I love books, being in nature and getting creative with natural materials so this workshop series is my attempt to bring all these loves together.
The result is a collection of wonderfully tactile and satisfying book structures that make for great nature journals, garden log books, sketchbooks and personalised gifts.
The 4 bookbinding tutorials included in this course are:
- Single vine binding with leather or pleather cover, incorporating 3 signatures (A7 size)
- Double vine binding, with leather or pleather cover, featuring 4 signatures (A6 size)
- Japanese stab style twig book (A5 size)
- Twig or seed head pamphlet stitch book
I have also included videos on some of my favourite techniques for creating decorative botanical papers to use in your bookbinding:
- Mono leaf printing (using an ink pad and foraged leaves)
- Botanical stamp making
- Leaf rubbing
- Plus, ideas on where to source pre-loved papers on a botanical theme
There is also a list of recommended links to help you get started with:
- Nature journalling
- Botanical ink making
- Bundle dying
My step-by-step video tutorials cover everything from making templates, to preparing your covers, creating your signatures (complete with nifty pockets for storing treasures), stitching your books and adding finishing touches including fastenings and page dividers.
This is a great workshop series if you have a stash of papers or nature prints (such as gel plate experiments and eco-prints) patiently waiting to be made into something! I have also included a video in this series that shares some ideas on different remnant and recycled papers you could use in your books.
The books structures included in this course lend themselves nicely to displaying decorative papers, sketches and poetry as well as being usable books for working into whether it’s nature sketching, seasonal journalling or note-taking in the wilderness that gets you going.
Read on for info on how this course is taught and my limited edition material kits.
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How this course is taught?
Materials
- Leather ( ranging from tan brown to mossy green) or pleather (green/brown) cut to size with pre-punched stitching holes
- Plain paper cut to size
- A mix of green/brown threads for stitching your books
- Twine for fastening
- Beads for page divider
- Metal stud for fastening the larger book
- Decorative papers (with a botanical theme)
- A selection of hand-printed botanical papers I have created specially for this workshop
- Foam sheet for botanical stamp making
Tools
An optional bookbinding toolkit is available which includes:
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Awl
- Cork punch board
- Bookbinding needle
- Bonefolder
- Bulldog clips
You will need to provide:
- The bookbinding tools above (if you haven’t purchased a toolkit)
- Scissors
- Chopping board or cutting mat
- Ink pad, crayons and leaves if you want to have a go at printing your own decorative papers (links on where to source these included in the course)
- A Japanese Screw Punch is helpful for attaching the stud fastening to one of your books but not necessary, I have included a work around in my videos if you don’t have one
>You can also purchase access to the Botanical Bookbinding online course without a kit, click here for more information.
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