DIY Bookbinding

24 DIY BOOKBINDING

Before folding the turnovers, you’ll need to miter

the corners, removing the excess paper at the tip of

the corner to prevent an unsightly (and potentially

damaging, over time) bulge where the head (or foot)

and fore edge fold over each other. Use your ruler and

pencil to make a mark ¼" out from the corner of the

board. Draw a line at a 45-degree angle and cut away the

excess to create your miter. Miter the remaining three

corners in the same way.

COVER THE COVER 25

You’re almost done. It’s time to fold over the turnovers.

Lay the book open and brush a sparing amount of glue

across the length of the head turnover. Folding this

turnover can be a bit tricky. Stand the book up on its

foot edge and use your fingers to gently roll the edges

of the head turnover over the top of the board, working

from the spine out toward the fore edges. You might

need to use your bone folder to work the paper into the

spine, since this area might be a little tight, even though

you’ve slit the mull to accommodate the paper (not

doing so would have made this step impossible). Do the

same for the foot edge.

26 DIY BOOKBINDING

Before pasting the turnovers on the fore edges, apply a

small amount ...