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How to Rebind a Vintage Book

A vintage book has a special feel, from the contents of the pages to the actual cover and style of the book itself. For every pristine and well-kept vintage book, you will likely find several others that are not in good repair. If you have a vintage book that you treasure but just cannot get it to stay within its cover or binding, you can easily replace and rebind the book to keep it in shape for several more years to come.

Things You'll Need

Razor blade
Card stock
Sewing machine
Hot glue
Decoupage glue
Binding press

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the vintage book flat on the table with the cover facing down. Turn all of the pages to the right so the seam between the pages and the cover on the left side is visible.
- 2
  Run a razor blade down the length of the seam to cut the cover and the pages apart. Flip the pages to the left and cut along the right seam so you can lift the pages completely out of the cover.
- 3
  Lay the card stock down on the table and set the pages on top of it so they are open at the middle of the book. Trace around the open pages with a pencil onto the card stock.
- 4
  Add a 1/8 inch to each side of the traced shape on the card stock and cut it out using the razor blade.
- 5
  Hold the pages closed and place the binding edge flat and centered on the card stock. Trace the size of the binding and make a small mark by each of the individual folded sections of the pages. These sections are called signatures.
- 6
  Extend each of the signature marks on the card stock so that they run the entire height of the stock. You should now have the outline of the spine on the card stock, with as many vertical lines as you have signatures in the book.
- 7
  Separate the signatures from each other, using small scissors to cut away the thread if they are sewn together. Keep them in order.
- 8
  Hold the first signature--the first pages of the book--against the first signature line within the spine outline on the card stock. Open the pages so they are flat and the fold is directly on the drawn line on the card stock.
- 9
  Sew straight down the signature along the fold using a sewing machine and a heavy-duty needle. Sew each of the signatures onto the card stock in the same way until all of them have been attached.
- 10
  Apply a bead of hot glue around the edges of the interior spine on the book cover. Press the sewn spine of the card stock into the hot glue.
- 11
  Spread decoupage glue all over the inside flaps of the book covers and press down on both sides of the card stock. Close the book and press again to make sure there is no glue leaking out onto the pages of the book.
- 12
  Close the book and put it into a binding press, closing the press tightly around the book. Let the book and glue bond for 48 hours.

Antiques