Create your own contemporary hand-bound book in this artist-led one-day workshop combining printmaking, embossing and open-seam binding techniques.
This session brings together surface design and bookbinding as a single creative process. You’ll begin by designing and carving a relief block that will be printed and embossed into grey board to form a tactile, graphic book cover using a tabletop press.
Alongside cover making, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of open-seam bookbinding. Using butterfly stitch and waxed linen thread, you’ll assemble and bind your book by hand — learning techniques that emphasise structure, materiality and visible construction.
Across the day you will learn:
a brief introduction about bookbinding with examples
design and carve a relief block for the cover design - to be embossed
how to emboss your carved relief block onto a grey board using a tabletop press
Gluing your hard cover successfully ready for assembling
techniques of folding and pressing pages
how to line up, mark and prepare binding holes accurately
hand sewing techniques to create an open-seam book using butterfly stitch and waxed linen threads
assemble a finished artist-made book with a personalised embossed cover to take home (A5)
The workshop balances precision with experimentation, offering a contemporary approach to bookbinding that values material honesty and visual impact. No prior experience is needed — the process is broken down into clear, achievable stages.
Hot drinks and biscuits are provided — just bring curiosity (and a packed lunch). You’ll leave with a finished hand-bound book and the skills to continue binding independently.
Duration: 1 day (10:00am – 3:30pm)
All materials provided
Level: suitable for beginners and improvers
Group size: small for personalised tuition
Access : our second floor studio is fully accessible with ramp and lift access
Travel: close to public transport routes from the city centre (buses 15, 16, 17 - Teesdale Rd stop)
Parking: limited, however plenty of local street parking is available
Create your own contemporary hand-bound book in this artist-led one-day workshop combining printmaking, embossing and open-seam binding techniques.
This session brings together surface design and bookbinding as a single creative process. You’ll begin by designing and carving a relief block that will be printed and embossed into grey board to form a tactile, graphic book cover using a tabletop press.
Alongside cover making, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of open-seam bookbinding. Using butterfly stitch and waxed linen thread, you’ll assemble and bind your book by hand — learning techniques that emphasise structure, materiality and visible construction.
Across the day you will learn:
a brief introduction about bookbinding with examples
design and carve a relief block for the cover design - to be embossed
how to emboss your carved relief block onto a grey board using a tabletop press
Gluing your hard cover successfully ready for assembling
techniques of folding and pressing pages
how to line up, mark and prepare binding holes accurately
hand sewing techniques to create an open-seam book using butterfly stitch and waxed linen threads
assemble a finished artist-made book with a personalised embossed cover to take home (A5)
The workshop balances precision with experimentation, offering a contemporary approach to bookbinding that values material honesty and visual impact. No prior experience is needed — the process is broken down into clear, achievable stages.
Hot drinks and biscuits are provided — just bring curiosity (and a packed lunch). You’ll leave with a finished hand-bound book and the skills to continue binding independently.
Duration: 1 day (10:00am – 3:30pm)
All materials provided
Level: suitable for beginners and improvers
Group size: small for personalised tuition
Access : our second floor studio is fully accessible with ramp and lift access
Travel: close to public transport routes from the city centre (buses 15, 16, 17 - Teesdale Rd stop)
Parking: limited, however plenty of local street parking is available
