Making a Faux Leather Tome (Easy Bookbinding!)

DIY bookbinding an epic, huge spellbook-looking tome!
Patreon: / nerdforge
📕 Check out our bookbinding course! / nerdforge ✨
LONG STITCH METHOD by SEA LEMON: • DIY Long Stitch Bookbi...
MUSIC:
EpidemicSound
PARTS USED:
Brass buckles: bit.ly/2E90hc8
Round brass studs: bit.ly/2E9AccM
Corner brass ornaments: bit.ly/2GqmvIy
Thick waxed thread: bit.ly/bookbind... , bit.ly/2IjDBIm and bit.ly/2GlXtON
Faux leather
100 pages watercolor paper
TOOLS:
Awl: bit.ly/bookbind...
Contact glue
Thick needle
Scissors & x-acto knife
FOLLOW:
Website - www.thenerdfor...
Facebook - / nerdforge
Instagram - / thenerdforge
Twitter - / thenerdforge
BUSINESS CONTACT: [e-mail]

[@svndve]

If I ever do this in the future, I would soak the pages in tea or coffee to give an "old" feel to it

[@Nerdforge]

I like that too, and would have done it if I wasn't going to use this for drawing!

[@davemarinas2575]

some small burns on the edges or so would be good too

[@backuppixiedust1115]

That would look cool, but coffee and tea are kinda acidic and can weaken your paper after a while. It would probably be safer to use watered-down distressing inks.

[@peterpanhandler2631]

You can bake paper at very low temperatures to brown it

[@thetongueofangels1882]

I've never thought of that before..

[@WizardlyMagicks]

I've never wanted to make a thing so badly as this project. This is incredible!

[@BindiDoes]

WayfindersDestiny *randomly reads comments only to find a wild rylz*

[@WizardlyMagicks]

Kaer Morhen Hello! Ever inspired by craft, we should make this. All the things! ❤️

[@professorsnape5901]

WayfindersDestiny there is no word to describe this progect that's how awesome it is amazing incredible

[@nathanbrutal4183]

Nothing I have to write would be worth a book like that.

[@cindyjencks5848]

Awe, Oh you do. I want something to leave behind that will last and people could remember me with.

[@nathanbrutal4183]

Cindy Jencks People don't remember you by how you saw you and never would. And who's to say that book would last a situation where you didn't? Not worth betting on, I'm just going to live the best I can now and if people can't remember that's probably because their life matters more than my death.

[@CheffBryan]

Then why not document nuance things that most people don't bother recording? Many historical documents tell of how grand the food and clothing is at a wedding, but they very rarely go through the ceremony, step by step. Or describe cellphones, with the intention of describing what they are, how they're used, and why people disapprove of their use at certain times.

[@nathanbrutal4183]

CheffBryan Those things won't help anyone in the future live their life, don't think that would be worth it (personally)

[@GamerNut2023]

NathanBrutal A spellbook

[@SeaLemonDIY]

This is so epic 😍 Nice work! Thanks for the mention as well!

[@BlackBeardProjects]

Yes!! That came out great! Must have been quite a workout to stitch that :') And that leather looks legit! Well done Martina.

[@Nerdforge]

Surprisingly tiresome to stitch it, yeah. And thank you! Appreciate it a lot 😄

[@4rc4n3f0rg3]

from looking at the "magic" tome it would be earth type magic, correct?

[@LuisMendoza-pp9qi]

I can't believe how different this videos are compared to the ones in 2023!! Here you are so shy and almost restrained!! We're happy that you found your voice and how outgoing you are!!💯💯

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Really great DIY run-through!!! I do have a couple tiny tips... 1. Butcher Paper... this stuff is more than reasonably tough and suitable for almost any marking media... It comes in sizes from two-foot to four-foot (that I know of) and for thirty bucks ($30 US) you can get a pretty hefty roll at a time... The only down-side is the amount of folding/cutting to do in the beginning to get pages, BUT that also comes with the caveat that you can make ANY size pages and tome you WANT... 2. Rather than the awl, especially with natural leather, you'll be well advised to use a PUNCH... AND it just happens, that there REALLY IS a specialty fine type of leather punch tool on the market. Tandy (last I checked) sells them for about $20 US... Here's the thing. When you punch leather with an awl or needle, you're literally tearing through it. This sets the material up with a weakness around that tear, and over time, it will further tear around the hole(s)... A Punch (on the other hand) CUTS a nice round hole through the leather, removing the "plug" neatly. This leaves a clean edge that will NOT weaken the leather around it and allow it to last MUCH MUCH longer. Okay, yes, this was done to "vinyl" cloth or "naugahide", so the fabric underlying DOES reinforce the product even around those holes. SO I'm not criticizing this work. Please do NOT take that idea. I am (however) just offering a couple tips that will help ANYONE who wants to do this with NATURAL leather as their binding... In the end, while the tool for $20 sounds kind of pricey (expensive?) if you're a regular DIY'er, it will pay off in the longer run. ;o)

[@MrBezazel]

Just a question, I know that vinyl cloth is not cheap in its own right, but say you were to make the same sized tome here, what would be the price difference between a leather-bound book and a vinyl-bound? Just wondering! Thanks!

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Well, Umbrix Barlowe, that's going to depend a little bit on exactly how and where you go about getting either of them... (so be aware this is estimated, and there's a lot of "ish")... Let's start with WalMart, or a similar operation, because I don't have a Hobby Lobby or a "Sew Happy" store right down the road I'm sorry to say... You can usually find Vinyl as a "higher-middle-of-the-road" cloth... Either in a "fresh roll" at something around $5 a yard ( 1 should be plenty for this project) BUT... You can occasionally find "ends and pieces" in bins for serious mark-downs. If you're on a tight budget that's the place to occasionally find the last two or three yards (2-3yd) for as low as $3 and some change!!! It takes patience, but ANY store that sells cloth in stock or rolls ends up with little bits left over that just aren't worth trying to keep the "full market retail" price on them... SO watching for those, you can get bargains... The Leather market works kind of the same way... There's some extra knowledge to go into buying leather, by type, weight, and colors are even known to change the price... SO it takes some plain old personal experience to "get good at it"... However, there are a few good tips to get you started... Pig-skin/hide is lightweight, and tougher than you'd expect. It's thin (relatively) so it tools easier than saddle grade cowhide (1/8" thk or more)... A whole "side of leather" means basically all the hide that came from half the animal skinned... And some like pigs and cows are fairly large for no more of a project than this... BUT you can also buy it by the square foot, usually between $3 and $6 per... Of course, here it's going to pay to "read the fine print", to make sure YOU KNOW whether you're buying individual 1ft x 1ft squares of the stuff, or how big a single continual (or contiguous) piece of leather you CAN get. A goat, for example won't have NEARLY as much hide as a grown pig... Conclusion (because that wall of text has some confusion?)... Basically, you can get leather by the foot, for about the same as Vinyl by the YARD... depending on where or how you go about shopping for it... The tightly budgeted (or those of us who can't justify a fortune in a hobby) can find "sale bins" or "ends and pieces" to satisfy even a project like this for CONSIDERABLY cheaper if you're patient enough to look and wait... Tandy Leather Company is a decent middle of the road and reliable source for natural leather (in my experience) but Ebay host a fair number of shops online, and there are quite a few competitive brand stores online as well. Always happy to help, and I hope this helps you out some. Feel free to ask if anything came out weirder than I intended. (lolz) ;o)

[@MrBezazel]

Wow what a lovely and detailed reply...thank you for taking the time to explain it to me! I'm more versed with fabric textiles as opposed to leather, but I can see that being knowledgeable, smart and patient is the same in both worlds. You were very clear, so thank you again for the explanation.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

You are very welcome, Umbrix... I rather hated the short version "you can get this project done in about twice as much money with a lot less 'left-over' in leather..." (lolz) One other little note (maybe forgot in original reply)... Thickness of leather is often in "pounds" or a #number format... The bigger that number, the thicker the leather, up to something like #14 which is the heavy saddle stuff at around 1/8"... For books, especially to fit around the cardboard (like the vid') you might be well advised to consider topping out around #5-7, and you'll want some sort of "creasing" tool, to help shape the leather around the edges (folding for gluing)... This can be done with a thin pallet knife (or butter knife from the kitchen) but the "technical" tool is a "creasing wheel", and you just press it down and roll over the markings where you want the folds. It compresses the leather to make folding SO much easier... and gluing and clamping is much more convenient that way. ;o)

[@brissygirl4997]

Jun Lanrete You can also get vegetable tanned and oil tanned leather, which will make the cost vary as well.

[@baileyjudd3037]

Another cool thing to add would be gold gilded edges on the paper

[@patel00able]

Bailey Judd art

[@ZirahPastel]

"3 years ago"

[@baileyjudd3037]

@@ZirahPastel ok?

[@christine1000]

For someone who really love writing in journals especially leather bound ones I really love this How long did this actually take you to do

[@Nerdforge]

It took me about 6 hours. Not too bad actually, I had expected it to be more work than it turned out to be.

[@christine1000]

Wow I would have expected it to take longer after seeing this I really want to try it out on my own

[@choisandarating9521]

Nerdforge just a random comment passing by... When I read her comment I answered 6 hours then when I saw your reply I was shocked because I was right 😄

[@maramakesjournals2319]

Very nice! Please do more. Lots more. And, yes, Sea Lemon is the go-to girl for free book-binding tutorials, tho there are tons of people making hand-stitched journals. Nik the Booksmith has made some breath-taking books. Her Tell-Tale Heart journal has a heartbeat.

[@liammc47]

If you run a tile saw (like a small hacksaw but with a round blade instead of a flat one) across the signatures while they are still clamped together, it will save a lot of pain and time from awl work and the holes will be perfectly aligned. 😉

[@the01condor]

A good method but the holes can be to large if this is maked from beginners..

[@Cynthia63636]

I'm looking at these book making videos backwards and it's very interesting and much more noticeable what things you learned along the way

[@dnamcknight]

That's one heck of a book. I like it a lot but I wonder how heavy it is. I have a strange urge to throw it at my sister 🤷🤣

[@cindyjencks5848]

LOLMAO

[@riplonelyy]

Conner McKnight abuse

[@observer_b_4236]

Same

[@sophieross1044]

Conner McKnight omg same

[@firebow2810]

Hahaha same

[@jameso322]

i just started making one based on the materials you listed thanks a lot for that i really appreciate it. not many youtubers even list the materials they used to make it which always makes it harder to try and attempt to make the project.

[@JustineKaise]

I love that you're using it for sketching and drawing. I started making my own painting journals because I couldn't find anything with nice paper that would stay together and look epic. Even handmade sketchbooks don't use nice drawing and watercolor paper. I hope it's a trend that will keep going. :)

[@Grimm_Book]

Very nice, and I like Sea Lemon. Would have done the spine differently though. Just to hide the stitch.

[@humanne2501]

Yeaah, i'm kinda peeved that everything looks neeeat but then the spine is sloppy. The tome itself is pretty rad though!

[@callmetwisted5742]

See I like the shown stitching, but I pref the rows to be side too side, nit long ways with the spine.

[@lone2234]

Actually for a leather book like this I would prefer the stitches to be seen

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Okay, some like to see stitching, and some don't... AND there's more decorative stitching styles and cords (string/thread) to be sure... Covering it isn't that tough though... I'd recommend "real" or "natural" leather if that's the choice... AND an extra fine punch (about $20 US) to tool those seams really tiny around the "edge" of the spine. You CAN use glue (of course) but it's just my experience that the spine's regular flexing wears glue out, so stitches are a great back-up. ;o)

[@gachaoliviae4384]

Cool can you come to 383 ceder creek.

[@Axeo19]

Everyone saying dye the pages. It's going to be used for drawing, white pages are usually what's wanted. Anything else would mess with colors.

[@elle-louise3910]

What a magnificent tome! Almost a lost art but you've captured it wonderfully. It must get such gratification with seeing your beautiful end product. Blessings!

[@danielrichmond5662]

So, I just stumble here randomly, and I have two things two say. 1: I love that book. Like, I want to go out and make one now. You did an awesome job with it! 2: I absolutely love your aesthetic! Like, Darth Vader tee, mystical spell tome for drawing, the nerd forge?? Like, omg, you're rockin it!

[@Theunfathomable0]

This is a great beginner slightly more advanced project. It makes the idea of making a book of my Own not so daunting. Really enjoyed.

[@LokiXeroClone]

this would make for an excellent grimoire as well! i've been looking into transfering mine from a sketchbook to something like this and thought to look around the internet for something to buy, this will be an excellent project for me!

[@iamgod5187]

I'm working on one

[@user-kn8zw5yn5q]

After binging nerdforge videos for 2 weeks it's such a surprise to see Martina with brown/blonde hair. What do you mean your hair is not naturally purple-pink-blue? 😂

[@ThorneyRose]

Every maker of epic tome spell books must have a Gorgeous kitty sidekick!

[@boxface2185]

I love your bookbinding videos because I can use them as a base to make tiny little spell books that I can use as on the go sketch books

[@JessaSmyth]

It's beautiful but the weak spine made me cringe. Tradition bookbinding stitches all the pages together and then adds the cover. If any damage happens to the stitching on yours then your beautiful book is just going to fall apart and that would be a tragedy.

[@TashaSewingTutorials]

This is actually a traditional book binding stitch called the long stitch. The book binding you are talking about is called perfect binding or coptic binding if you sew the signatures around cording.

[@CutieMoli]

Wrong that’s just a different method. This is how the Viking used to do it !

[@ZomBunny]

The first two replies are right, but I feel you. For me, to have an epic tome it needs a strong spine and feel like it'll last ages, this just came across as flimsy and impermanent (partially due to the cardboard and pleather though).

[@garylundberg7238]

I would not worry about it. Considering the short lifespan of vegan leather, it will decompose before any of that is an issue.

[@MogusMasterSaikawa22]

Gary XD tell me about it XD

[@betsyzelinger]

You are WAY more crafty than me! Great job! (I did go ETSY shopping from the shop link and bought that big, beautiful tome with the stone in the front. Hoping I'll get the green-blue stone instead of the yellow...but I'll take what I get.)

[@bambamsarmpits9889]

I make lots of books at home, I made one small book, Tom riddle diary inspired by Harry Potter movies, You gave me a great idea for a book design, but in my opinion sewing the pages together first is better than sewing them to the outside book, btw, you are very talented, thanks for sharing the video

[@sandraroberts5951]

I worked for a Lithograph Company and they used Glue for the pages (stack paper glue one edge) But I really LOVE your method as old books were stitched the way you did that Very Cool

[@alexgee6527]

omg this is the most epic thing I have ever seen been handmade before. You will never have to buy another sketchbook for a good 20+ years with that book!!

[@michaelsorensen7567]

Alex CherryMonster depends on how much you're sketching, doesn't it? Serious sketching related to an art job like animation or illustration would have it filled in a month. Casual doodles or sketching for fun on occasion might stretch it to a few years, but I'm doubtful for 20.

[@michelerichter4]

will have to try and do this myself, have been looking at many home made journals for a while.. this would be perfect for me, but some of the girls were a bit reserved by all the pages. however by your directions I think it would be simple enough to create smaller toombes if I need too.

[@kevineccleston8341]

So, my head gets kind of clogged with so much technology; it's nice to see back to basics craftswomanship at such a detailed level.You have inspired me to restore a very special hardcover book that is in 3 pieces into a leather covered treasure. Not into Wiccan hocus pocus, but to each, his own.

[@skipp692]

Seeing how your bookbinding is now you started off great coming along even better

[@lorna6680]

it looks awesome! I love the little details; it really looks like a spellbook!

[@myautobiographyafanfic1413]

It's funny how much better you are at this now.

[@megolson9888]

that is so beautiful! well done and keep up the good work!

[@HalfLatinaJoy86]

This is so cute! I'm on a super budget, but I think I could even get these items inexpensively. Thanks so much for sharing how to do this!

[@howlingwind1937]

Now That's A Book! You made it look easy but in real life it probably wasn't, I think I'll give it a go! Thanks for the video Martina! Cheers!

[@tracymcculloch8995]

Thank you for an amazing tutorial! I have a diving knife keychain that I use to harvest leather from broken furniture that's put out for the trash. It's usually for jewelry but I have a couple of bigger pieces and now I know just what to do with them!

[@xvioletvortex]

Is it normal if I fall in love with that book? I mean... My whole existence WANTS that book. 😂😂

[@dawnbaker9274]

OMG! This is SOOO going to be a Christmas gift for my artist daughter and daughter-in-law. Thanks.

[@StefanPiano]

I had this idea for a custom case for a series of games. Lets say its the Zelda games for the gamecube. Make a cover that will fit all the games in that series so it looks like it was released that way. Kinda like a collection! For the Zelda on you could make a green leather cover with a triforce on it, just an idea. There are alot of different games you can make this for, would love to see you guys do this!

[@Nerdforge]

Hmm, that's a good idea. Writing it down

[@StefanPiano]

Nerdforge Cant wait to see it :)

[@camojoe83]

Didnt they already make a holder for all the games already? Yea. Hell, the holders outsold the games a million to one. Find them with all the other trash cans down at the local family dollar.

[@strawberrychiekisumi6543]

Omggg. I love all of your handmade books like ever since the SPELLBOOK pop out on my YT recommendation. I watched almost all of the latest ones. Just wow. If I have the money, I would support you. Hmm maybe soon! waaa. I wanna have them all. Imagine having a collection of all of your epic handmade books. Wow. Hands up!

[@Lithiel]

Thank you!!! Ima make one of these for my cosplay/dnd sessions!

[@JTStonne]

That is awesome. I am going to use this project to create a tome prop for a future film. Awesome job.

[@mp7986]

Really cool! It's always beautiful to hear some electro swing music in background of the videos! ;)

[@dindranew.6808]

Glorious! I hope you show some shots of it in use.

[@dankie8330]

Rub slightly wet tea bags on pages t give them an "old" colour and look

[@Nerdforge]

Gonna use this for drawing, if not I would have!

[@dankie8330]

Nerdforge Yea I figured, would look so cool as a random prop if you didnt want to write in it tho

[@cindyjencks5848]

If you want them tattered my dog will volunteer her services..

[@camojoe83]

You can just do the edges as its closed, if you wanted.. maybe after its full you can give it some age without affecting your drawings much.

[@daphneraven9439]

Thank you for your tutorial! You have taken a very daunting-looking project and unfolded it in a way that removes the intimidation factor. It has been a real pleasure to watch you work and am looking forward to finding any others that you have done. Kudoos!

[@boi7339]

You should rub coffee or something on the papers so it looks old. Looks kind of weird with the contrast between the cover and the pages. Still good video

[@caffeinatedpossum]

Not if you plan to use it for drawing. But it is watercolor paper so it would take it quite well.

[@Silver0Crow]

You could use parchment paper then, the tan one perhaps

[@MrBezazel]

Along with coffee, tea is also used for dying paper so it looks like old, vintage parchment.

[@Karaliynn]

Oooh! Just make sure if you use the tea dying method you place the paper under a heavy textbook or something as it will curl and be harder to uncurl after. We had this problem with poster board and it cracked along the back.

[@jackylnhyde]

bo i setting the tome in a window pages first would work too..

[@ghettocountry8678]

Man that's sharp, Maybe one day when I've watched these enough and have the materials i would have to try it out and make me one, imma big crafter also, but this is so great because books like this last forever...

[@AutoMotivate]

YUGEE

[@rozzy3528]

TheDeDecker ITS GONNA BE YUGEE

[@AutoMotivate]

Ok then YUGGEEEEE

[@jamescullis65]

I think that there's nothing more beautiful than an a Handcrafted Leather bound Journal! The talent it takes to get everything rightly measured, cut, craved & All put together. I would classifie as VERY, VERY talented!. " That's all from the book of James"!

[@hunterpetals2762]

My friend spends 90% of her time making sketch books and she made me one the other day. I’m probably going to make this for her for her birthday. Thank you for the idea!

[@dominic.h.3363]

If pen & paper RPGs were still a thing, I'd make one immediately!

[@philippbretz5307]

Domonkos Horváth it still IS a big thing ...

[@dominic.h.3363]

Not where I live.

[@philippbretz5307]

Domonkos Horváth than its time to move... Guess you are somewhere near Hungary /Austria?

[@dominic.h.3363]

Sure, give me a minute to pack my bags, as it happens I'm fluent in german too ... :P

[@philippbretz5307]

Domonkos Horváth perfect! Lets Play an good Round of dsa, Midgard, cthulhu or whatever else!

[@susanjerrell9220]

Everything about this tome is perfect. The size, the stitching, the paper choice...all just right. Keep doing what you do!

[@burakgul5508]

Lots of work here. Congrats :D :D

[@timseguine2]

Just recently found your channel, and it is cool to see your skill development over a relatively short time. I liked this project, but your newer ones are even better.

[@Drake844221]

First off, I do want to say that it is a pretty damn impressive piece. I have a few things about it that I think could be improved, I just want to start off with that so that it's clear I'm not trying to knock that hard work. First, I think you are right, real leather would have been better. A related second is that I would suggest using a different color of leather for the straps while also giving a stitching effect around the diamond where it connects to the cover and any part of the length that it is fastened to the cover. It's one of those visual cues that would take it from almost looking almost like leatherwork to really hitting it out of the park. The last suggestion is, I think, the piece's biggest flaw. The binding just feels wrong. As a bit of a hardcover enthusiast, having the signatures fastened to the cover in that way, and so loosely just doesn't look right. If you managed to tighten down those elements, it would go from being an awesome fan piece to something that you could easily sell at just about any event.

[@atlaseccelstone8749]

This is one beautiful monster of a tome! I only wish you had done faux stitching on the leather belts (and possibly the perimeter of the book itself, but with all those studs it would have been overkill) and used end pages. (I think some deep red end pages would have complimented the leather nicely)

[@RivkahSong]

This was quite a while ago but if you want to add an old feel to the pages without dying them (since that would interfere with your artwork) you can use painter's tape to protect the book cover, clamp it shut so the pages are pressed together, and just paint the page ends to give it the look of gilded pages. Sealemon did a tutorial on it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56vgWWPf55koLM

[@benjoe1993]

So the fact that you've made 10 fantastic books in the past two years is incredible but I'm even more amazed is how much your editing skills have come in these two years :D

[@RoDraws]

.........i would use this for drawing........and i wish i had the skills to make this......i would need to find where to buy something similar but i doubt id find something this epic anywhere elseXD

[@Nerdforge]

But its so easy to make, I'm sure you anyone can do it! :)

[@lone2234]

I tried binding my own book a few times and suprising its not that hard! Go see some sea lemon tutorial

[@tinalevesque5772]

if your awful at sewing like me cheating and using a binder would work too. just glue the leather on the binder, n just get a differnt version of the brass nubs. you can get those " sticker" half balls meant for scrap booking

[@takeashotelliot9045]

the music in the background makes me feel cool

[@superrandomperson5149]

I love this. This is my dream. Roughly how much did it cost to make this? I'm seriously thinking of trying it. Thanks so much for making this video I've been wanting someone to make something like this for about a year now.

[@Nerdforge]

Thanks for the nice comment! Most items are in the description, so you can check the price for yourself :) For leather, there's always second hand stores that sell leather clothing cheap, or faux leather should be quite cheap online

[@wereoctopus]

You can make pretty nice coptic-bound books with pretty low expenditure. Since the spine isn't reinforced it doesn't work so well for huge, heavy books like this with 10+ signatures, but I've done small 3-6 signature A5 books with printed text on copy paper, 2 pieces of cardboard, 2 sheets of decorative paper, an awl, glue, needle and embroidery thread. It's a great way to get into the hobby without embarking on a bigger project like this one.

[@fantasy9865]

2:06 I love that song!😍 I was like "oh wow someone else know it! It rocks!"

[@HikariMagic20]

I would totally pay you to make another one of these, but alas you probably wouldn't really want to do this because you like making the DIY vids. DIY intending for someone else to follow as a guideline to make something similar. Maybe I'll manage to make the time and get the materials to make one myself. Thanks for making these kinds of videos!

[@katrakhada]

I love this! It’s a fantastic book, but the tutorial is done really well. Easy to follow and not super long. Thank you for a great video.

[@Fyrhp]

I like the idea of a huge epic ancient looking tome, but... So many of these techniques were wrong. Since you chose such a thick paper it would've been better to have less pages in each signature or no signatures at all and sew each page individually. Also rather than sewing it onto the cover itself it would've been better to sew it onto a blank mockup first and glue the block to linen in the spine. This would hold the book together much longer and make the spine look much cleaner. Nevertheless, gotta give you props to actually sitting down and trying it 👏

[@imwithstupid086]

She's using it for sketching, so the natural gaps between signatures offers the advantage of letting the paper rest flatter than if it was affixed to a rigid spine.

[@daphneraven9439]

Fyrhp Hi, Fyrhp! I enjoyed watching this video tremendously; all the same, I am getting the impression from you that you may have some education & experience in creating & binding books by hand, and I would absolutely love to see how you learned to do it. Please tell me that you have a tutorial (preferably a detailed one) or there somewhere that I could take in! That would be a real gift!

[@MorganScott82]

Great job. I think a binder's press would help you produce a finer, flatter spine (so it has a more consistent thickness rather than being wedge shaped with a thicker spine than edge). You can DIY one really easy with two pieces of wood and two bolts, washers and wing nuts. Tighten the wing nuts to press the spine.

[@Viertelhund]

Respect for your commitment and courage for such a ambitous project. But having learned basic bookbinding skills in school, I got mildly but sustained shocked from 3:27 on. When binding a book, you would sew the signatures together (not and never to the leather), clasping them with paperboard stripes (which make the ribs on the back of old tomes) between the paperboard covers, hammering on the end of the signatures to flatten and adjoin them (so they really merge into one book). Then you would want to cut them to an even edge on the other side (otherwise the inner papers keep sticking out, because of the thickness of the paper). And those are just few of the important things, which would massively improve the result. Bookbinding is a complex, traditional, yet fascinating craftsmanship and art. It demands not little awe (it's of the if-you-mess-up-the-last-step,-you'd-lose-all-progress-and-have-to-start-over-from-the-beginning kind of trade) and is loathed to take short-cuts.

[@diamondstudios5048]

That book is amazing

[@Uatemysoul]

I would love something like this for my D&D spellbook.

[@InkyArcana]

Wow, that was awesome!! I’ve always loved cool looking books and would make (far less awesome) little books when I was little too. I hope I’ll actually make something like this someday. You’re super inspirational!

[@robbynerosecassada4629]

AWESOME! Thank you for sharing your instructions! Even if I don't write anything it's looks amazing! And I can use your technique to make any size book. Also, it can be used for a scrapbook too.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Wow! That's a great tome! An added feature would be to stain the pages with tea to give the signatures an aged warped look. That's a lot more work but it would give the tome that extra punch!

[@sonofblaze6209]

that looks pretty cool in time lapse

[@daleleibfried8648]

You have so much patience. Good job

[@amandapeterson790]

This is phenomenal!!!! It's beautiful and I've NEVER thought of this!!! I will definitely be looking into doing this!

[@kingrxb9052]

I’m m in the middle of making one of these for a d&d game, I loved watching this video you gave some great ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of

[@whatthefridge1o1]

This was one of, if not the, first videos I've seen of yours And here I am, four years later still watching :D

[@Safire365]

I'm definitely going to make one of these books one day. I've always loved journals but picking from the pre made ones I've never had a connection to what I was writing in. But if I made my own I'm sure I would like to write in it a lot better.

[@KJ7JHN]

Using a sewing machine, stitch around the edges of the straps. Also maybe use one piece of leather from buckle, stitched on, to punched strap on the other side. Looks great!

[@michigandave9680]

When will we get to see what you have done inside those glorious covers? Really looking forward to that.

[@purplevampireanime]

Im so excited to try and make this for my sister for D&D!!

[@lisaobrien2077]

love it first time ive seen one like this. Very crafty. great job

[@scottnelson1097]

That is a really awesome build! I will have to go a bit thinner though. Nice Job!!

[@jackiegfeller]

What a lot of work, but your dedication to the craft shows! That is awesome and no one else has one just like it! Amazing piece!

[@isabellesmith4741]

If you don’t want your thread to show on the corner pieces, you can always use clear fishing line! It’s super sturdy and practically invisible. I use it all the time.

[@Nemo_Anom]

I like it, my only quibble is that I haven't ever seen a book, old or new, with exposed stitching like that. Good job!

[@4SCARECROWS]

Most excellent job you did ! I'm an artist and this completely makes me want to make one for myself. I can see my drawings and paintings ( along with some spells ) being in this book. thank you for sharing this with us. : )

[@4castlesandcoffee958]

Your book videos make me so happy

[@eugenio5774]

absolutely epic. you could even stain the paper for a parchment look and then it would be a perfectly legit spellbook for your wizard!

[@Baessen]

If you can find it at a print shop, 100# Cougar Cover is really good for the inside of books, and it doesn't have to be seperated. It's for printing, but it's non-coated which makes it easy to write on as well.

[@tjb2415]

You did such an amazing job making this journal book! 😍 The finished product is beautiful. 😄❤

[@terraguth4237]

That is the most awesome looking spell book I have ever seen in my entire life!

[@bittersweetpills4843]

Relaxing video of making an old fashioned tome. Puts edm between every narration.

[@lindakf27]

Wonderful project with excellent instructions in a nice, condensed video. Thank you!

[@abundantlyyours6861]

Wow! Gorgeous! What a beautiful book!

[@morbiddinosaur]

Perfect drawing book, beautiful creation

[@bethgiani1213]

Really like this a lot! Am considering to do this in the near future

[@Rhiilynn]

only thing i could think of adding to give a more weathered look is to stain the pages with tea bags,but that's more of a personal preferance.