I finally tried that $15 bookbinding kit from Amazon and it actually works.

I was super skeptical about those cheap bookbinding kits for making journals at home. Figured it'd be flimsy garbage that falls apart after a week. But I got one last month and made my first notebook with coptic stitching, and it's held up better than store bought ones. The glue is actually decent and the needle didn't snap like I expected. Anyone else been surprised by a hobby tool they thought would be junk?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_faith15d ago

Right?? My first attempt the spine glue turned into this weird crusty mess that looked like a dried up pond scum situation. But somehow that book is still holding together six months later, so I guess the mess is part of the magic. Honestly the hardest part was getting the holes to line up without stabbing myself in the thumb, but once you get past that, it's basically just fancy arts and crafts with a side of frustration.

the_faith15d ago

Did you end up with more glue on your fingers than on the actual book like I did? My first attempt looked like a kindergarten art project but somehow it still worked. I'm convinced half the hobby is just learning to be okay with a little mess.

ivan46215d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree there. The mess isn't part of the magic, it just means you were sloppy with the glue. I took my time on my first book and my fingers were clean when I finished.