Pamphlet Stitch Mini Book Tutorial

Hi everyone... Marcy here with a little tutorial for you today.

After scrapbooking I'd say my favorite craft would be bookbinding.  Over the last couple of years I've explored various bindings and I thought I'd share a really simple one with you all today.

I love making little booklets, but sometimes I don't want a row of staples down the middle. That's where the pamphlet stitch comes in.

For this you'll need the following:

- cardstock for your cover

- copy paper or cardstock for your inner pages

- a tapesty needle (or a large-eyed needle at the very least)

- awl (or thumbtack, or something to make your holes)

- bookbinding thread or embroidery thread

- paraffin wax if you're using embroidery thread (optional)

- graph paper

- any embellishments you want

This is what we'll be making...

Here's what I pulled to embellish my booklet/mini book, along with the other supplies:

- Cakewalk Doo-Dads

- Cakewalk Flower Sack

- Cakewalk Brads (not shown)

I wanted to keep it pretty simple.

After you pull all your supplies you'll want to fold a piece of cardstock for your cover.  I trimmed mine to card size.

Now you can decorate your cover.  I wanted a star on the top with the Photos Enclosed tag underneath.  To add a little interest I layered a graph paper star under the star from the Doo-Dads package and layered multiple banners under the Photos Enclosed tag.

I also added a little stitching before adding the "3" brad from the Cakewalk collection.

So, now, however you decided to decorate your cover.... here's where the binding comes in.

First, you'll want to trim your interior pages to fit.

Now gather all your other supplies.  This will be a phone book, graph paper, a pen, an awl (or something else you can poke holes with) and bookbinding thread or embroidery thread.

Trim your graph paper to be the same height as your booklet.  Fold it in half.  Now, down the center make the marks for your holes.  I usually start by placing one near the top, one near the bottom and then spacing 3 - 4 holes in between those.  You will use this as a guide to make the holes for your binding.

Put your booklet together and place it in the opening of your phonebook.  Place the graph paper in the middle of your booklet.  Make sure everything is straight.

Take your awl (or whatever you're going to use to poke holes) and poke holes through each of your dots on the graph paper so that they pierce all the layers of your booklet.

At this point you're done with the graph paper and you should have a booklet that's ready for binding.

Now you'll need your bookbinding thread or embroidery thread and a needle.  Bookbinding thread has a layer of wax on it that makes the binding process go smoothly and avoid knotting. You can do this binding totally fine with embroidery thread or you can run your embroidery thread over a block of paraffin wax and get a similar effect.

So, here's what your booklet should look like from the side.

Thread your needle with a piece of thread that's about twice the height of your book.  Start on the inside and go through the bottom hole to the outside and then up to the top hole and back in.  It should look like this from the outside.  (You'll just want a little tail long enough to tie at the bottom).

Take your needle and go out the next hole down (hole #2).  Now you're back on the outside.

Now you're on the outside and you'll want to hop over the thread that's lying across the spine and go back down the hole you just came out of... like this...

Now you're on the inside again and you'll want to repeat this for every hole until you get to the bottom.  When you're done just tie your string into a knot and trim it off.

And here's what your booklet should look like from the side.  Cute right?

Thanks for joining me today.  I hope this will help you think outside the box when you're making booklets or notebooks.... and serious bonus points to you if you stuck through all my rambling!

Comments

[Linda]

I love your blog and am featuring it tomorrow as part of my Fab Five Friday post!

Great tutorial!

Linda

[Julie Shearer]

I love this !!! What a great idea !! TFS.

[Loren]

Excellent walk-through Marcy! Thanks!!!

[Marti Richards]

I like this! Thanks for the tutorial, Marcy.

[Ellie A.]

SO Sweet! I love it.. I just might give it a go and make a little album! Thanks so much for the tutorial.

[Toni f]

Thanks Marcy, your tutorial is fabulous, I will be making one very soon with the 9 to 5 line.

[Linda]

This is super cute! Thanks for sharing :)

[Tabbatha S]

Amazing! I was just googling this morning on how to do this for an upcoming project. Fantastic tut!