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Joined 5 months ago
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Cake day: February 10th, 2025

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  • Thank you ! To make the cover, I did not use a cardboard but A4 160 ou 180g/m2 drawing paper (Canson à Grain). I cut it in half and covered each part : one with japanese washi paper (the one with waves) and the other with canvas.

    I prepared my signatures with sheets of smooth writing paper. Then, I sew them on one side of cover, on the “ribbon” parts (like on a “cousoir”). Then, all you need to do is to glue the other side. The only “tricky” part is measuring the thickness of the fabric you’ll be using for your cover, and deducting a few millimeters from the “ribbons” of your carboard.

    But, you can also make it much more simple, like using a A4 180g/m2 paper, paint it (with watercolor or something else) on one side or the other of your paper, and cutting it in half without covering it.

    @[email protected], if you like japanese paper, I recommend you Misaki Iinuma shop : https://www.misakiiinuma.com/ She’s japanese and travel to Japan each year to select papers. She’s fun and her tiny shop is near L’Écritoire and la Maison de la Poésie ;)


  • Oh sorry ! I didn’t see your new post ! So I have the response to the questions I just asked you here : https://jlai.lu/comment/14436651.

    So, I’ll repeat myself for the other participants : since I started bookbinding, I keep everything that may be useful (cardboards from promotional calendar, marbled paper scraps, etc.).

    The coptic binding method is quite easy (well it takes a little bit of patience on the first try), you can sew different signatures together and the notebook lays flat.

    The Japanese method is much easier and quite decorative, but I don’t really like it for writing because the notebooks don’t open properly.

    As usual, lots of tutorials on YouTube.

    And here’s one of mine :

    PS : @[email protected] I see that you use brown ink, I love this shade.


  • Sorry for the late reply, you may have noticed my last message announcing I won’t be available a lot for the time being.

    No problem at all, personal time and health first !

    a few stapled sheets of paper with a nice cover made out of recycled cardboard (from a sturdy pasta package :p)

    Ahah, it’s great ! Since I started bookbinding, I keep everything that may be useful (cardboards from promotional calendar, marbled paper scraps, etc.).

    Have you covered your journal with nice paper ? What kind of sewing did you use ? The coptic binding method is quite easy (well it takes a little bit of patience on the first try), you can sew different signatures together and the notebook lays flat. The Japanese method is much easier and quite decorative, but I don’t really like it for writing because the notebooks don’t open properly.


  • I never journal, but I like to do it when I’m on a trip alone. Even though, I like to think that I’m never truly alone, whether it’s because I rent a room in a private home, at an hostel, or taking part in an excursion. I always meet people.

    I do it to keep a record of my trip and also because I have a lot more time to myself. Usually, I journal in the evening, in bed, to reflect on my day and keep a memory of my trip. I use a small notebook someone gave me or one that I bought and kept in my notebook box. A few years back, I started bookbinding, so I also make my own notebooks.

    It’s been a while though. I should consider taking a new solo trip !

    Little tip: For those who like Midori Traveler’s Notebook-style, it’s super easy and way cheaper to make them. There is a bunch of tutorials on YouTube, like this one. I made a few ones with scraps of saddlery leather someone gave me. Well…someone gave it to someone who gave it to someone who gave it to me ;)