Chain stitch bound books, D. Guza 2020

What is a chain stitch bookbinding?

Chain stitch bookbinding is a method of bookbinding in which all the pages and covers of a book are bound together using a single thread. This method allows a book to lay flat when opened, with a lot of flexibility. Coptic stitch bookbinding is a similar method. The chain stitch is originally a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. 

Resources

Chain stitch bookbinding can be done using a variety of papers and threads. This method adds a beautiful detail to the spine of your handmade book. Check out these resources on chain stitch book binding:

Tutorials

Here is a process board I created along with my journey in chain stitch bookbinding:

ChainStitchHowToDownload

Here are some easy-to-follow tutorials online: 

For Teachers

Since I teach K-6 art, I focused my search on how to make books with elementary students. There are not a lot of resources on chain stitch bookbinding for K-12 teachers specifically, so I’ve link a few resources for bookbinding with elementary students:

Example Books

Here are three books I made using the chain stitch bookbinding method. For each book I attempted using different supplies. For one version, I created the binding using embroidery floss and small binding holes, for another I used thick yarn, a plastic needle, and created the holes using a hole punch for easier stitching.