Bookbinding for Beginners

Over several sessions, each person hand-made their own traveller's-notebook-style gratitude journal using simple bookbinding methods and a mix of new and recycled paper. Every tool and material was theirs to keep, so the crafting could continue long after the workshops ended. The sessions were built to work whether someone had never crafted before or did it every day.

Between sessions, a moderated online community gave people a place to share gratitude pages, swap ideas, and keep each other going. A great deal of the project's value lived in the conversations and friendships as much as the folding and stitching.

Making your own journal saves money, takes the pressure off, makes room for the simple pleasure of play, and eases loneliness. The finished journals also make thoughtful, homemade gifts.