In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through a simple Japanese stab binding technique—perfect for turning single sheets of paper into a clean, beautifully bound book.
This traditional method is ideal for sketchbooks, journals, guestbooks, zines, or any handmade project where craftsmanship and presentation matter. It’s straightforward, adaptable, and requires only a few basic tools—making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced bookbinders.
Materials & Tools You'll Need:
Cover Paper: A heavier weight paper or cardstock
Signature Paper: Lighter sheets, cut to the same size as the cover
Ruler and Pencil: For marking hole positions
Bag Weight: To help hold your stack steady while you punch
Japanese Hole Punch or Awl: For clean, consistent holes
Needle and Thread: A needle with a round eye and a correspondingly gauged thread appropriate for bookbinding
📏 All paper should be cut to the same size—in this guide, we're working with pages that are 5 inches tall. Make sure your paper is grain short; this will ensure that the pages open and lay flat properly without cracking. Long grain paper will resist this manner of binding.
Step-by-Step Binding Instructions
1. Make a Hole Template
Start by creating a guide using a scrap sheet of paper cut to the same height as your book. With a ruler and pencil, mark four evenly spaced holes, about one inch apart. For a 5-inch book, mark at: 1", 2", 3", and 4" from the top edge.
2. Punch Holes Through the Stack
Align your hole template along the binding edge of your stacked pages (cover on top), and secure it in place. Using a Japanese Screw Punch or awl—and a weight to stabilize the stack—punch clean holes through all layers. Once punched, remove the template.
3. Prepare Your Thread
Cut a length of thread approximately five times the height of your book. This ensures you have enough for the full pattern. Thread your needle, and you’re ready to begin stitching.
Stitching the Binding Pattern
4. Start at Hole 2
Open your page stack to about halfway.
a) Insert the needle from the inside at the second hole from the top. Bring the needle out to the front cover and leave a short tail behind—this will be used to tie off the stitch at the end.
b) Wrap the thread around the spine and re-enter hole 2, this time going through the entire stack.
c) Stitch down through hole 3.
5. Continue Down the Spine
a) Wrap around the spine and return through hole 3.
b) Move down to hole 4, and do the same: go through to the back, wrap around the spine.
c) Then repeat around the bottom edge of the book, and re-enter hole 4 again.
6. Stitch Back Up
a) From hole 4, go back down into hole 3. Then stitch up through hole 2 once more. Continue down through the top hole (hole 1),
b) Wrap around the spine.
c) Then repeat around the top edge of the book. Re-enter hole 1 a final time.
At this point, the front of your book should have a complete, evenly spaced stitch pattern.
7. Finishing the Binding
Flip the book over—you’ll see one final gap in the thread pattern.
a) From the back, insert the needle into hole 2,
b) Emerge halfway through the stack where your thread tail is waiting inside the signature stack.
c) Tie a secure knot—two or three times is best—and trim the thread.
The end should now be hidden neatly inside the book, tucked away between the inner pages.
Your Book Is Ready
And that’s it—your handmade stab-bound book is complete!
This deceptively simple structure results in a sturdy, elegant book that opens flat and can be customized in countless ways.
Whether you fill it with writing, drawing, prints, or ephemera, the result is a one-of-a-kind object made with care.
