Replicating 'The Notebook' Part 1: Planning, Folding Signatures, Cutting Boards, Sewing and Trimming

For those dyed-in-the-wool romantics out there, I'm certain the 2004 film 'The Notebook' holds a special place in your hearts. For those who haven't seen the film (no spoilers!) it is the story of Allie Nelson and Noah 'Duke' Calhoun, whose life-long love is retold through the pages of Allie's journal. The notebook itself takes on a significance all its own throughout the film which I can't properly convey here, though the fact that it takes the title role should give a hint of its importance.
The book in the film was of course just a movie prop, with a small group of pages pre-printed and repeated multiple times to give the effect of a filled journal. In this video series I embark on recreating that journal as it might have been before Allie first set pen to paper. I've tried to make the video in a tutorial style, which you can follow to either make your own 'The Notebook' notebook, or a journal that's all your own. You can follow along as I plan out the project, cut and fold paper for the pages, cut the cover boards, lay out and pierce the sewing holes, sew the text block, cut and attach endpapers, and finally trim the pages to size. In future videos I will complete the case, apply the book cloth, pare and apply the leather corners, tool the decorative lines, and finally attach the text block to the cover, completing the book.
Part Two: • Replicating 'The Noteb...
Part Three: • Replicating 'The Noteb...
Chapter Timestamps:
00:46 - Planning
02:27 - Cutting Paper
04:07 - Folding Signatures
06:29 - Preparing Cover Boards
10:33 - Marking Up for Sewing
12:13 - Piercing Sewing Holes
13:33 - Sewing the Text Block
22:50 - Making Endpapers
27:32 - Marking Up for Trimming
28:54 - Trimming the Text Block
If you enjoyed this video please consider subscribing to the channel and activating your notifications for future installments. And if there are other movie books you'd like me to re-create, let me know in the comments! I have a few in mind but I'm sure there are more, and if this video proves popular I might make it into a full Book-Prop series.
As always, thanks for watching!
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Music Credits:
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[@bngr_bngr]

The Indiana Jones notebook would be a cool project.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Yes! I'm putting that one near the top of my list.

[@sandraforsman4971]

Lovely handwriting you have! What penmanship!

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thank you! 😊

[@clydebalcom3679]

I love your pen. I really never thought that I would have such an interest in bookbinding.

[@DrowDancer04]

2:25 your handwriting is absolutely beautiful! (I also appreciate that you are a lefty as well!)

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thank you so much 😀

[@toninb5x574]

Excellent video. I learned so many fine points and details. I’m looking forward to the second video. Thank you.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carlpeberdy9086]

Glad to see such a civilised use of a cutting mat!!

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Trying to curb my barbaric ways! 🤣

[@MegaMesozoic]

It's a joy watching a master at work!

[@EmptyGlass99]

I am never going to bind a book but I enjoy these videos.

[@michelleleeatkinson]

I love your penmanship. Thank you for making videos like this.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thanks, I've been working on it after many years of chickenscratch.

[@dirk4926]

It's so relaxing to watch your videos

[@yvonnek6374]

Loving this, I do fancy seeing and Indiana Jones notebook 📓

[@TheKeystoneChannel]

You are left handed and write from down to up, I am left handed and write from up to down . It is interesting to see someone else is writing vertical

[@arabellachampaq689]

I’m curious that you say that….doesnt everyone actually write vertically as well as horizontally?

[@TheKeystoneChannel]

@@arabellachampaq689 As far I have been able to see with people writing is they write left to write (Horizontally) ...I turn the page and write from down to up...(vertically) ..I can't write having the page normally straight up, if that makes sense

[@AutobotProwler]

What about a DaVinci book?

[@UlrichVIII]

incredible tutorial, thx for sharing.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Glad you liked it!

[@juliojoyjoy883]

Fantastic, thanks 👏👏😍😄

[@lotsabirds]

I'm a new subscriber! This is brilliant work! Thank you!

[@Soul_Watcher]

Hello. I am enjoying your tutorials immensely. I was wondering what the difference is between PVA and EVA neutral adhesives? I was looking into this because I am attempting to teach myself some simply book binding for making my own journals. Probably something like what you are doing here, except softer covers so that I can slip them in and out of a leather journal cover that I also plan on making. Not that what you are doing here is simply by any means, but compared to your other medieval books it seems half as much work at the very least. I would love to do this work. I think it is one of my passions. But I do not have, nor can imagine ever being able to purchase such beautiful devices and tools that you have. They tell a story. Some look to be hundreds of years old. Like the presses. But if I am persistent I hope to, at the very least, do something like what you did here. Unfortunately without the presses. But I am attempting to use many heavy books right now to press the paper I have already folded. I am going to attempt making the V-shapes device at some point out of thick book board as you have shown here. I know without the right tools it is almost impossible to get anything done right. So I’m trying to make sure I buy the right adhesive, binding linen thread, binding tape, which I hope is the right product that you are using here. The material that lays across the paper while you are stitching it? I have still to figure out what is the right cover material to use. I need it to be pliable so that it bends to slide into each side of a leather notebook cover I am going to make. It cannot be hard. I want it to have color. Or maybe even attach super thin leather to the cardboard like material for presentation. Once the notebooks are full, I would like them all to stand alone and look great on my bookshelves once out of the leather cover. That is something I cannot figured out. I am on a journey you could say. Learning these things by watching many other people. But by bit. Trying to find all the right materials, the names of said materials, and figuring out how to get what I want out of the journals/ notebooks themselves. For instance I want them to lay as flat as possible when opened. The easier to write in. Well, I will get back to watching your video. If you see this, I thank you for posting all this wonderful and informative content to watch and hopefully learn something from. Take care. Cheers

[@EmptyGlass99]

The bible from Shawshank Redemption, including pages cut out for the hammer :D

[@zivi_aevalia]

Hey, love the content you make here. I have a question. Is there any alternative for the mull? It looks like a dressing cloth, can it be used to reinforce the spine?

[@brendanfields3691]

Dam a narrated video good shit hope to see more you've got a great voice I just started watching your channel I finished your recent 5 book series you've earned my sub for sure and hopefully many more to come happy new year... just realized that series was 2 years old my bad had to come and clear that up lol

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thanks! Welcome to the channel!

[@vixis]

Do you have a video naming your Tools? I'm looking for the wheels with the heated embossing but wouldn't have the first clue what to call them! 😊

[@nancylynch6045]

Why did you add the diagonal line to your measurement marks?

[@simplereflectionofchristianity]

Very nice work helps to have proper tools

[@vincentfaure4472]

Hello Sir, as we can see from your video the book before 25:37 and after are not the same. As the second is better it would have been interesting to comment, for novices like me, on the shortcomings of the first and the improved methods used to achieve the second. Thank you very much however for all these very informative demonstrations. Vincent, from France.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Well spotted - *spoiler alert*, at the end of the series I reveal that I actually made two of these replicas. For filmmaking purposes, footage of both books was used to compile the final videos.

[@vincentfaure4472]

​@@FourKeysBookArts Thank you for your inspiring videos; I appreciate them very much.

[@DirkWillrodtGaronenur]

For me, the most amazing skill you have: very readable handwriting 😅

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thanks 😅

[@joseemcdonald4085]

Great project! may I ask why you have what looks like a piece of granit on the bottom plate of your book press?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

That is a litho stone, which I use for paring leather and, as you see here, as a big heavy spacer for my press. I've got a video about it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6HLemmkfaZoorc

[@LeJean_Dennis]

Love watching you work your craft. Curious what kind of stone are you using in your press? Large, thick slab. Thank you

[@Sean_XT]

really nice cursive handwriting

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@xelthos2051]

Saw the title and thought you were making the Death Note at first. Lol

[@sequentcrafter9013]

Love your videos new subscriber! Can you tell me what the tape is that you use when sewing

[@FourKeysBookArts]

I think what you’re referring to is called linen tape.

[@TarotLadyLissa]

Do the book from the never ending story!

[@MurderinkAustralia]

You should replicate the book from the Ninth Gate film (The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows).

[@liareismelo]

What kind of tape is that?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

I believe you must be referring to the linen sewing tape.

[@liareismelo]

@@FourKeysBookArts yes. I live in Brazil and I already looked here but I try to explain, but nobody knows what I'm talking about. Do you have a specific name? is it cotton?I'm talking about these two tapes that you cut and put in the middle of the seam to give tension

[@FourKeysBookArts]

www.talasonline.com/Linen-Tape

[@Barbara-ty8dj]

Oh you’re a “southpaw”!

[@Yaxchilan]

lol, all i need is scissors to get them to come apart, youd hate the first half of my" cut and restore" magic trick with those

[@hypedupdemon]

How long would a replica of the pirates code from the Pirates of the Caribbean take and when can I have it lol

[@kryptykomedy]

Isn't that denim on the notebook outer?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

No, it's blue book cloth, which is lighter and thinner than cotton denim, and also backed with paper.

[@Unique-gg9xl]

How to cover an old faux leather bed frame

[@grahamparr3933]

What pen is that you used for requirements list please.?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

That is an FPR Himalaya V1 in green ebonite with an EF steel ultra-flex nib.

[@inerlogic]

Came here to ask this, i love green pens, and ebonite, so i need to google this now...

[@inerlogic]

I only use one brand's ink.... but what are you using out of curiosity?

[@markedone9778]

You should have a go at masking the “Field Guide” from the new game Hogwarts Legacy, it would be an awesome project, I would guess similar to your medieval book project, if you decided to do it.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

I'll check it out!

[@hrondeico]

🤩👍👍👍👍👍