Handmade Books
For A Healthy Planet
Online

Further Bookmaking Adventures

For Children

Instructional Books
Bookworks: Making Books by Hand, Gwenyth Swain. Minneapolis: CarolRhoda Books, 1995.
A book for kids with a good historical introduction and clear directions for making several forms of book, as well as paper making, marbling, and printmaking techniques.

Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist and Turn, Gwen Diehn. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1998.
Series of creative bookmaking projects with historical information interspersed.

The Bookmaking Kit, Ann Morris and Peter Linenthal. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001. The book has directions for lots of books, from the simple (Easy Fastener Book) to the more complicated (Button Closure Clothbound Book). Materials are provided for five of the projects.

Making Mini Books, Sherri Haab. Klutz Press, 2002.
A fun book from Klutz Press with lots of ideas for making small books and materials to help you get started.

Easy To Make Pop-Ups, Joan Irvine. New York: Dover Publications 2006.
Basics of pop-up construction in card format with information on how to assemble them in book form at the end. Also by Joan Irvine: How to Make Super Pop-ups and How to Make Holiday Pop-ups

Links
Make an Artist Book
Clear directions for making an eight page book from a paper bag.

Joan Irvine
The friendly site of Joan Irvine, author of How to Make Pop-ups. Includes directions on how to make a pop-up.

Writing in Ancient Civilizations
Site on Ancient Civilizations with information on writing in the Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome

Leaves of Gold: Treasures of Manuscript Illumination from Philadelphia Collections
This is a thorough site, written for kids with a section on how manuscripts are made, a slide show of manuscript pages and descriptions, a glossary of terms, and directions to make your own medieval manuscript.

For Adults

Instructional Books
For Teaching in the Classroom and at Home
Handmade Books for A Healthy Planet, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. Newburyport, MA: makingbooks.com, 2010.

Literacy Through the Book Arts, Paul Johnson. Portsmouth, NH: Hienemann, 1993.
This book expands on the ideas and forms presented in A Book of One's Own.

Pictures & Words Together: Children Illustrating and Writing Their Own Books, Paul Johnson. Portsmouth, NH: Hienemann, 1997.
This book focuses on the content with information on writing and illustrating. It covers both the big picture- the narrative line and overall concept and the little- techniques for drawing people and perspective. It's deep and thorough.

"A Tale of Two Roads," Craig Hinshaw. Social Studies and the Young Learner, Volume 10, Number 3, January/ February 1998.
Excellent article on a fourth grade project based on the wood block prints of the Japanese artist Horoshige who documented his travel along the Tokaido Road. Students used printmaking and haiku to study the Tokaido Road in Japan and a local interstate. The resulting work was displayed in an accordion book.

For Making On Your Own
Cover To Cover, Shereen La Plantz. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1995.
The first of a new crop of books about bookmaking, covering many simple and complex book forms.

The Art and Craft of Handmade Books, Shereen LaPlantz. New York: Lark Books, 2001.
Shereen's new book which expands upon the first. Interesting book forms and lots of photos of books for inspiration.

Handmade Books And Cards, Jean Kropper. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 1997.
Another book that offers a nice introduction to simple book forms and cards. Clear directions and lots of photos of work by different artists. Again, the photos can be as worthwhile as the instructions.

Creating Handmade Books, Alisa Golden. New York: Sterling Publishing Co, Inc, 1998.
This book takes a different approach with all the work included by the author. A wide range of simple and more complex forms with clear instructions and personal reflections.

Books, Boxes & Wraps, Marilyn Webberley and JoAn Forsyth. Kirkland, WA: Bifocal Publishing, 1995.
No color photos in this one, but it's no less of a book. Illustrated with charming line drawings, it contains a wealth of different forms with clear instructions and diagrams.

Creative Bookbinding, Pauline Johnson. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.
This reprint of a 1963 book is an oldie but goodie. This was the main resource when I started. Lots of information on simple bindings, folders, and a large section on printing techniques for covers and endpapers.

Japanese Bookbinding, Instructions from a Master Craftsman, Kojiro Ikegami. New York: Weatherhill, 1986.
Beautiful book, clear instructions with photographs, many styles of Japanese bindings. The real thing from a Japanese master.

Non-Adhesive Binding, Keith A. Smith. Fairport, NY: The Sigma Foundation, 1990. order from http://www.keithsmithbooks.com.
An excellent resource with many simple, combination, and complex bindings and a focus on the making of books not just the binding. He has lots of other titles as well.

Books, Boxes, And Portfolios, Franz Zeier. New York: Design Press, 1990.
Basic techniques of cutting, folding and pasting, emphasis on boxes and portfolios, but information about books as well.

Making Memory Boxes, Barbara Mauriello. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, 2000.
I had the good fortune of taking a weekend workshop with Barbara and it was wonderful. Her book has detailed directions for a variety of different books.

The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume I: Basic Forms: How to Make Pop-Ups Step-by-Step, Carol Barton. Glen Echo, MD: Popular Kinetics Press, 2005.
This is a workbook with do-it-yourself models. Each form is illustrated with a pull-out card that can be cut and assembled, then stored in a pocket within the book.

The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume 2: Platforms and Props: How to Make Pop-Ups Step-by-Step, Carol Barton. Glen Echo, MD: Popular Kinetics Press, 2008.
A second volume in the same format.

How To Make Books, Esther K. Smith. New York: Potter Craft, 2007.
Lots of interesting book forms from simple cut and fold books to stitched bindings. The book contains design ideas as well as construction information and features recycled materials in some of the books. I especially like the Cake Box Book.

Links

Tutorials
Susan's YouTube Tutorials
Short video tutorials on making books with children with repurposed materials.

Creating Artistic Books from the San Diego Museum of Art
Directions for seven different books and information about making paste paper and screen printing are available for free as downloadable pdfs.

Japanese Binding
Directions for a Japanese binding from an article originally published in Boy's Life magazine in October 1991.

Origami Book
Directions for making an origami book from The Bookmaking Kit from Chronicle books.

Robert Sabuda's Making Pop-ups is Easy
Pop-up book master, Robert Sabuda, gives directions and templates for making a variety of pop-ups including a birthday cake and butterfly.

Organizations and Links
Peter Verheyen's Book Arts Web
Links to a huge number of book arts sites- organizations, suppliers, schools, individual binders, calligraphy, letterpress printing, papermaking, tutorials, etc. I think it is THE place to start for book arts info on the web. Peter also runs an excellent Book Arts List for online communication about the book arts. Information on how to join is available on the site. There is also an Archive to look up past messages.

Calligraphy and Artist Book Galleries
A site from Australia focusing on calligraphy and artists' books as well. Includes a Calligraphic and Book Arts World Travel Guide.

Guild of Bookworkers
Information about the Guild and regional chapters. Of special interest are the galleries of images from exhibitions.

Minnesota Center for Books Arts
MCBA celebrates the book as a vibrant contemporary art form that takes many shapes with studios, an exhibition space, a studio shop and an archive and reference library.

Center for Book Arts
Website of the country's first book arts center in New York City with information on events, classes, and membership.

Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts
Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College has exhibits and classes and offers an MFA program in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts.

Books and Journals

John Neal Bookseller
1833 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
800.369.9598
Specializes in books on calligraphy and the the book arts. You can order online or from their print catalog. John Neal also publishes Bound and Lettered and the Letter Arts Review.

Bound and Lettered
Bound and Lettered contains articles on Artists' Books, Bookbinding, Books for Kids, and Calligraphy and is published quarterly. It was established by Shereen LaPlantz, the author of Cover to Cover, as Tabellae Ansatae.

Bonefolder
The Bonefolder, an outgrowth of the Book Arts Web, is a peer-reviewed e-journal for bookbinding and the book arts. It is published twice a year, in the fall and spring.

Individual Artist Sites
artistbooks.com
Website of Ed Hutchins, who creates editioned books that are both playful and profound. Some of his thoughts on what is a book and teaching are included on the site.

Karen Hanmer
Website of Karen Hanmer, a versatile book artist of great depth whose works run the gamut from small edition books to large installations.

Marcia Ciro
Website of Marcia Ciro, who combines photography with interesting book structures in her meditations on our environment, both man-made or natural, and the stratagems we devise to control it.

Stephanie Mahan Stigliano
Stephanie uses a range of media and materials in her poetic books on a variety of personal and universal themes.

Mission Creek Press
Roberta Lavadour makes handmade papers from natural fibers in eastern Washington and wonderfully inventive artists books.

Emily Martin and the Naughty Dog Press
Emily Martin creates thought-provoking and humorous books in Iowa, including I Live in Iowa, How Can I Live in Iowa?, Yes, I Like living in Iowa.

Purgatory Pie Press
Dikko Faust and Esther K. Smith collaborate with other artists as well as create their own books with letterpress printing. They explore a variety of book structures and their design is elegant, humorous, and hip.

Bridal Bookquet
I came across this page and found it utterly delightful. Kara Sjoblom-Bay's wedding bouquet was made up of handmade books by her friends from the Bay Area Book Artists. You can view the books here.

Where to Buy Art & Bookmaking Supplies

I now concentrate on using recycled, or repurposed materials, in my workshops. Here are some of the sources I have used for art papers and bookbinding materials.

New York Central Art Supply
62 Third Avenue @ 11th Street
New York City 10003
800.950.6111
New York Central is my first stop when looking for paper. Much to my regret, I haven't been to their store in years, but their website is easy to use and I have had helpful correspondence by phone, mail, and email with them when looking for a particular paper.

Daniel Smith
4150 First Street South, PO Box 84268
Seattle, WA 98124-5568
800.426.6740
Daniel Smith is an art supply company. They have an extensive selection of paper and a small bookmaking section, as well as paints, brushes, etc. The website is well-organized.

Paper Connection
66 Doyle Ave.
Providence, RI
1.877.434.1234
I first bought paper from Lauren, the owner, when she worked for a Japanese paper company in Boston. She specializes in Japanese papers, although she also carries handmade papers from Nepal and other locations. She is primarily a wholesaler but will sell to individuals if you place an order of $150 or more.

Paper Source
1810 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA
617.497.1077
Paper Source has an extensive selection of paper, some bookbinding materials, rubber stamps, and interesting stuff. They offer Book Arts workshops. There are also stores in Boston, Brookline, and Wellesley as well as around the country. Locations can be found on the website.

Rugg Road Paper
105 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
617.742.0002
Rugg Road started on Rugg Road in Allston as a papermaking studio. The current store sells handmade paper and an extensive selection of papers from around the world as well as a small selection of bookbinding materials. They have a selection of small size paper. They offer workshops in the Book Arts.

Hiromi Paper
2525 Michigan Avenue
Bergamot Station Art Center G-9
Santa Monica, CA 90404
866.479.2744
I havenÕt ordered from Hiromi Paper in years but they have an excellent selection of papers from around the world with a concentration on Japan. They have a retail location in Santa Monica, CA.

Victoria Paper
47-30 213th Street, Ground Floor
Bayside, NY 11361-3368
718.352.1957
I have not ordered from Victoria Paper but the selection of papers from around the world is excellent. Owner Aimee Klingman includes information about her travels and the papermakers on the website.

Chino Crafts
House No. 142, Jyogi pako Marg, Kaldhara Ð 17
PO Box 2272, Kathmandu, Nepal
977-1- 4255062
thame@wlink.com.np
I met Bindhu Adhikary when he came to Boston to show his papers to members of Boston Book Arts. The Lokta papers, both plain and leaf-printed, made by artisans in Nepal are beautiful. They also have hand carved clasps. Individuals can purchase direct with a minimum order.

Bookmakers International
6701B Lafayette Avenue
Riverdale, MD 20737
301.927.7787
There are other mail order book materials company but I chose Bookmakers by chance and found them very helpful.

Talas
I haven't ordered from them but their online catalog is extensive and they have an excellent reputation.

Review of catalog and online retailers
Thorough reviews of major catalog and online retailers are presented on this site from Handprint. Service and shipping are noted as well as selection.

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