The Art And Craft Of Handmade Books

by Shereen LaPlantz

Occasionally we stray from woodworking to other crafts and enjoy highlighting some books that encourage such forays. For some readers, The Art and Craft of Handmade Books will feed an impulse to express their words visually as well as verbally. Others will see the book as a how-to manual for some great crafts projects with youngsters. The book’s photo gallery, with contributions from more than 60 book artists, will stretch your imagination either way.

The book features over 25 patterns and clear instructions to guide you through such options as double tunnel layers, interwoven slit concertinas and creative explosion pages.

As the author, Shereen LaPlantz, notes, hers is a vibrant medium, where creativity can be expressed through techniques, materials, format and content. The book also offers a guide through traditional bookmaking techniques, such as sewn bindings, embossing, accordion-fold variations, Coptic stitch methods, but also enables the reader to incorporate playful approaches to develop unique and personalized books.

Softcover. 8 ½ x 11.

“A beautiful and worthwhile book.” – Next Book Please

“Well-written, imaginative – and just plain fun to read. I learned a lot about ways to make books that I never dreamed of. Ms. Laplantz is a creative genius.” – Bassocantor Reviews

“This is a gorgeous book filled with beautiful projects.” -The Sheepish Reader n Writer

“The more than 25 patterns become [the] main form of instruction, with a focus on seven different types of books, from a simple concertina or accordion fold to the complicated recessed skewer binding. Everything is here, including sidebars on content-specific books (bestiaries and abecedaries…) as well as explanations of such techniques as embossing.” – Booklist

Pages: 128
Binding: TP
Publisher: Dover Publications