DIY Sketchbooks - My Handmade Sketchbook Process

[@izthistaken]

its so creepy how LITERALLY LAST NIGHT I was looking for methods to bind sketchbooks with individual precut watercolor sheets, and little to nothing helpful came up. This video is miracle lol If its not too much to ask, do you think you could make a video on how to bind a sketchbook with individual sheets of this precut paper like the first one you showed? I have the Strathmore Ready Cut hot pressed watercolor paper in 5 x 7 inch sheets. Sorry for the long bothersome wall of text lol, this video was really helpful and relaxing to watch! thank you.

[@arleebean]

Your comments are NEVER bothersome!! Thanks so much for taking the time to put it all together. ♥ I'm working on developing a technique for single sheets, so I will definitely share that process as soon as I can. :]

[@evy5076]

Izzy Dragneel ME TOO OMG

[@taniasharma808]

I also want that...😭😭

[@arleebean]

Yes, I hadn't forgotten your question!! :D I want to do a separate video for that. ♥

[@taniasharma808]

arleebean so sweet of you. Thank you 😍😍💓💓

[@MeowMeowKapow]

I 👏 love 👏 making 👏 books 👏 like baking, it’s one of those things that I do that so many people claim involves precise measurements but I always just do randomly and with intuitive feeling. It’s wonderfully freeing. Ugh. It’s like the best. My go-to books are Coptic stitch for “fancy” books, and Japanese stab for quick and dirty. Mmm. Or maze book for even quicker and dirtier. =>.

[@MeowMeowKapow]

everart okelli aw, you’re too sweet. ❤️ I want to do bookmaking tutorials on my channel as well, but I have so many things I want to do and never enough time!!! =>.

[@monkeymintaka]

I can’t wait to try this! I’ve just bought a bunch of different paper to make a super mix-media sketchbook...I just hope I can remember which paper is which :p

[@lynnwittet1301]

I love your “ head and arm “ measurement, ha ha too cute :-) I really enjoy your way of sharing your methods. I make notebooks and use the signatures method too and since watching your videos I discovered Sealemon and her kettle stitch which really interests me too. On the other hand...that single page method you demonstrated with one needle per section of page? Yikes! really lYou are very talented. Thank you for sharing, I really love to see how others make their sketch and note books. 💕

[@viechaya9983]

I love that skinny brush and the control you have over it

[@TheMarionetteKitty]

I love the DIY sketchbook idea. I'd never thought of even trying to do this sort of thing. I may have to give it a try. I love your candidness and honesty.

[@SundaiiStudio]

Haha I loved how you layed down next to it to show the size.honestly thats way more helpful than talking about measurements

[@karinhanazonoo]

Omg i really love the way you make this videos and added some painting into ur vids, its really interesting yet calming. Thanks for sharing! 💞

[@cookiemonster151]

Thanks for the video! I’m gonna try and make a sketchbook, wish me luck!

[@LeySketch]

This is so inspiring! I know you have a ton of experience, but you make this look so accessible and easy to do. I have never tried this before but I definitely have to now. The deckled edges and naked spine with the stitches are both just so dreamy! 😍

[@vanessaTheGrittyArtist]

Love this so much! I have to try the raw edges, I love how it looks!!!!

[@soon_to_emerge]

Oh wow, I was binge watching your videos, but managed to miss this one (even though I watched your other bookbinding videos). Your method of ripping paper actually encourages me. I've been wanting to make my own sketchbook for a loooong time (3-4 years? yes, i'm slow), but always stressed about measurements and precision. I'm not a math person, I'm not neat and accurate person. I'm messy, my everything is messy, and even though I binge watched Sea Lemon's videos as well (and long before I even found your channel), her perfectly made books scared me with their accurate execution. (Def not saying it's bad, but it just triggers my anxiety) Your sketchbooks appeal to me so much more.

[@LaurenWatkinsArt]

Thanks for sharing this. This year I have made it a goal to work more in my sketchbook. I might try making my own once I finish the ones I have. 😊

[@arleebean]

Yaay, I'd love to know what you think about making them! Definitely a good idea to finish other up first though. :]

[@evy5076]

Yea I measure my paper in head and arms too lol😂

[@arleebean]

Good, I'm not alone! xD

[@teenafilosa6391]

Thanks for the video. Is there a specific size needle or needle range of sizes that would be best?

[@mypandapaints5854]

For arches paper, a nice way to cut them up is the fold, reverse fold, then karate chop method. Basically you fold where you want it to be cut, then fold it again but so the outsides touch. Then you hold the paper so it is folded side up, spread apart on a clean surface (like a table), have one finger on the underside of the fold, and then start tapping with the side of your hand on the edge against the table and move up the folded edge as it rips apart. This keeps you from not having to continually press a hand against the paper as you move along it possibly leaving oils that will resist water/color and discoloration. Though usually I wear cotton gloves on my non-chopping hand. You can probably find this method on KZbin also for a visual reference.

[@MissRuthina]

Can you just go through all of them and do tutorials for all of them? Id be interested in seeing all of them individually and then have opinions of them

[@stephaniewolfe2665]

If I'm understanding correctly, you used Mod Podge to seal the cover? And the glue didn't interfere with the watercolor paint? I'm always too scared to seal my watercolor drawings, worried that it'll smear the paint even if it's dry :O

[@arleebean]

The glue didn't cause any of my colors to bleed or lift, but it did create a bit of a film over top, so the colors aren't as vibrant. I definitely wouldn't use it to seal a painting I wanted to sell or anything, but I'm fine with it for a sketchbook. :] A finishing spray or varnish would probably be better though. Just using what I had handy.

[@oceancurrent6571]

Were did u get that giant piece of paper that’s so cool

[@mooistliefste]

I've gathered so much paper lately and I finally got some good thread to make my very own sketchbook! How would you go about sewing on the cover when doing a kettle stitch binding? I don't want a moleskine-like cover, as Sea Lemon explained (very well, by the way!) Would you glue the endpages in, then glue the custom cover to it? Or do you sew or stick it on somehow?

[@parkeralipio7344]

i was so excited for this video to come out and just made my own sketchbook,, and now that ive put some effort into that ill definitely start drawing in it :)

[@alexisarayata9439]

I love your videos! Can you please make a video on how you created the accordion sketchbook, please?

[@JacquelineJax]

I was hoping to see how you did the stitch so I was disappointed when you skipped it but when I try to sew a sketchbook together the signatures wouldn’t get tight enough so I ended up using glue and tape in between the pages and it worked out

[@bobbyluna8079]

What pencil did you use for the sketch you did

[@arleebean]

It's a Prismacolor Verithin in Crimson Red :]

[@bobbyluna8079]

arleebean thank you 😊 your work is inspirational

[@gypsyalexandria9746]

I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEM ALL YESS

[@arleebean]

I will do my best! :D

[@meleika8274]

Aww honey, you sound so winded. You can always make another of these vids if you need to. We will definitely watch! Thank you so much. I enjoyed watching and i have done this before. Twice actually but not with watercolour paper, just to make my own personal journals and then i painted the covers with acrylic, that's what i started with originally, loved acrylic lol, but yeah i did the covers inside and out, and they turned out lovely, small but lovely. I was about to start talking about @sealemon when you mentioned her because I also learned how to do this from her. She's super nice! A lot of my creative thoughts were guided by her videos lol. But thank you so much my love, I really liked this video. Keep it up!

[@sunnycharacter]

Dumb question. I have a bone folder but I took off the rounded end thingy because I didn’t know what it’s for! What’s it for? Lol

[@newtoatheism5968]

Where do people get those big sheets of paper?

[@hly1226]

Why did I watch this whole video...I already do this. Lol I use a curve needle and dental floss. But yes...I love the whole process. And it makes me want to use them because I put so much time into making it.

[@irishguy13]

You provide your head to get a sense of scale of the dimension of the paper. Can we have a scale to get a sense of the size of your head?

[@jp8649]

These are awesome! I've been trying to find ways to make sketchbooks recently. I'd be super curious about a stitchless option. PS I need that "Cole Greatly Approves" sticker, SO CUTE.

[@arleebean]

I loooooove Cole so much!! I found that sticker on RedBubble. The artist had adorable art for most of the DA:I companions!

[@rebeccareckart923]

An old trick (from my professor back in college) is to wet the fold with a brush with water and you achieve even nicer edges when you ripp the sheets apart.

[@tamarahulaton6162]

What kind of thread and glue do you like? Thanks. Please.

[@tamarahulaton6162]

Okay figured out the thread part. Have been using a heavy waxed thread. It is a lot of work to pull through. All purpose should be easier. :)

[@CoxJoxSox]

That's cool that you resurrected old watercolor paper

[@Springsparrows]

Love this! I might try this for my next sketchbook--- what do you tend to use for covers?

[@arleebean]

I most commonly tend to use the back cover of old sketchbooks! It's a nice, rigid sort of particle board and can easily be covered or painted. :]

[@callmekite]

Thank you for this video it was very helpful! I’ve been looking forward to it and am very appreciative.

[@arleebean]

Aww, you're so welcome!! I really appreciate your kind comment. ♥♥

[@salomeducourau3650]

I love this video it's actually exactly what I was searching Thank You so much !

[@its_halimat9814]

Does anyone know the name of the binding that she used for the first sketchbook shown?

[@lasanha007]

I love so much your channel and your art!!! thank you so much for doing this! ♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

[@WitchPixel]

How did you do the washi tape binding in your large square book?

[@arleebean]

I used the tape to attach to single sheets together so I could stitch in between them, where the pages meet! I hope that makes sense.. I want to talk about it more in a video I'm working on :3

[@WitchPixel]

arleebean very cool, thank you!

[@SofieRimmer]

Thank you so much for sharing this Arleesha! ♥ I have wanted to bind my own sketchbooks for some time but actually thought I needed some more specific tools. So I am so happy to see that I can use things I have around the house! Yay! I had one thought, when do you add your washi tape to the pages? I really like how that looks and I am sure it also stabilises it a bit ♥ Thank you once again

[@arleebean]

thanks so much, Sofie!! For the larger sketchbook with washi tape in near the binding, I was actually experimenting with taping single sheets together and then stitching through the tape. That -kind of-worked, but it made my needle super sticky! The sketchbook I made in this video got it's washi tape borders added to the cover pieces right before I attached them to the rest of the sketchbook. :] I hope that's helpful.

[@hellstarremina3693]

please do make tutorials for the different methods

[@pegkitcher6084]

This video contains alll my favourite things and its so good

[@arsenicruby4902]

This is so helpful, thank you!

[@lalaydade3364]

I laughed out loud when you said you weren't an old spinster anymore!! :-)

[@MCMarts]

These are delightful! Thanks for sharing!

[@felipessunshine]

2:49 had me DEAD 😂 I love you for that

[@NuraysArt]

ahhh i really enjoy watching you sketch!!!

[@cilcatcreations4851]

I just love your channel.

[@bentheben1145]

Do you still make sketch books?

[@YvesGeorge]

I followed her Coptic stitch version when I made my own sketchbook out of printer paper.

[@ChrisandSohee]

Excellent Video, Keep up the good work!

[@makeout-hill]

Thank you so much

[@theBoonarmies]

I do not have the words to describe the ~*stress*~ that came over me watching you start tearing that sheet lengthwise. Good lord.

[@edzejandehaan9265]

I like your tillandsia's.

[@izzysauls7737]

Please make tutorials for all these methods!!!

[@arleebean]

I will do my best!! :D

[@yutadimplxs1040]

Your voice is so relaxing, you should try doing ASMR!

[@kahenaloureiro9658]

Why did I always pictured you as a longhaired blonde? BTW I love do make some sketchbooks, but I haven't make a watercolor sketchbook yet! Love your work 💖

[@arleebean]

ALL of the other ladies in my family are longhaired blondes. xD I'm the black sheep... literally. ♥♥

[@LillenArt2]

I might try this.

[@salomeducourau3650]

I don't have the material but it was helpful

[@EmyArt]

😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@meganbettenhausen7339]

Tutorials pleeeease ♡