Creating Books & Boxes: Fun and Unique Approaches to Handmade Structures (Paper Art Workbooks) [Paperback]

Benjamin D Rinehart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Paper Art Workbooks | Publication Date: January 1, 2007

Complete step-by-step instruction, full-color project photos, detailed step illustrations, diagrams, and tips.Creating Books & Boxes presents a new volume on book-making techniques by contemporary book instructor Benjamin Rinehart. Rinehart presents a comprehensive resource for creating basic book-making structures as a starting point, but then adds unique twists to make them a little more surprising, fun, and dimensional. The book includes all the basics (tools, adhesives, archival properties, cutting and terminology), through detailed and highly illustrated instructions and includes unique and special methods for finishing the pages. It covers adding elements such as paper dying, copy transfers, stamping, and paste papers. Sophisticated, beautiful, and original projects in a simplified and accessible presentation make this a perfect book for beginners and experienced book-makers alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a book of basic bookbinding and box-making techniques by academic artist and instructor Rinehart. Step-by-step projects include some of the most popular types of books and boxes made by hobbyists. The detailed instructions include line drawings, and both a brief section on surface decoration and a gallery of works by other artists are included. Although there are other specialized books on this topic with more extensive projects, this is a good basic selection for public libraries. - Library Journal February 15, 2007

About the Author

Ben Rinehart is a trained artist, and teacher. He teaches printmaking and book arts, and started and led a book-arts program at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). He has also taught in New York and New Jersey at Rutgers/Mason Gross School of the Arts, Pratt Institute, Fordham University, Long Island University, the Center for Book Arts, Manhattan Graphics Center and the Children's Museum of the Arts in SoHo. He conducts workshops at Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis, MN, Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring, MD, San Francisco Center for the Book in San Francisco, CA, Newark Museum in Newark, NJ, Pelham Center for the Arts in Pelham, NY, Brookfield Craft Center in Brookfield, CT, and Silvermine Guild Art Center in New Canaan, CT. Ben currently lives in Appleton, WI where he teaches at Lawrence University. Ben can be found online at www.benrinehart.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592532918
• ISBN-13: 978-1592532919
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear, easy-to-follow instructions for beautiful books and boxes, January 7, 2007

By 

Colleen Rush "crrush2" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating Books & Boxes: Fun and Unique Approaches to Handmade Structures (Paper Art Workbooks) (Paperback)

I'll preface this review by saying that I am not a crafty person. But every now and then, I like to challenge myself with an artistic project. After a few too many crooked scarves, I decided to try my hand at origami-style boxes, which is when I ran across "Creating Books and Boxes." This book strikes the perfect balance, whether you're a beginner like me or a serious artist with skills, offering simple, clear instructions, detailed illustrations and gorgeous book-binding, rubber stamping and box-creating projects. It covers so many different types of handmade paper structures--hand-stitched books, photo frames, accordion books, journals, container boxes, round boxes. What I really loved about "Creating Books and Boxes" is how approachable, and yet professional, the instructions are--from the techniques and terms to the materials (adhesives,tools, paper) you need. If you like making gifts with a personal touch, if you're into scrapbooking but hate the cheesy, mass-produced books sold in stores, if you want to make your own journals, this is the quintessential guide to doing it all, and then some. It's also an ideal gift for that hard-to-buy-for DIYer in your life.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and careful instructions for some great projects, May 29, 2007

By 

Nancy Gandhi (Chennai, India) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating Books & Boxes: Fun and Unique Approaches to Handmade Structures (Paper Art Workbooks) (Paperback)

I own several books on book-binding, but I'm still struggling with case-bound books - so when an artist whom I respect recommended this one, I ordered it. I found that the instructions are very clear and well-illustrated; and that each project builds on the previous one. Each project contains lists of specific measurements and supplies, but the author also provides formulas for measuring, so that if you have some book-binding experience you can immediately modify the projects according to your own ideas. I felt so excited by the projects and the clarity of instructions that I went on a book-making binge, and made 5 of the projects in 3 days (including a very nice case-bound book). I haven't made any of the boxes yet, but I can see that the instructions for them are as clear as those for the books. I highly recommend this book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and instructive, March 4, 2007

By 

A. Borloz (Metropolitan Area - NJ/NY/CT) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating Books & Boxes: Fun and Unique Approaches to Handmade Structures (Paper Art Workbooks) (Paperback)

It is an excellent introduction to book arts and box-making craft, and yet it contains information that are helpful to readers with more advanced skills. I have taken several classes from this author, and this book helps me to remember all the important techniques/principles that I learned from his classes: gluing, sewing, cutting, and figuring out the sizes of the paper/chipboard needed to create a specific book or a box. There are 11 book projects - four are of accordian type, one is of photo frame type, and the rest are bound type. And there are four box projects - one is three sided and the rest are four-sided, some with dividers. One of them requires no glue. Each project in this book contains a list of formulas and materials, thus making it easier for me to plan. The directions and diagrams are very readable and easy to follow. The surface treatment section is a nice and brief introduction to altering the appearance of the paper surface - four different techniques are presented. The gallery section contains many beautiful examples of how the basic techniques covered are used in different ways by various artists. It is truly a very informative, instructive, and inspiring book.