BOOK IT
Japanese Stab Binding
Create a personalized hand-bound notebook.
BY CHRISTY PETTERSON
Photography by Christy Petterson
Perhaps because I’ve always loved writing, bookbinding
caught my attention at a really young age. Even when I’m
not writing a masterpiece, I love a hand-bound book for
doodling, jotting down ideas, and keeping track of things to do.
Japanese stab binding is particularly nice because even though
it’s easy to produce, the end result looks really complicated, which
is good for impressing your mom.
The supplies are basically things you can find around your house,
and as long as you aren’t going to use the book for something
that requires archival considerations, these books are a golden
opportunity for recycling. Use old envelopes, brown grocery bags,
half-finished notebooks — go nuts!
