Bookbinding is a very simple process of stacking lose papers together to form a book. It has been in practice for a long time. Most of the books in our time are bound by machines. But some people still practice simple bookbinding techniques at home because of the ease with which it can be done. Bookbinding is fast becoming a lucrative hobby. In this article we will see some simple bookbinding methods which you can start right now.

• 1) Saddle Stitch: By far the simplest of all the bookbinding techniques is saddle stitch. Though the name includes "stitch", you don't have to do it in this method. You might be having books lying around which are stapled at the center. This is referred as saddle stitch. The only tool you will need is a long arm stapler so that you can staple in the center easily.
• 2) Saddle Sewing: In this method you will be required to sew through the center. This is also simple but you need to learn sewing properly. Once you know how to sew correctly it is very easy. The tools that you will need are a big needle, strong carpet thread or nylon thread and a sharp object for making holes (an awl ).
• 3) Perfect Binding: This process is not as easy as the above two. You have to do some more work to do perfect binding. It is a process of attaching the papers and cover of the book using a strong glue. You can use a paper cover of a hard cover. Using a paper cover is easier, so better to do with this cover. First of all you will need to prepare all the signatures. Then clamp tightly near the spine of the papers. Now using a sand paper roughen the spine. Apply glue with a brush and let it dry. After drying, apply the glue again and attach the cover. After keeping this under a heavy object for couple of hours you will have a perfect bound book ready.

The above three are very simple bookbinding methods which require some practice. There are many more hand bookbinding techniques which you can learn gradually. If you give an hour everyday for bookbinding then you can learn it easily.