Tutorial: Hardcover journal with a soft spine

I thought I'd walk you through how I'm creating these hardcover, soft spine journals I've been working in. I LOVE them!

[@marionginbey7399]

I absolutely love this binding method. Thank you so much for sharing it.

[@jeanninelarsen1065]

Thank you for the tutorial, amazing binding.

[@wendowendall4017]

Thank you SO MUCH for this tutorial! I tried it for a journal and absolutely love it. Your videos inspire me to experiment and make more journals and art. Hope you are doing well!

[@stampingchaylina]

Excellent. Thank you...I'm going to give this a try:)

[@katiebyrd7701]

I literally just undid a spine I just (almost) completed so I can do this technique on it!! I just love you so much! I have been binge watching your videos the last week! I am so excited to try this one!! I did a soft spine one with paper and fabric but this with the prepped canvas is PERFECT! ..... then the CHAIN STITCH!!! I can't handle it!! I have to make it happen tonight!! We are in south central Oklahoma and we have weather coming through this weekend (I think ya'll do too!" and I may just be up using this method and making myself some "busy hands" journals!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

[@Paperlover123]

This is brilliant!❤

[@noramyett6422]

This is wonderful. I can't wait to try this spine. And I love all your painting on the canvases too.

[@lisahatch2649]

Great idea about the canvas boards to use as book board covers. Love the tips in this video.

[@debbiedoughty]

Love this idea!

[@GCgirl67]

Good to see you again! Thanks for sharing this especially the idea of using the canvas material together when I get back into my journal making routine I’m going to definitely give that a try.

[@carollaws838]

Oh thank you so very much for sharing this technique, I really appreciate it xxx

[@pjyellowdog2178]

Good to see those busy hands!

[@JennKerrPhotography]

Great idea and excellent tutorial! Thank you so much, Melanie! 💗

[@triciaperdue3161]

I made my 1st one tonight! Thanks so much for showing me this..I love, love it!🌿

[@terrywarburton2954]

I love “slow stitching”... that’s my jam. But every time I see one of your videos, I need to try making one of your great journals. Tyfs Melanie!

[@dozenrosas2136]

What a great idea! I will try ✅

[@ladybugonapug-jamie2596]

Thank you so much for the tutorial, Melanie! Just genius how you do this .... I love the outcome! Can't wait to give it a try, thank you!

[@tfntexas]

That was an awesome tutorial and of course I don’t mind the ads. You are teaching us something wonderful!

[@RobynJeanSchmidt]

This is an amazing idea. Thanks for sharing. I have been watching all your videos. Such great content and ideas.

[@lisaohalloran8149]

Brilliant!!!!!! 😇

[@scrapstampcreate]

Love this. Definitely going to try it. The garter closure is genius.

[@Jenny-W1910]

Melanie-your a genius! What a great tutorial, you showed and explained everything perfectly. thanks so much for sharing :-)

[@BexfromTexas]

I'm excited to see how you connect signatures to the spine. Great video!

[@burlapanddailybread]

I love this idea! Can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing! Kristi

[@CraftingMamas]

I love this! I am definitely going to try it. Thanks so much for sharing your process. Aloha, Shelley

[@deborahdettor1694]

🔆❤️THANK YOU SO MUCH for saving me the time, trouble & effort of trying to reinvent the wheel!!! This is a FABULOUS video, and I will GLADLY share your channel whenever I share books I make with this binding on my channel! Thanks again!!!❤️🔆

[@JournalAsYouWishStacyCarpenter]

Thank you for this tutorial 💕 I am giving it a try😁

[@KellysThriftyFinds]

This is genius! I loved your soft cover golden books but I was scared to try sewing them with my machine. I’m so excited to try this because it just seems like the perfect combination for me. Thank you!

[@ilenemack]

I really want to try this. I hope I can make it happen. I have been wanting to make a soft spine and I love the stitching technique. 💕 Thank you

[@MariasMiscellany]

I've been looking forward to this tutorial. I just used my cropadile to make holes to make a spiralbound notebook style journal and it was actually fun to punch all those holes! LOL I have an old canvas that I'm going to deconstruct to do this. It is the perfect technique for a special journal I've been wanting to make. Happy New Year by the way. :-)

[@austenspapertree8429]

Thank you!! I´ve watched this tutorial more then ten times. And finally I had all the needed things together and did it!!! Thanks for this idea and the "perfect step" tutorial.

[@relaxcutglue]

I never even thought about using those canvases for book covers! GENIUS! Thanks for the great tutorial too! 🥰

[@funkeyjournals3674]

Brilliant way of securing the spine to the cover! I like the idea of using the canvas reinforcement. TFS❤️

[@sophiewagstaff2081]

This is such a great idea! I have a journal I made in the summer, and the spine I made has become too small - I’ve made the journal too chunky! So I’m going to try and make a new bigger spine using your stitched method. Thank you! 💖

[@mossandstars4984]

I have learned so much from you. I thank you with all my heart. I am a beginner but I started around March this year, and I have been preparing signatures and pages and now i have to put them together. I have created around 15 books that I want to sell for Christmas some and others for special gifts. I am very thankful for what you share. Many blessings for you and your family, from Quito, Ecuador. I am going to try this tomorrow!!! Thank you Melanie. You have great taste and tou are very sweet.

[@natalieserrato2157]

What a fabulous tutorial! You explain everything so well! I actually think I can do this now, after watching you! Thank you!

[@darlawhitney1454]

Awesome video Thanks so much!! I am going to do this right now!!

[@Countrygarden2023]

This was so interesting. I’ve never seen this technique before..... it’s gorgeous. I’m a new subscriber.... I love your tutorials and flip throughs xx

[@BonesAndButtons]

Really enjoyed that tutorial. New subbie. Yes, please monetise your tutorials. I appreciate your effort to pass on your skills.

[@dawnm65]

This is genius! I'm so glad I found your channel, and this tutorial. I'm subscribing now and I can't wait to try this technique!

[@MelanieSullivan]

Thanks for subbing!

[@thebadwitch3258]

I love soft spines & hard covers. The ability to fold it back is also great for writing. I'm going to try the hole punch & sewing... I've always glued my fabric. Great video. Thanks.

[@aurorarodriguez9500]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I love the technique to b able to lay the journal out flat. So appreciate this. I also don't mind the ads as its a means of compensation for your time and effort. Take care and stay well.

[@rhondamarshall7039]

Thank you, new subscriber as of today. Great binding technique, will be giving this a try.

[@daydreamingtocreate]

I am a new subbie and absolutely love your videos! So inspirational! I can't wait to try this way of binding. Thanks for sharing your talent and I will gladly have the ads! Cindy

[@hkm424]

You are a genius! This is actually what I've been working to figure out. I preferred spiral bound because I had more movement than altered books BUT spiral bound gets in the way and no 2 page layouts. Fabric journals were great but missed the hard book covers. So on and so forth, so I had been playing with fabric spines but it just wasn't working like in my head. As soon as I seen the cinched holes with the fabric it sparked the fire back into my soul. I can't wait to start some new covers!! Thank you thank you thank you! -Heather

[@nathaliet.3985]

Oh-my-goodness!!! So glad I stumbled upon your channel last week (and immediately subscribed!!) You are so inspiring, and I really enjoy the way you explain everything. Thank you so much for sharing Melanie! I'm definitely gonna try the chain stitching 😍. x.o Nat.

[@maramakesjournals2319]

I followed a link from 49 Dragonflies to see your binding method. Thank you very much. My mind is a bit blown from the inspiration. I’m amazed how easily the Crop-a-dile punched thru that board. The awl worked great too. I wonder if the tap punch you can get with a set of metal eyelets would work. You could tap a nail thru to lumber also. I have other ideas. You have a kinetic style that agitates me to get hopping. Gotta bind a book asap! Very nice video.

[@donnalaing5825]

Thank you for sharing

[@MelanieSullivan]

Thanks for watching!

[@eddielucero998]

Great tutorial. Louise

[@jnordfors]

Very nice, tutorial. I ended up here from Barbara @ 49 Dragonflies! Beautiful and inspiring! New subbie

[@sharinsherri2558]

49Dragonflies sent me over. Love this type of spine! Thanks for sharing. New subbie here.

[@Rhaevyn13]

This is pretty much what I've been looking for. Tossing around ideas in my head for a way to make junk journals that actually lay flat. Most people make those alligator monstrosities and I just think, how is anyone supposed to write in that? Unless I blinked, I didn't see how you put your signatures together to attach to these covers. Thanks for this! Also: nothing like a children's book with a garter belt hook LOL!

[@Karma111284]

I started doing these soft spines after your last video and I am IN LOVE with them also. Thank you so much for all your incredible ideas they inspire me so much. I also got me a cinch for christmas finally!! Yay! Hope your doing well. Prayers still. Thank you for all that you do and just being you.

[@MelanieSullivan]

I just love the way these spines make the book feel in your hand. I wish I could see yours... send me a pic!

[@Karma111284]

@@MelanieSullivan ok I will take some pics tonight, how do I send you pics though?

[@MelanieSullivan]

@@Karma111284 I sent you a message in Etsy!

[@updatedjustnow271]

Okay. You’ve convinced me. I’m going to try this on an old book that has a crappy spine.

[@MelanieSullivan]

Let me know how it goes!

[@kathylambert-uz1vs]

❤❤❤

[@cathyxox3999]

I don't so but I love the soft spine idea

[@nildam.bonilla5849]

Interesting I do like the idea and will use it to alter the cover of an old planner, but to do it from scratch on a book will have to wait as it requires tools I don't own and won't own in the near future

[@MelanieSullivan]

Hi Nilda, you could use an awl (or other pokey tool) to put holes in your cover and get the same result. Just be careful! Thanks for watching!

[@wendyroper9364]

Thank you Melaine for this unique idea! It inspired me to purchase some canvas paper to see what what I can do with my spines. I wonder if anyone has tried running it through their printer? I would love to print some of my mixed media work on the canvas and then use as a spine. Thoughts anyone? Also your idea of adding the original spine onto the canvas is genius! I have often made mine into bookmarks but this is another option.

[@debbiedoughty]

Great idea! You can get canvas cloth sheets (8.5X11") that are made for inkjet printers. Mine are from Office Depot. They are a nice weight. I was thinking of using it between lightweight fabric since I don't paint, but I love your idea too.

[@MelanieSullivan]

Great ideas! I'm going to look for the canvas printer sheets now...

[@MelanieSullivan]

I haven't tried putting it through my printer, but you've got me really curious! I might try it. Great idea, thank you for sharing!

[@sharonwilson243]

I love this idea and am thinking of using tyvec in place of canvas. It should work, right?

[@margaretpinsent6388]

Genius for keeping signatures flat 👏. I especially like the green one where you keep the original spine cover. Question: did you glue the original spine to the folded/painted canvas, or did you hand stitch it, before gluing the whole thing to the covers? And then do the stitching through the hols etc... Im working on a memories book for a friend using a book (gutted) dated 1899 as a school prize, and I think your method for the spine will work well. Thanks. Mx

[@MelanieSullivan]

I think I glued it onto the canvas (with Scotch Create glue stick) and then stitched around the edges of it with the machine after it was dry and before I stitched it by hand to the cover boards. It's a pretty fun binding method and I love the floppy feel while still having a hard cover.

[@juliemangold1883]

Your videos never disappoint! Love this idea. Can't wait to try it. Just curious why you don't just glue on the soft spines? The paper spines are all just glued on?

[@MelanieSullivan]

Hi Julie. I guess I feel like the soft spine makes the book so much more floppy that it would take more wear and tear and eventually the glue might come apart. I might do an experiment and see how much wear and tear a glued soft spine can take. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@juliemangold1883]

@@MelanieSullivan I agree about loving the feel. It will be interesting to see how your experiment comes out.

[@lesliespeers2739]

Love it! Looks pretty simple. My question is, you mentioned that you could make less holes and if you did that, how would attaching it work? I was thinking 6 holes in the middle only, but can't see how this method would work. Maybe you have an answer for that.*L

[@MelanieSullivan]

While I think you could do this with fewer holes (six would be fine), I think you'd still need your top and bottom holes to be near the top and bottom edges of the covers to you could secure the cloth all the way to the edges of the cover. Does that make sense? If you had fewer holes, you'd have longer chain stitches, but I think it would be secure as long as they were tight.

[@marybeth6026]

Do you think tyvek would work? Just found your channel. Loving it already. Ive been wanting to do this fornso long but didnt know how. Thank you!

[@MelanieSullivan]

Thanks for the comment, Marybeth. I'm not sure about Tyvek by itself, but layering some Tyvek under fabric would probably work great. I guess it depends on what kind of Tyvek you're using too. I know some people reuse the Priority mail envelopes, but I have some Tyvek house wrap that's very stiff and noisy. I only use it if I'm gluing it down to something else as a reinforcement. Let me know how it goes if you try it! XO

[@cathyminers5231]

Thank you very much for your informative tutorial. As it turns out, the Fredrix Canvas Pad ($5.36 for ten sheets of 8" X 10" at Dick Blick) is about the same price as the Master's Touch. If using the Fredrix, would you suggest doubling up like you do for the Master's Touch or just using a single thickness? Thank you.

[@MelanieSullivan]

I think doubling the canvas (either brand) would give you a much sturdier spine and greatly decrease the chance of the binding ripping the fabric.

[@BexfromTexas]

I've bought the stuff to do this accept Fabritac. Where do I get that? Or can I use a different glue? Thanks!

[@MelanieSullivan]

I buy it at JoAnn in the glue section of the craft area. Sometimes they have it on the shelves along the checkout line too.

[@brindabellabella2354]

Can't afford those croc punches.

[@mysummertouch]

You should monetize all your videos, you're doing work