February 25 7-8:30 on Facebook Live Stream
Miniature books are defined as any very small book. They can be bound using any technique. The only limit is the maximum dimension must be 3 inches or under in height, width and thickness. You can find hand written and painted books, small letter press printed books and ‘zines made on photocopiers traditionally sewn, cloth or leather bound, or just stapled together in paper cover.
While they are often considered just a collector’s item now- miniature books historically functioned as a portable, precious way of carrying important information with you. Small hymnals and bibles, elaborately painted Book of Hours for royal prayers, and children’s educational primers can all be found in very small formats- designed to fit in your palm, pocket or purse. One of the earliest American examples printed was a small copy the Proclamation of Emancipation published in Boston in 1863 and distributed to Union troops. Another unique choice for a “pocket book” was an autobiography of rocket engineer Robert Goddard. Buzz Aldrin tucked a small copy in his suit to take with him to the moon in 1969.
If you are looking for miniature books to inspire you- please check out the collection at the Field House Museum in St. Louis. Tiny books have the perfect home in their doll houses and exhibits there. Another large collection to check out is at Washington University of St. Louis. There is a permanent exhibition space there in the Special Collections donated by Julian Edison, dedicated to this collection so that miniature books are always available for viewing.
Think about filling your book with:
Commonplace Books, Epigrams, Journals and Sketchbooks– books of quotes and saying that are important to the reader often handwritten and illustrated. In a way they are a more educational or profound way of journaling and keeping a sketch diary.
Abecediary and Counting books—alphabet books with the letters and books to teach numbers illustrated are charming and practical.
Mnemonics – memory devices for simple themes like Roy G Biv or complex trigonometry formulas
Botanicals and Bestiary books– catalog the flora and fauna both scientifically and imaginiatively
Specimen books– collections of related things like fonts, illustrations, stamps, fabric swatches, calligraphic ornaments. Since I collect vintage cookbooks, I love to create my own miniature cookbooks to share favorite recipes with friends and family.
Basic supplies and tools for this demo:
Book Block
Plain copy paper 8 ½ x 11 (20 lb)
Colored paper for end papers (optional)
Ruler with metal straight edge
Sharp Pencil
Bone folder, letter opener or thin knife (optional)
Heavy thread
Needle
T pin, Push pin or sharp heavy needle
Book Cover
Spine cover- Book cloth or cardstock I piece 4 x2
Spine liner- Cardstock or heavy paper 1 ½ x 4
Book covering -Decorative paper 2pcs. 4×2
Book covers- 2 pieces 2 x 3 Thin cardboard (cereal box, heavy tagboard or mat board scraps)
Glue stick or PVA glue
Heavy book for weight
Scrap paper to protect book while gluing
Scissors or exacto blade cutter
MAKING THE BOOK BLOCK
Fold 8 ½ x 11 copy paper in half the long direction.
Open and fold in half the other way. Take the top layer and fold back toward the fold. Do the same on the back.
Cut the paper along the center fold.
Take one piece and fold it in half. Do the same with the second piece.
Nest one folded grouping inside the other. You will have 32 pages 2 1/8 by 2 ¾.
Fold the quarter sheet of colored paper in half and in half again- wrap it around the white paper text block. You may see white paper sticking out on the fore edge- we will trim this later.
Mark three small dots with pencil in the middle of the “signature’s” crease. Put one at the center (1 3/8) and one at the top (head) and bottom (tail) 1/4 to 3/8 from the edges. Clip the papers together and pierce carefully at all three spots with a T pin, push pin or large needle.
Take a piece of cardstock or manila envelope (grain should always run in the longer direction) and cut a piece 3 x 1 ½.
Fold in half the long way and draw a light line. On either side of this draw a line ¼ inch from so that you will have three lines- these lines will be used position your covers. Find the middle of the center line (1 ½) and pierce a hole there. Mark two holes one inch from this center hole on either end and pierce them as well. This is the spine liner.
Put the spine liner on the outside of the book block- line up the holes and sew in the letter B shape- starting on the inside in the middle hole – going out through the spine liner, come back in to the center and out through the last hole. Come back in the middle hole- being careful not to pierce the threads. Remove the needle- make sure one tail is on either side of the long center stitch and tie a square knot.
Close the book- measure from the spine 2 inches at the head and tail- trim carefully so that your book pages measure 2 ¾ long x 2 wide. (The spine liner will be longer.)
MAKING THE COVER
Cut two pieces of mat board or cardboard 3 x 2 (check your grain direction!) for your covers.
Cut a piece of book cloth or colored paper for decorative spine 4 x 2 inches- mark the center line and draw a line ½ inch from the bottom and top.
Cut two pieces of decorative paper with a small print for the covers 4 x 2 inches.
Apply glue to the edges of the spine liner (Try not to get any glue beyond the line near the spine) Carefully line up the edge of your book board with the line and smooth. Align the edge of the board with the edge of the line as well. When you glue the second cover on the other side- make sure that the bottoms of both boards are level and straight. I use a scrap piece of board as a straight edge to make sure they go on straight and true. Put this assembly under a piece of scrap paper and weight with a book for a few minutes.
Prepare the spine cloth or paper strip so it looks like this:
Line the spine liner up on your book cloth strip to make sure you have enough material to turn in at the top and bottom of the liner. Glue up the center area of the book cloth. Always start in the middle and push the glue toward the edges so it won’t ooze over the edge on the front and make a mess. You can leave the ½ inch of the cloth at the head and tail unglued for now. Smooth the cloth over the spine liner and let it dry under a clean paper and book.
Turn in the ends- glue the last bit of cloth and the edge of the board. Roll and tuck the extra fabric onto the inner part of the cover (tuck behind the book pages carefully.)
It’s starting to look like are real book! Let’s add the last touches- decorative paper and end papers.
Lay the book open with the pages flat on the table. Measure from the fore edge to the book cloth 1 ½ inches in a couple places. Only make a light pencil mark or a dent with a bone folder in the cloth.
On one piece of decorative paper- mark a margin around three sides of ½ inch. The central area will need some glue- again- start in the middle and go outward toward the drawn lines and the cut edge so that the glue doesn’t ooze over onto the front.
Line the glued up cut edge with the faint markings you made on the book cloth. Make sure you have a half inch over hang all the way around the cover. Trim the corner off- leaving two book board thicknesses of paper beyond the corner point. ( I use a couple of scrap pieces of book board to help measure the corner material.
COVERING THE BOOK
Rule of thumb: head and tail first- then fore edge.
Glue up the head and tail flaps and be sure to get a little glue on the edge of the cardboard. The thicker the board is the more important that last detail will be.
Turn up the tail and head paper onto the inside of the cover. Nick in the little “ears” that form on the fore edge and press them into the board and then roll the fore edge paper into the inside. One side done- repeat on the other…
Place a piece of paper between the first two pieces of paper in the text block. This would be between the two colored papers for the end papers. On the outer most paper- cover the whole page with glue- as always starting in the middle and working out toward the edges. Remove the glue sheet and slowly close the book. It should line up with an edge of decorative paper known as the square showing all the way around. With such a small book your square should be about 1/8 of an inch or so. If things are on straight and even- smooth down the end paper over the cover – pressing into the edges of the cloth, decorative paper edges and into the area close to the spine liner. Repeat with the other side.
Put your finished book under some weight overnight. I like to put some clean dry paper between the endpapers on both sides just to wick away some of the moisture from the PVA. Glue sticks are not as wet so this is optional.
You have just made your first hard bound single signature sewn book! Congratulations!