Upcycled Bookmaking Using Cardboard and Scraps

Creative Reuse 101 with WasteShed teaching artist Vahnaree Weiss

This workshop is part of Creative Reuse 101, a collaborative workshop series by The WasteShed & the Evanston Arts Center. Each workshop focuses on a different creative project inspired by The WasteShed’s Evanston creative reuse center and is geared toward artists and makers looking to incorporate sustainability into their creative practice in new and interesting ways!

Handmade Books with Reclaimed Materials (3-Hour Workshop)

Learn the art of bookmaking and create beautiful, hand-bound book using reclaimed and repurposed materials in this beginner-friendly workshop. This workshop will focus primarily on Japanese stab binding, a versatile, accessible bookbinding technique that allows makers to bind loose pages and covers together without specialized equipment, making it perfect for creative reuse, sketchbooks, journals, and artist books.

In this three-hour, hands-on class, participants will learn the fundamentals of 4-hole Japanese stab binding, from preparing pages and covers to stitching and finishing their own bound book. Students will be led by creative reuse specialist and teaching artist Vahnaree Weiss, who will demonstrate each step of the process and provide guided support throughout the workshop.

Students will learn…

• What Japanese stab binding is and when to use it
• The history and purpose of the 4-hole binding structure
• How to safely use basic bookbinding tools such as awls and needles
• How to measure, align, and prepare pages and covers
• How to choose appropriate thread and paper for different projects

Techniques Covered:

• Page and cover preparation
• Measuring and marking hole placement
• The 4-hole Japanese stab binding stitch pattern
• Edge-wrapping techniques
• Finishing and securing thread ends

This workshop is perfect for beginners—no prior bookbinding experience required. It’s ideal for artists, writers, and makers interested in handmade books, creative reuse, and learning adaptable binding techniques that can be applied to journals, sketchbooks, zines, and personal projects. Making books by hand is a sustainable, intentional, and extremely versatile medium for repurposing all sorts of paper scraps and ephemera, making it an excellent addition to your creative practice.

Quick note on Materials:

All tools and materials will be provided, including reclaimed paper, covers, and binding thread sourced from The WasteShed Evanston. Participants are welcome to bring their own paper or covers if they have specific materials they’d like to experiment with.

Have questions?

Feel free to email [email protected]

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