Tools You’ll Need For Rebinding Books
I recently shared a blog post about the newest hobby I started. And since - Ive had a lot of interest in wanting to learn more about the actual process. Guys, this makes my crafty heart happy! So, today we’re going to dive into the tools you’ll need when it comes to rebinding books.
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Book rebinding can be a pretty expensive hobby if you’re starting from scratch. But if you enjoy it, the investment is worth it. A few of these items can also be used for other projects too so again, worth the investment. Not all items are necessary, but I’ll make sure to let you know which are and why they are helpful. If you choose not to invest in the “helpful” ones to start, that ok! I did not start with all of these items. So I’ll also provide some tips to get around them.
First you’ll need a book. That’s pretty obvious, right!? I started with a book that I had purchased used and was not hugely connected to, incase I messed it up. Honestly though, after doing several rebinds at this point, its a pretty easy hobby. Like I mentioned in the first blog post, these have not come out perfect, but they’re still so pretty!
Other Items you’ll need:
Measuring tools - A ruler with cm. A cork backed ruler is best, but not necessary - the cork just helps limit the slip you might experience while cutting.
Cutting tools - a utility knife of any kind, this is the one I have. You’ll need a rotary cutter. As well as a self healing mat - if you don’t have any of these, this is a great bundle I found.
Glue - You’ll want an acid free all purpose glue. This one is specific to projects like book rebinding.
Paint brushes - to spread the glue. I find silicone brushes are best for glue projects. They’re super easy to clean.
Pencil for marking and making lines. Im assuming everyone has a pencil lying around their house.
Bone Folder - this helps make better creases/folds for the paper as well as helpful while securing the cloth to the book boards.
Book binding stencils - these are NOT necessary - you can measure these lines easily with your ruler, but I find them to be helpful.
Book Board and Book cloth. I knew I wanted to do several books in black cloth so I went with this bundle, but there are other options to choose from.
Book cloth - this is for the spine of the book and helps to keep it all together.
Head bands - these are the little cloth strips you see on the edges of spine. My first book I did, I did not use them, but they do look nicer with them. You can make your own, with string and strips of fabric you have lying around.
Paper/card stock - this is going to be attached to the book and the books new hardcover, so you’ll want to make sure its thick enough and big enough. Keep in mind, you’ll be folding the paper in half and you’ll need one sheet for the front and one for the back. You’ll need two sheets of paper - 12x12 is recommended to make sure you have enough/depending on the size of the book.
Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) - this is what you use to add the design to your hardcover book. If you’re doing other projects, a roll is definitely the more price effective choice.
A heat press - I have both a large and mini. This is an item I highly recommend, it’s what you use to put the HTV to the hardcover, but if you have a regular old iron, that works fine too.
A Cricut - this is an expensive machine, if you don’t have one, but the tool you need to cut the design in your vinyl. I have had one for years and I use it for everything!
Book press - this is not a necessary item. You can press your books between heavy books/items. I do now own one and its been VERY helpful. I also use my book press to hold the book in place while I work on the spine. But before I had one I used two large crystals on either side of the book to hold it spine-up.
Parchment paper - also not a “necessary” item, you can use anything really - scrap paper for example. I use it to put between the book and my book press (to prevent any oils from the press getting on the book). I also use this when gluing to prevent getting glue everywhere.
And I believe that wraps it up. It’s a lot of items, I know. And again, it can be an expensive hobby when you’re first starting out. Especially if you don’t have any of these items on hand. But if you’re resourceful, some items can be worked around.
Next we’ll go into the step by step process of book rebinding, so make sure you’re following me so you can stay up to date.
