Japanese Stab binding (soft cover)

Japanese Stab Binding book

1.First determine the size you would like your book to be. For the papers inside the book make sure that the width is twice the size of your book so that you can fold the paper in half.

2.Determine what you want your cover to be. You can have a book with a hard (book board) or lighter cover (thick paper). Cut two identical size covers. The cover should match up to the size of the paper that you folded.

3.Place the open edges of the folded pages towards the spine (the folds should not be in the spine).

4.Clamp the whole book together with clips.

5.Measure at least ¼ inch from the left and top and bottom of the book. You can determine how far you want the holes to go.

6. Poke 4 holes evenly with an awl, drill, or another device that will poke a hole through the whole book.

7.Get thread, ribbon, yarn, or another type of thread to string through the wholes. You will need about 3-4 lengths of your books width.

8.Start at your second hole from the back. Leave about 2 inches of thread then rap around the spine of the book and back into the same hole (from the back).

9.You should end with the needle at the front of the book. Go through the 3^rd hole starting from the front of the book going to the back then rap it around the spine and go down through the same hole from the front of the book.

10.The needle should be at the back of the book. Poke the needle up through the 4^th hole to towards the front of book. Rap the thread around the spine and place the needle again through the same hole from the back of the book.

11.Have the thread go around the top of the book and go in from the back of the (4^th hole) hole, which should leave your needle poking out the front of your book.

12.Go into the 3^rd hole front to back of the book.

13.Go into the 2^nd hole back to front of the book.

14.Go into the 1^st hole from the front to back of the book. Have the thread go around the spine of the book and back into the hole from the front of the book.

15.Rap the thread around the bottom of the book and back into front of the 1^st hole.

16.Tie a square knot tightly with the 2 inches thread you gave yourself in the beginning. Cut off excess thread leaving about ¼ inch stubs.