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Paper and string: the stuff you’ll need for book arts

To make your own handmade books or altered books, you’ll mostly need things that you can get for free, or very inexpensively, especially if non-traditional bookbinding appeals to you! For serious bookbinding, or if you plan to do a lot of it, you’ll probably want to purchase some basic supplies and tools, especially if you want to make your books from materials that will last. Some suppliers are listed below to help you get started.

If you want to try altered books and you don’t have a book at home that you care to sacrifice, try your local library where there may be shelves of books for sale…either donations or books that have been removed from the collection (big word for the day: that’s called “deaccessioned”). Trust me when I say that there are so many books that end up in landfills, perfectly good books, that you are actually doing the world a favor by turning these books into artwork.

John Neal, Bookseller
Bookbinding supplies, plus the know-how to do it

Hollander’s
Bookbinding supplies, decorative papers, and workshops

Volcano Arts
Handmade book and bookbinding supplies, paper marbling, etc

Gaylord Brothers
Archival library and bookbinding supplies

The Book Arts Web
A site you can get lost in if you’re serious about book arts in all forms! Be sure to download the free e-journal, “The Bonefolder”, with lots of information on bookbinding and book arts.

Talas
Serious bookbinding supplies of professional quality

American Academy of Bookbinding
For serious professional as well as amateur bookbinders


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Comments

Limar said…
Thanks for the links, lots of interesting things :)