatment with gelliplate: a fun and simple painting technique with rewarding patterns and results.
This paper is then glued to the pieces of cardboard with bookbinding glue.
Step 2
The pages are folded and put into sections of three.
I chose to use eight sections of three pages each.
Step 3
Next, we mark the spot for the holes. We’ll use a setsquare so we can align each hole perfectly under the previous one.
Now we can drill the holes on our section.
It’s very important that all the holes are at a perfectly equal distance, on each section, but also on the jacket. On the jackets, the holes are drilled at a centimeter from the edge, using a piercer or prong.
Now we’re ready to start the Coptic binding.
Step 4
We start with the first section, using a waxed thread, from inside to outside.
Then we put the needle through the first hole in the jacket, from outside to inside. Do this again and then guide your needle through the same hole in your first section, leading back inside. There we can knot the end to our thread.
Now put your needle in the next hole of this first section and repeat the process… till the jacket is completely attached to your first section.
Step 5
At the last hole, you don’t go back inside, you take your second section and you enter to the inside there.
From the inside, you head over to the second hole in the second section and go from the inside to the outside. Repeat until the end.
At the third section, we work in the same way, but we guide our thread between section one and two.
At the fourth section, we still work in the same way, but we guide our thread between section two and three… and so on.
Step 6
The last section is a little different: we process it together with the back jacket.
Start with the jacket, in the first hole, from outside to inside. Run the thread between jacket and section. Go inside in the last section, through the first hole.
Now we head over to the second hole, from inside to outside. We make another run. In the jacket, to the second hole, from outside to inside. Make another run. Into the section, to the second hole, from outside to inside.
We proceed like this till the end.
The result
The little book remains open very easily, making it ideal for writing, drawing or even photo collaging.
On Pinterest and YouTube you can find a lot of info about the Coptic binding.
The little books we’re making will be open-backed, so the Coptic binding will be visible. So there’ll be a jacket, with a cardboard front and back which we can decorate or treat with different techniques before we start the binding.
Despite having both sections and front and back jacket stitched together, our books will remain very flexible. The binding is popular, because the pages open beautifully and, once opened, remain flat easily.
Step 1
Jackets are cut and decorated before you start. You can use textiles, felt or paint on paper.
In collaboration with Mieke, we chose a paper treatment with gelliplate: a fun and simple painting technique with rewarding patterns and results.
This paper is then glued to the pieces of cardboard with bookbinding glue.
Step 2
The pages are folded and put into sections of three.
I chose to use eight sections of three pages each.
Step 3
Next, we mark the spot for the holes. We’ll use a setsquare so we can align each hole perfectly under the previous one.
Now we can drill the holes on our section.
It’s very important that all the holes are at a perfectly equal distance, on each section, but also on the jacket. On the jackets, the holes are drilled at a centimeter from the edge, using a piercer or prong.
Now we’re ready to start the Coptic binding.
Step 4
We start with the first section, using a waxed thread, from inside to outside.
Then we put the needle through the first hole in the jacket, from outside to inside. Do this again and then guide your needle through the same hole in your first section, leading back inside. There we can knot the end to our thread.
Now put your needle in the next hole of this first section and repeat the process… till the jacket is completely attached to your first section.
Step 5
At the last hole, you don’t go back inside, you take your second section and you enter to the inside there.
From the inside, you head over to the second hole in the second section and go from the inside to the outside. Repeat until the end.
At the third section, we work in the same way, but we guide our thread between section one and two.
At the fourth section, we still work in the same way, but we guide our thread between section two and three… and so on.
Step 6
The last section is a little different: we process it together with the back jacket.
Start with the jacket, in the first hole, from outside to inside. Run the thread between jacket and section. Go inside in the last section, through the first hole.
Now we head over to the second hole, from inside to outside. We make another run. In the jacket, to the second hole, from outside to inside. Make another run. Into the section, to the second hole, from outside to inside.
We proceed like this till the end.
The result
The little book remains open very easily, making it ideal for writing, drawing or even photo collaging.
On Pinterest and YouTube you can find a lot of info about the Coptic binding.