As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the ideas, tips, and tutorials that resonated most with our community. In this roundup, we’ve handpicked the top 8 blog posts that captured the essence of the year. Whether you’re revisiting these gems or discovering them for the first time, these highlights are sure to leave you informed, motivated, and ready to get creative in the year ahead. Let’s dive in to our hot topics from 2024!
Top Free Tutorials
5 Fun and Free Mini Book Tutorials
My theme for this year was to reduce, reuse, and recycle by making use of the materials I already had on hand. These 5 fun and free mini-book tutorials are a great way to use up your paper scraps!
Top 10 Free Bookbinding Tutorials
While the majority of my bookbinding teaching is done through the Handmade Book Club, I make an effort to offer as many free resources as I can because I really do love sharing the joy of making handmade journals. I aim to offer something for everyone, no matter your skill level. I know it can be hard to decide where to begin, so to make it easy on you, I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 free bookbinding tutorials.
Bookbinding How-To’s
How to Use Your Handmade Books
One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “How do you use all of the books you make?”. There are a lot of journal types floating around these days, so I wanted to take a moment to explain some of the differences, albeit subtle, between them. I hope you’ll be able to use this as a starting point if you’re curious about how to use your handmade books!
How to Display Your Handmade Books
I often talk about the practical ways you can use your handmade books, but a question I’m frequently asked is, “How can I show them off?” Simply put, handmade journals are just too pretty to be hidden away in some dusty cabinet or drawer. They’re works of art, each one unique, and they deserve to be showcased!
Art Studio Organization
6 Art Studio Organizing Tips
Knowing exactly where to find a specific tool, having your scraps sorted by color, or having your essential equipment within reach are game changers for those of us who aren’t naturally inclined in the organization department. (Can you relate to spending hours looking for that one thing you swear you put right there, but it’s not there?) While these organizational principles take some intention and time to set up, they’re well worth the effort in the long run.
Portable Art Studios
Portable art studios are becoming a popular way for artists to break free from the confines of traditional workspaces and embrace the freedom to create wherever they go. While this is a wonderful trend, there are many things to consider when planning how and what to pack. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most out of a portable art studio.
Other Hot Topics
Tools for Bookmaking – My 13 Most Essentials
A while back, I was reorganizing my studio space, and I realized the importance of having my favorite and most-used tools closest to me on the work bench. I want these items to be easily accessible and always within arm’s reach. So which tools do I want to be close by, you ask? Here are my top 13 essential bookmaking tools that I like to have at my fingertips.
Gratitude Journaling
In a world that often feels fast-paced and unpredictable, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day chaos and lose sight of the small moments of joy that surround us. This is where the practice of gratitude journaling can make a transformative difference.
I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2025! Comment below and let me know your favorite posts from this year and the bookbinding topics you’d like to learn more about.
HI! I’M ALI MANNING
Years ago, I learned about handmade books, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. I love creating new designs, learning about different techniques, and expanding my collection of paper. But what I love most about bookmaking is the community.
Through Vintage Page Designs and the Handmade Book Club, I’ve met thousands of other passionate bookmakers, mixed-media artists, and crafters. We all share a love of book arts and crafting, just for the joy of it.
I believe that bookbinding and book arts are for everyone, regardless of skill level or equipment. All you need is a little creativity and, of course, paper!
Hey Ali,
WOW! It was fun to watch your video and see all the fun projects you all created! Thank you for sharing all you do with all of us. I hope to join the club one of these days but in the meantime I am grateful for the offerings you bring to the community. I make small watercolor journals right now … nothing fancy but the joy of making them is part of the satisfaction as you are aware! Best wishes and Happy New Year 2025 Ali and the team!
Robin HF
Greetings,
Merci beaucoup for all the free tutorials and information…it is truly appreciated. I’m French Australian born in 1962 and currently writing about my recent 62 day walk on the Camino Frances. It’s a project so am self publishing and binding by hand. Your ability to give instructions in an authentic unpretentious way is what first got my attention and now between writing I daydream and picture the finished product thanks to your instructions. Thank you from one artist to another, and all the best to you, your family and the book binding community 🙂