Make Your Own

Moleskine-Like-Notebook
What we'll make:

Your very own Moleskine-like-notebook/journal/sketchbook. The one we'll be making is 3.5 x 5.5 x
.5 inches. I use this size because it fits nicely into my back or front pants pocket. Strangely
enough it is also the same size as the Moleskine notebook. For the pages we'll be using 20# bond
paper (the same paper you use in your copier and inkjet printer). As you might have noticed in the
dimensions, the notebook is a half -inch thick. This gives you 192 single pages of
writing/sketching/painting fun. For the cover we'll use vinyl Naugahyde (that's what I use but feel
free to use whatever you have on hand). After we're through I'll offer a list of enhancements and
alternative ways to make your notebook/journal/sketchbook to meet your individual needs.

Don't be put off by the many steps involved. This really is a simple project usin g common
materials and tools. Almost anyone can do it.
 This particular notebook was developed over many years of feeble attempts to organize my
thoughts, appointments and small sketches. Here's how this whole make -my-own-notebook thing
evolved: scraps of p aper >> index cards (still love 'em) >> Daytimer >> handmade daytimer >>
single signature booklets (stapled) >> multi signature booklets >> to what you see here. This is
my own design based on much trial and error.

I hope you enjoy making and using them as much as I have. If you enhance the design any please
share your ideas with me and I'll post them in the enhancements section.

Table of Contents:

 Page 1.
 Materials Needed
 Tools Needed
 Step 1. Cut paper
 Step 2. Fold paper
 Step 3. Collate folios
 Step 4. Mark spine
 Step 5. Punch holes
 Page 2.
 Step 6. Sew signatures
 Page 3.
 Step 7. Glue signatures
 Page 4.
 Step 8. Glue endpapers & cover
 Page 5.
 Enhancements

Materials Needed:

 24 sheets of paper 8 .5 x 11 inches (use 20# bond at first then you can try other types of
paper)
 One 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of a "special" paper . This will be used for your endpapers. Endpapers
are the pages that bind to the inside of the cover and the first page of your noteboo k. Some
people use marbled paper, some use vellum, I use French Speckletone. You can use plain bond
paper but that would be boring wouldn't it.
 A piece of Naugahyde that measures 9 x 5 5/8 inches . I get mine at Walmart or the local
fabric store. Look in t he remnants section first, if you're not picky about the color you can
sometimes find a great deal. You don't have to use Naugahyde. The first notebooks I made I used
a 65# cover stock (a heavier weight paper). So if you have everything but the Naugahyde s crape
up some cardstock and use it. The easiest way to tell if it is heavy enough is to get out a business
card and check the weight of your chosen cover paper against the weight of the business card. A
typical business card is 65# cover. If your cover sto ck is at least as heavy as the business card it
will work fine. Just remember that if you use a paper cover stock for your notebook cover it will
not hold up as well as a vinyl one.
 Cheesecloth or an open weave fabric approximately 1.5 x 5 inches
 Upholstery thread. You can use regular sewing thread in a pinch but the upholstery thread
works a lot better. I use white but the color really depends on the color of your pages.
 A small sheet of Wax paper or glassine paper .

Tools Needed:

 A bookbinders needle . You can use any large needle really. But you'll want it larger than a
sewing needle. If you look in the craft section of your favorite discount store you can find a
variety pack of needles which contains a couple you can use for this project.
 Beeswax. While not absolutely necessary it does help with the threading of the signatures.
 A bookbinders awl . Some alternatives: a large needle inserted into a clutch pencil, an old
drafting compass needle, an ice pick. Whatever you use you don't want the holes to be too large
because it makes for slop in the pages.
 Adhesive. Traditional bookbinder glue, cooked flour paste, wallpaper paste, white elmers glue,
PVA, etc. I use Aleene's Tacky Glue because it dries flexible and I just happen to have it on hand.
 Xacto knife (and a good surface to cut your paper, i.e. self healing mat, Borco, cardboard, etc.)
 Ruler
 T-square and triangle or some other way to square your cuts
 Heavy books. A full size Jansen's is a good choice as are your dust covered encyclopedias. If
you're really into making your notebooks you could invest in a book press or make your own.
 Pencil
 Bone folder or some really strong fingernails
 Binder clips
Step 1. Cut paper

Take a sheet of your paper, t -square, triangle and pencil and mark your cut lines as shown. Each 8
1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper will provide you with two folios measuring 7 x 5 1/2 inches. Once you
have your sheet marked up take a stack of between 6 and 12 sheets, jog them on the left and
bottom edges so they are all even and place them under your marked sheet. Using your ruler/t -
square/triangle an d your xacto knife cut the stack into the folios. Cutting multiple pages takes a
little practice if you haven't done it before. I cut multiples to save time but you might feel more
comfortable cutting fewer pages. Cut all 24 sheets PLUS your endpapers to t he finished 7 x 5 1/2
size.

Step 2. Fold paper

Now you have 26 sheets of paper (folios), 24 for your pages and 2 for your endpapers. Using your
bone folder, fold each folio in half (dotted line). Ma ke your folds really strong so the pages lay as
flat as possible. This will serve you well later in the process and make your book more professional
looking. Set your folded endpapers aside for later.

Step 3. Collate folios

Collate six of your folios into a signature as shown then flatten them. They will look like thin
booklets. Do this for the rest of your pages until you have a total of eight signatures. Jog the
signatures so they are nice and neat focusing o n the bottom and spine (folded edge) and stack
them on top of each other in the same direction.

Step 4. Mark spine

Gather your stack of signatures and once more jog the bottom and spine edge s to make them nice
and neat. Using your binder clips clamp the top and bottom of the stack as shown.

Unless you are perfect in your cutting (I'm not) you will notice the top edge is a little jagged.
Don't worry about it, we'll fix it later. The front edge is too but that's okay. Just make sure the
spine and bottom is nice and neat.
This is how the spine should look after it's jogged.

Measuring from the bottom edge of the spine mark 1/2" on one of the signatures. Place another
mark at 2", 3 1/2", and 5" from the bottom. Then mark each signature so you have a dot on each
spine. These will serve as your guides when punching your holes. You can faintly see the dots in
the photo.
Step 5. Punch holes

Remove the binder clips and place your stack to the side of your work area. Open one of your
signatures and place it on the edge of somet hing you don't mind putting holes into (I use the edge
of my drawing table which is protected by Borco). Be careful to keep the spine together. This can
be tricky (especially if you use the second method below to make your holes). It's important to
keep th e spine together so the holes pass through the edge of the fold, not further into the page.
You'll also want to pay attention to keep your bottom edge nice and neat. Using your stabbing
instrument of choice push through all six pages. The holes should not be much larger than the
needle you'll be using later.

Even if you're careful and you've hit the mark on the outside of the signat ure when you look on
the inside it can sometimes be a little off. While it won't hurt the notebook, you might not like the
way the thread shows on the inside of the pages when the book is finished. The more notebooks
you make, the better you'll get.
An alternative way to punch the holes is open the signature all the way and place it on a piece of
cardboard and punch away. While this method minimizes the possibil ity of the holes missing the
spine on the inside pages, watch the spine as you open the signature because the pages have a
tendency to slip out of alignment.

Step 6. Sew signatures

Now comes the fun part. Measure off a length of upholsery thread equal to the number of
signatures multipli ed by the height of one spine. For instance this project has 8 (signatures) with
a spine that measures 5 1/2" so; 8 x 5.5 = 44". It's better to have a piece that's too long than too
short. Thread the needle and pull about six inches through the eye. Wax th e thread with the
beeswax paying particular attention to the area below the needle. This will help hold the two
threads together which makes sewing a lot easier. There will be no knot in the end.

Pick up one of your signatures and open it a little to the center. Starting at the bottom set of
holes, push the needle through from the outside to the inside of the spine pulling all but two
inches of thread through. We'll tie this later. Then from the inside push the needle through the
next set of holes pulling all the slack outside. Then to the third set of holes, again push the needle
through to the inside pulling all the slack. Lastly the fourth hole, out goes the needle and thread.
The illustration does a much better job of explaining this (the grey lines are inside the signature).

Pull the thread until all the slack is out of the signature while holding the short piece of thread at
the bottom. Tip: when you tighten the thread pull in line with the spine in stead of at ninety
degrees to the spine. This will minimize tearing of the holes.
Place another signature next to your first one and push the needle into the corresponding top hole
of the second signature. Pull the thread somewhat taught then push the needle out of the next
hole of the second signature and then into the corresponding hole of the first signature. Then out
of the third hole of the first signature and then into the corresponding hole of the second
signature. Then out of the last hole of the second signature. The illustration shows this new path.
I've noticed two things that happen to me when sewing signatures: I feel like I have only thumbs
and I lose track of where I started. Here's a method I used in the beginning that made things a
little easier. While I don't use it now, I thought it might be of so me help. Just move the clips to
the adjoining sets of pages as you add each new signature.

Okay, where were we? You should have two pieces of thread (one short and one long) hanging
from your two sewn signatures. Tie a square knot using these two pieces of thread. I've supplied a
diagram for those who haven't tied one. Be sur e to get the first part of the knot tight before tying
the second part; you want your signatures close together. Don't hesitate to triple tie it if you
want. Don't cut the excess thread yet.
Place your third signature next to the first two and sew in and out like you did before, making
sure to sew into the second signature.

Here's a diagram of how the sewing goes throughout the eight signatures. Black numbers
represent the needle going into the spine and the red numbers represent the needle coming out of
the spine. 1 is where you started, 10 is where you tied the square knot, and you should now be at
16 wondering what to do next...

This is called a kettle stitch and it's used to tie each new signature to the one before it. Use this
stitch each time you exit the last hole of each signature. Here we're tying th e third signature to
the first two when exiting number 16. You'll also tie a kettle stitch for 22, 28, 34, 40 and 46. Tip:
remember to pull the thread tight, drawing your signatures together, before tying the kettle stitch.
Here I'm about to tie a kettle stitch. Thought you might like to see a photo too. Yeah, I know, it's
not exactly the same direction as the illustration but it'll still hold the signatures together.

When you exit the last hole (46) in the last signature finish off with two half -hitches as illustrated.
Again, you can add more if you feel you need them. Now trim the tread to about an inch in length.
Do the same for the piece that you left when you started on the first signature.
This is what it should look like when you are finished sewing your signatures. Well, almost; your
threads will end on the same side, this is a photo of a seven signature notebook so the th reads
end on opposite ends.

Step 7. Glue signatures

Time to get out your heavy stuff: encyclopedias, art history books, unused weight set, etc., I use
a homemade leaf/flower press that I made out of a couple pieces of wood and four carriage bolts
with wing nuts.

Place your newly sewn signatures on the edge of your work area with the spine edge out and put
some weight on it. Leave about an eighth to a quarter in ch of the notebook sticking out beyond
your weight/workarea or press.
Using your glue of choice coat the spine evenly. Put on just enough glue to fill the spaces between
the signatures. You don't want the glue to seep between the signatures and glue your pages
together or too much covering the spine. Push the thread ends into the glue and coat them a little
to keep them in place. Be very careful to not get any glue on the top or bottom edges as that
would glue your pages together.

Cut a piece of cheesecloth a little shorter than the length of your spine and three to four times as
wide as your spine is wide. Center the cheesecloth over the spine and push it into the glue. Dab
some more glue on top of the cheesecloth to create a good bond. Set aside and let it dry at least
overnight.
Step 8. Gluing endpapers & cover

Assemble your dried notebook, Naugahyde cover, wax paper, glue and endpapers. Under the first
page of your notebook place a sheet of waxpaper which should be a little larger than the size of
your notebook. This will protect your pages from the glue. Make sure the cheesecloth is hanging
off to the spine side of the notebook.

Optional: If your cuts weren't as pr ecise as you wanted them to be, leaving the top of your book
looking a little jagged you can trim jaggies back to a smooth clean line using an xacto and a steel
rule. It's a bit of a challenge because you are cutting slivers on some signatures. I usually j ust
leave it because it adds to that handmade look.
Note: Depending on the type of glue you are using you may have to work quickly through these
next steps. It might also be helpful to go through the motions without the glue first t o secure the
steps in your mind rather than when you have glue all over your hands.

On the top page spread a liberal amount of glue using a stiff piece of cardboard or brush to
spread it evenly across the entire surface. Carefully place one of your endpape rs on top of the just
glued page aligning the fold evenly along the spine of the first signature. Press it evenly and
firmly to ensure a good bond.
Repeat the application of glue on the top of your freshly placed endpaper. Now wrap the top part
of the cheesecloth around the top of the endpaper and push it into the glue with your fingers.
Apply a little more glue on top of the cheesecloth if it looks like not enough has soaked through.

This illustration might help clarify these steps a little better than the photos.
Align your cover over the glue -smeared endpaper with the long end traili ng over the spine (photo
shows it going around the spine and under the back). It should overlap the top and bottom edges
of your notebook by 1/16" and by at least 1/4" on the open side. Press it evenly and firmly to
ensure a good bond.

Repeat every thing in step 8 again for the back. When you are ready to glue the cover make sure
to pull the cover snugly around the spine before pressing it down on the endpaper. This will put a
nice finish on the notebook when it's closed.

Place your notebook under the weights or into your press again letting it dry overnight.
When your notebook is dry just trim the cover. You can trim up to the endpaper or leave 1/6" all
the way around which protects the pages a little better.

Congratulations!

Now let's look at ways to enhance your next book .

Notebook Enhancements

Once you've made a few of the basic notebooks you'll begin to look for ways to enhance your
sketching/journaling experience. Below are some ways you can modify your notebook and some of
the things to watch for that I've learned in making my own.

Variety through paper

The most exciting thing about making your own notebooks is that you can choose the ty pe of
paper based on what you want to do with it.

Obviously bond paper is not the best paper for many creative types. But you can add variety by
just choosing different colors and textures. You can find a great selection at your local office
supply store or a specialty paper company.

Lately my favorite paper for my books has been coverstock. Index cardstock, coverstock,
watercolor paper, etc. are just some of the possibilities.

Here are a few things to watch for when using thicker paper:
 1. You will have to cut down on the number of pages per signature. For instance while you
used six folios to make one signature with 20# bond, you would use four folios per
signature if you were using 110# index or 85# cover stock. Watercolor paper presents its
own set of challenges and you'll have to experiment a bit to find what works for you but I
make books with 140# (300gm) watercolor paper using three folios per signature.
2. Paper has a grain just like wood, which means it folds easier in the direction of the grain
than against the grain. What this means for your book is that the pages will stay closed
(sometimes). Usually grain runs in the longest direction of the paper but the best way to
check it is to "almost" fold it. If you are against the grain you get resistance to the fold
and as the paper approaches the creasing stage it will "fracture" (look closely) in different
directions rather than submitting to a fold. Grain is especially important with thicker
papers. If for some reason you have to fold your folios against t he grain you should first
score the paper where you want to fold it using a blunt instrument like an empty ball point
pen or a butter knife.
3. As the thickness of the paper increases you should decrease the number of signaures per
book. With 110# index and 8 5# cover I generally use 7 signatures instead of eight. And
only six signatures for watercolor paper. You might like less. Have fun, experiment.

Cover choices

While my preference for covers is Naugahyde you have an infinite number of possibilities at your
disposal: Cardstock, handmade papers, synthetic papers like Yupo, papyrus, leather, etc. The
technique for putting the cover on is basically the same with all of these options. If you take a
close look at how other books are made you will come up with not only different material choices
but other ways to assemble covers. For example a typical book cover uses chipboard and a cloth
wrap. This type of cover can be useful for a larger sized book giving you additional support. You
can find more help with traditional bookbinding methods in any book on the subject.

Various sizes

Obviously the 3.5 x 5.5 inch size is not practical for every purpose. I don't have to tell you that
the size of your books are limited only by the size of the paper you can find. The one thing to
keep in mind: as the size of the book increase along the spine you will have to add more stitches
to your signatures. A good rule of thumb is to space your holes between 2 -3" apart depending on
the size of your boo k.

Pocket

I stole this idea from the Moleskine notebook design. This little pocket comes in handy for holding
receipts, little scraps of paper, tickets, etc. It's really easy to make too. Add the pocket after your
book is finished. Fold a sheet of cardstock so the final piece is a little smaller than the back cover.
The sides of the pocket are made from stiff clo th ironed with a crease. Glue the side pieces just at
the edges so the folder can open up when you need it. Once the side pieces are in place you can
glue the folder to the inside of the back cover with the opening toward the spine.
Elastic fastener

Another Moleskine idea, although I've seen it used long before the Moleskine came out. This little
piece of elastic (bought in the fabric section of your department store) holds the book together
when carried around. Add this when you glue your cover to your endpaper. Just measure a piece
of elastic that's a little shorter than double the height of your book. Wrap the elastic around the
back of the cover and glue the ends on the inside of the back cover. Then glue the endpaper to
the cover sandwiching the elastic between. Weight or press and let dry.

Remember if you enhance the design any please share your ideas with me and I'll post them
here for the benefit of others.