Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals & Albums

by Shereen LaPlantz

Even a beginner can start right out producing uniquely charming and elegant journals, albums, scrapbooks, and more. Envision handmade books to hold your writings, poems, photos, and keepsakes. More than 170 photos to inspire, and hundreds of illustrations to guide readers through the basics of an almost infinite variety of imaginative styles.

Genres: Art, Crafts, Nonfiction, Reference, Journaling, Books About Books, Design

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[S.M.]

This is a helpful place for beginners to start, but it has also made it pretty clear that I've bitten off more than I can chew. (Which, yes, is also technically a good thing to know.)

[Palma]

In this book there are step by step written instructions with drawn illustrations. I couldn't follow them and would have prefered more photographic images of the steps. Some of the insructions are a bit too legnthy and I lost a bit of interest.

[Alien]

Not bad, rather comprehensive, but not much that i haven't been able to find online with more detail and better pictures, some of the diagrams were a bit difficult to decipher and a few seemed to be missing steps

[Chris]

Bless this book for introducing me to the concept of spacers, which will solve a major dilemma when binding books to use as art journals. My very own used copy is on its way to me right now.

[rumbledethumps]

Clear instructions, and really good diagrams with precise measurements. This is a good book for the novice bookbinder to get some basic ideas on a variety of different styles.

[Westley]

okay

[Charlou]

Variations of single cut maze books

[Sheri Maxey-Wilson]

Well illustrated with concise instructions.

[Valerie]

Good directions for basic folio binding; lots of art books for inspiration

[Francine Fang]

There are step by step hand-drawing instruction of bookmaking.

[Leslie Holm]

Bookbinding techniques

[Scarlett Cavendish]

good book. I liked it

[B]

It was ok, nothing revolutionary.

[Judi Easley]

I've had this book for awhile, I recently read another of this author's books. So I pulled this one off my shelf for a review of what was in it. It's a good combination of illustrated instructions and artistic inspiration. I think it might help if you already had some bookcrafting experience under your belt before tackling the techniques and ideas in this books, but it wouldn't be beyond a dedicated beginner.

[Gala]

when people ask me to recommend a reference for basic bookmaking, i direct them here. a good book for getting started... clear instruction for 3-dimensional techniques (no small task!), interesting examples that, for the large part, resist being too cute-crafty.

[Kim]

This was highly recommended to me by several bookmakers, and now I know why. It seems to be the bible when it comes to construction, not just of basic books, but of any variation on the word "book." I bought it for my own library.

[Rachel Crawford]

BEST book on book binding. My favorite!

[Artlab]

Bookmaking

[Karin Bartimole]

My book arts bible that I return to over and over. Clear instructions with illustrations, great photos of completed works. Best book for the basics to get you started

[Anna]

Love LaPlantz easy methods to bookbinding. A little simplistic at times, but a beautifully written book. Also has great example pictures in there as well.

[Judy]

Very inspirational! Will look for a copy to purchase.

[Heather]

Okay, so I did not read this "cover-to-cover," but I use it all the time -- it is an excellent reference and idea-starter for artists books, cards, etc.

[Hilary]

One of the best books on bookmaking, easy to use and full of great examples and ideas.

[Mckinley]

Instructions with photos. More photos of finished projects at end.

[Mills College Library]

686.3 L314c 2015

[M. Jane Colette]

Visually stunning... but not for the amateur or dilletante!

[Mayaed26]

A must read for art lovers.

[Diane]

the step-by-step instruction pictures are pretty good and clear.