Make a small stitched notebook
Bind a pocket notebook from folded scrap paper using a three-hole pamphlet stitch. Mark the holes, sew the spine and tie off the thread inside.
- Estimated time
- 30 min
- Skill level
- Beginner
Before you start
Use a few sheets you can fold together without the spine bulging. Fold the cover on a test scrap if it is stiff. Lay out your tools on a firm surface, with a scrap board underneath the spine so the needle never has to point towards your hand.
Tools and materials
- Four to six sheets of paper
- Thin card
- Ruler
- Binder clips
- Needle and strong thread
- Scrap cardboard
Step-by-step instructions
Fold the pages
Fold each sheet and the card cover in half. Nest the pages inside the cover and clip the stack together.
Mark three holes
Mark the centre of the fold and two points equally far from it. Put scrap cardboard beneath the fold and pierce the marks carefully.
Sew the three-hole pamphlet stitch
Start inside at the centre hole and leave a short tail. Pass outside through the centre, back inside through the top hole, then outside through the bottom hole. Return inside through the centre without splitting the thread already there.
Tie the thread
Keep a tail on either side of the long inside stitch. Tie the tails over it and trim them, then remove the clips.
Check the result
Open the book to the middle and turn the pages in both directions. They should move easily while the spine stays flat. Pull lightly at the centre thread to check the knot is snug, then close the book and smooth the cover.
Troubleshooting
If the paper tears at a hole, use fewer pages and pull the thread just snug.