how to bind a book: the pamphlet stitch

This little cutie is approximately 3.5" x 3.5". It's perfect as a little brag book to house extra photos that you couldn't resist printing doubles of. My camera was doing funny things and I was actually going to get to making some inside pages. So instead, you'll just get the making of the core of the book.

1. First, gather your inside pages from your scrap stash. Each page will be 3.25" x 6.5" and your cover will be 3.5" x 6.75". I chose corrugated paper as my cover and misc leftover papers from other projects. Feel free to incorporate other cool papers/transparencies. Fold all your page papers and cover in half. Then mark 3 dots along the spine of the book on the inside. I spaced them about an inch apart.

2. Cut a strip of embroidery floss or waxed linen thread or thin ribbon the length from the top hole to the bottom hole and multiply it by 3 (could be a big longer to make the last step of this technique a little easier - in other words, you can make the length from the top hole to bottom hole and multiply it by 4).

3. Thread your floss/thread/ribbon onto needle. Bring needle from outside to inside of middle hole.

4. Leave a tail (approx 1.5") hanging on outside of book.

5. Bring needle from inside middle hole to top hole (right hole in photo). Gently pull thread so that it sits flush against inside spine without pulling out the tail that you've left outside in step 4.

6. Now bring needle from top hole (right hole in photo) into bottom hole (left hole in photo).

7. This is what it looks like on inside of spine. Gently pull thread so that thread sits flush against outside of spine.

8. Bring needle through middle hole to outside spine.

9. This is what it looks like on the outside.

10. I always make sure the tails are each on one side of the thread that goes from top to bottom hole - this helps to anchor the thread and gives the stitch a cleaner look.

11. Tie 2 dead knots and trim tails to the desired length. Now decorate the cover and inside pages:).