Red notebook with string, needle, and stones on a green surface A close-up of a person's hands creating abstract art on a white rectangular canvas with blue brushstrokes and yellow thread, set on a gray worktable with tools. Close-up of a person's hands holding a blue needle and thread over a stack of colorful spools of thread on a white desk. A close-up of a handmade book or journal with a textured olive green cover, bound with visible thread and white paper edges, resting on a light gray surface. A close-up of a handmade bookbinding or notebook-making setup on a wooden surface, including a spool of white thread, a small notebook with wire binding, scissors, a wooden tool, and a white leather blank. A close-up of a person's hands drawing on a sheet of dark blue cardstock using a white pencil and clear ruler, with a vintage typewriter, craft scissors, and colored thread spools in the background. scissors, thread, typewritter, white penicl, white folding bone, paper, some needles A flat-lay arrangement of various leathercraft and sewing tools on a wooden surface, including scissors, a utility knife, wooden carving tools, spools of thread, and a folded piece of blue material. A close-up of a person's hand holding a stack of printed cards or pages bound with a yellow elastic string, with a desk and blue storage box in the background. Bookbinding - Japanese Books
Red notebook with string, needle, and stones on a green surface A close-up of a person's hands creating abstract art on a white rectangular canvas with blue brushstrokes and yellow thread, set on a gray worktable with tools. Close-up of a person's hands holding a blue needle and thread over a stack of colorful spools of thread on a white desk. A close-up of a handmade book or journal with a textured olive green cover, bound with visible thread and white paper edges, resting on a light gray surface. A close-up of a handmade bookbinding or notebook-making setup on a wooden surface, including a spool of white thread, a small notebook with wire binding, scissors, a wooden tool, and a white leather blank. A close-up of a person's hands drawing on a sheet of dark blue cardstock using a white pencil and clear ruler, with a vintage typewriter, craft scissors, and colored thread spools in the background. scissors, thread, typewritter, white penicl, white folding bone, paper, some needles A flat-lay arrangement of various leathercraft and sewing tools on a wooden surface, including scissors, a utility knife, wooden carving tools, spools of thread, and a folded piece of blue material. A close-up of a person's hand holding a stack of printed cards or pages bound with a yellow elastic string, with a desk and blue storage box in the background. Bookbinding - Japanese Books
November 15, 2026

Bookbinding - Japanese Books

£55.00

Date: Sunday 15th November 2026
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm

Join Cesca from Inky Digits Studio for a relaxed, hands-on introduction to the beautiful art of bookbinding.

Japanese stab-binding — not as violent as it sounds! — is one of the oldest and most decorative ways to construct a book. The pages are bound along one edge with an exposed thread pattern, creating a distinctive spine that is as much a design feature as it is part of the construction.

Cesca will guide you through the entire process, from cutting and aligning your paper to punching clean, even holes and creating a traditional stab-bound stitch. You’ll also explore how different papers, threads and cover choices can completely change the character of a finished book.

During the workshop, you’ll learn:

  • How to cut and align pages and covers

  • How to prepare and punch binding holes

  • How to create a traditional Japanese stab-binding stitch

  • How different materials affect the finished book

  • Tips for continuing your bookbinding at home

By the end of the morning, you’ll have made two beautiful hand-bound books, ready to fill with sketches, stories, notes or ideas.

No previous experience is needed, and all papers, thread and binding tools are provided. As always at HUT on the Green, there will also be plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits!

Book your place now — expect a little thread stuck to your jumper and a very real risk of becoming obsessed with handmade books.

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