The Essential Guide to Making Handmade Books [Paperback]

Gabrielle Fox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

Handmade books are unique, personal, sensuous and permanent. This book teaches readers how to make their own books by hand. Through 11 projects with hands-on instruction, Fox teaches crafters how to use ordinary and decorative papers, recycled material and other cool stuff to indulge in their self-expressive creativity. The projects start at the beginning level and progress to more difficult bindings and formats and include complete step-by-step instruction, a materials list and ideas for uses and variations. Readers will learn how to bind their own books using new and unusual materials, how to make unique covers and formats, and how to personalize their books. Tips for personalizing their books along with a bit of the history, culture and the lore of book and paper making are also included.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Maybe it's because the book as physical object seems threatened these days that people are becoming more interested in the art of making books by hand. And it's an art available to almost anyone--for many traditional types of handmade books no special skills are needed, and no materials are required that cannot be found in a good art supply store. Fox, who owns a bookbinding studio, presents 11 projects that even the complete beginner should not find too daunting. The book begins by describing the various tools involved, from bodkins and bone folders to adhesives. Unfortunately, there isn't very much information about the many kinds of machinemade and handmade papers available. The section on tools is followed by a chapter on terminology and techniques. Projects range from a simple folded tunnel book and nonadhesive accordion book to several sewn bindings to a slipcase and a portfolio. For each project Fox includes examples of more complex variations, and she also provides a list of suppliers. This is a fine introduction to a particularly satisfying activity. Mary Ellen Quinn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Gabrielle Fox is a bookmaker and bookbinder. Trained in England, she has her own bookbinding studio and teaches classes at the Cincinnati Art Academy

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581800193
• ISBN-13: 978-1581800197
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential is the right word!, November 14, 2000

By 

K. N. Harper (Ft. Mitchell, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Guide to Making Handmade Books (Paperback)

As a practicing book artist, and a teacher of many book arts classes, I have tested many books about making books. This is one of the best I have seen. Gabrielle Fox's Essential Guide is full of innovative and stimulating book structures, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow, with excellent diagrams and full-color photographs of the steps as well completed examples. The book structures she guides us through are simple enough for beginners, yet, as her examples show, are also sophisticated enough to be used by seasoned veterans of book arts. Highly recommended!

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seductive!, October 23, 2001

By 

R. Bingham (Maryland) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essential Guide to Making Handmade Books (Paperback)

This book makes even a defiantly non-crafty person like me want to plunge right in. I love books and intriguing treatments. This book offers the support needed to turn wishes into finished projects. The range of possibilities covered is broad enough to appeal to many different tastes. The Jacob's Ladder book is lots of fun, as the star book. The accordion album is a very attractive and manageable project and one of the most useful. This book covers basics like pamphlet binding, portfolios and slipcases. The instructions are clearly written and are supported by excellent photographs that really make it easy to understand what's supposed to be happening. And the Gallery of Ideas -- photos and descriptions of additional, more elaborate variations of each project -- get your mind cranking with the possibilities. Yummy. An excellent book -- not just for the bookmaking crowd, but useful for teachers also. This summer, my daughter attended a camp where they wrote poetry in the afternoon and learned bookmaking (much of it based on this book) in the afternoons, and the kids loved it.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the very best I have found, March 15, 2002

By 

Ariana Grant (Plainville, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Guide to Making Handmade Books (Paperback)

I have a few other books on this subject, but this by far is the most thorough and in-depth one. The pictures are amazing - step by step. I recomed it highly for beginers and even experienced users.
There are some unique ideas in it! I can't say enough...BUY THIS BOOK!