How to thread the binds of a leather journal?

Ever wished to make your very own journal? Creating a leather cover is easy, but how about going down to the basics and actually assembling the loose pages and threading the binds of your very own leather journal! Book binding is an ancient art, which has regained its popularity as a summer time hobby in the recent past. Again, binding a regular book is very different from binding a leather backed journal; one because leather is a lot thicker than paper, and the leather cover in itself is a decoration that can only be enhanced by proper book binding.

If you are seriously interested in binding leather journals professionally, then some in-depth research at your local library is recommended. Also, you might need to invest some amount of money in getting authentic book binding supplies from reputed distributors and suppliers. However, if you aim to get some quality work accomplished during your free time along with some wholesome satisfaction and pleasure, then the following instructions and suggestions might suffice. So on to the process:
First, we begin with collecting all the pages and cutting them to the right size. When creating a journal from scratch, you have a lot of freedom in terms of number and size of the pages you want. For binding, mark the paper sheet with the your desired height and double the width that you want the final journal to have. For instance, if you want 8” x 5” journal pages, you have to cut out 8” x 10” paper sheets.
Preparing book signatures: Book signatures are not your autographs, rather small packets of pages folded in the center and stacked inside each other. To make a signature fold, each of the cut paper sheets has to be folded in the center to get the actual page size that you need. Stack 6 to 7 folded sheets one above the other, taking care to align the central fold. Now, your journal signature is ready. Usually, a signature of 6 to 7 sheets is wise for hand binding, anything less can be too thin and will rip easily, and anything more will be too thick to handle.
Making binding marks: Once you have made enough signatures (that’s your book block) to bind into your journal, you will have make markings from where the binding threads will enter and exit. For this, fold the signatures along the central fold and mark 1/2" in from the top edge and 3/4" in from the bottom edge. Now, measure the distance in between the 2 markings and divide it into the number of holes that you want your book binding to have. So, for a 8” x 5” journal, the distance would be 6 ¾”. If you want 4 holes, then divide 6 ¾” by 4, that’s approx 2”. So, mark at every 2” starting from the head marking.
Punching the holes: Using an awl or any sharp pin, poke holes through each marking, making sure that the holes are made right through the spine of the signature. Now, thread a needle with waxed thread and insert the needle at the upper head hole, leave about 2” of the thread behind and come out from the next hole. Holding the extra thread with one hand, tighten the thread from the next hole. Sew across the holes, coming out from the foot hole. Then, insert the needle into the foot hole of the next signature and continue the process. You will come out from the head hole this time. Repeat the sewing process for all the signatures in this method. If you run out of thread, just tightly knot a new piece onto in inside the book. When done with stitching all the signatures, end with a double kettle stitch.
Pasting the signatures: Once your book block is stitched and ready, brush the spine with excess of PVA glue. Ensure that you allow some glue to go in between the signatures, which will give your journal the added strength. Measure the length and breadth of the spine and cut a piece of cloth and card paper or cardstock. First paste the cloth directly over the spine and then paste the card paper or cardstock over the cloth.
Covering the journal: Take a thick card paper or cardstock sheet and measure the dimensions of the pages of your journal. Add ¼” to the width and ½” to the length and cut out 2 separate pieces. Now, cut a piece of book binding cloth – the size will be length of the journal cover plus 1” and width of the spine plus ¾ the width of your journal cover. Place the card paper covers over and under the journal. Apply glue on the outer sides of the cover and the spine. Center the book binding cloth and paste it to the covers and the spine. Now, your journal is ready to be leather backed.
Covering the journal with leather: For this, visit a craft shop and ask for book binding leather. This type of leather is more durable, produced by employing vegetable tanning technique. This ensures that your journal last for long. When measuring the leather to be cut for the journal, measure the dimensions of the covers and the spine. Add 1/3 of the measurements to these dimensions to allow enough leather to wrap the edges and the insides of the cover. Center the leather and paste it over the journal covers using leather bound glue. Your leather journal is ready to use!
As mentioned earlier, this is just a basic method of binding a leather backed journal. There are many variations to this method, which may or may not follow the same sequence. However, I would recommend that you master this method prior to trying out any other variations.