Coptic binder by hand: a master class, interesting ideas

Coptic binder is very popular among scrapbooking masters. On the one hand, this is the easiest and fastest way to fasten the pages in one block, and on the other - its simplicity gives a huge field for flying fantasy in the aesthetic design of scrapbook albums, sketchbooks and notebooks of all sizes and shapes.

Despite the fact that scrapbooking is a painstaking business, it is not difficult even for a beginner to make a Coptic binding.

A little history before starting work

Coptic binder appeared simultaneously with the isolation of the Coptic language and literature. The first written monuments in the form of books-codes, fastened in this technique, date back to the end of the third century. The oldest of them in the form of pages made of papyrus, sewn with rigid threads or assembled on metal rings, do not yet have ornaments.

Later papyrus was replaced by a new material - parchment, and the pages began to cover with intricate ornaments and bright images.

Particular attention was paid to the cover and the binding itself, because it was he who had to collect thin pages into a single whole. The cover, wooden or covered with leather, was designed not only to preserve the book, but also to attract attention, inspire and demonstrate the wealth of the owners. The covers were decorated with paintings, carvings, gilding, the finest inlays. For their decor, rare expensive materials, such as ivory, mother of pearl, gold plates, precious stones were often used.

Coptic tradition today

In fact, all of our contemporary book culture is rooted in the ancient Coptic codes.

Despite the age of information technology and computerization, the craving for rough paper, books in heavy covers, beautiful clerical trivia remains. Notepad with Coptic binding in the original design will be appropriate on the desk of a business person, complement the interior of the cabinet or living room, will serve as an unusual accessory in an elegant handbag.

Tradition and Handmade

How to make a Coptic binding in the home, help to understand the step-by-step master class with photos. Most likely, materials for the most simple notebook or sketchbook will be found in every home. They will take a little time, accuracy and imagination. You yourself will not notice how, as a result of simple manipulations with the thread and needle, a real Coptic binding is obtained, the same as in ancient manuscripts.

This MC offers a basic version of the notebook, made using the techniques of fastening the early Christian codes.

Tools and materials

• Sheets of A4 paper.
• Cardboard for the cover.
• Yarn "Iris" or any other thick thread.
• Gypsy needle.
• Thin awl or pins.
• Ruler.
• Pencil, stationery clips for paper.

Coptic Bind: master-class

First you need to prepare the paper. Bend the sheets in half and collect in a notebook three sheets, stack them with a pile. The number of such notebooks depends on the thickness of the notebook.

For the Coptic binding, the notebook must be marked out. In the bend of one of them a ruler and a pencil are marked for five holes at equal distances from each other. The first and last mark should be located about one centimeter from the edge of the sheet. The holes are pierced through all the pages of the notebook with a thin awl or needle. The first notebook shows all the others.

Holes on the covers are pierced at a distance of 1-1.5 cm from the edge, their distance between each other should correspond to that in the marking of the notebooks. To facilitate the work, the sheets can be fastened with clerical clamps and the marks can be punctured with pins at full thickness.

Unit firmware

Now begins the creation of the binding itself. For firmware, you can take any strong thread. Perfectly suitable for the most simple yarn "Iris", it is quite strong and easy to use.

At the first stage, the back cover and the first notebook of three sheets are stitched. A needle with a threaded single thread is inserted into the last hole of the first notebook from the inside. In the fold there is a small tail. The same thread picks up the cover from the outside, and the needle is removed between the notebook and cardboard.

The needle is wound around the sewn thread and reinserted into the first hole of the notebook.

The remaining tail and working thread are connected in a small bundle and tightly tightened. The needle is inserted into the next hole of the notebook, picks up the cover from the outside. So all five holes are sewn.

The second notebook is stacked on top of the first and stitched on the same principle. A needle with a thread is inserted into the last hole, it is removed from the next hole. The working thread is drawn around already sewn between the cover and the first notebook and is inserted into the same hole. So all five holes are passed. When the blocks are sewn on all five holes, the next notebook is placed on top. Thus, the required number of blocks is gradually sewn up and an elegant Coptic binding is formed. A detailed master-class for notebooks, notebooks and albums with a combination of this type in all sorts of variations will easily help to make an original gift.

The thickness of such a notebook is limited only to convenience and necessity. Equally beautiful in the Coptic cover will look and a thin notebook of two or three of these notebooks, and an impressive three-dimensional calendar of blocks.

Shutdown

The final stage of the firmware requires special attention. The last notebook, like the first one, is stitched together with the cover, here it is required to concentrate completely on the work in order to avoid confusion.

The last notebook and cover are stacked on already stitched sheets. The needle with the thread is inserted into the last hole on the cover from the outside and is output between the cover and the notebook. The string is wound around the already sewn stitch between the two previous ones, already hemmed in blocks and inserted into the last hole of the last notebook, and extends inside.

The needle is then inserted into the adjacent hole in the bend and removed from the outside. The thread is wound around the already sewn between the last and penultimate notebooks and is inserted into the corresponding hole on the cover from the outside.

The thread is once again wrapped around the already sewn between the cover and the last notebook and is inserted into the same hole in the notebook.

On the spine is a beautiful thin pigtail, reminiscent of a crocheted chain of air loops.

When the firmware is finished, the thread is fixed in the middle of the fold of the last notebook by the tailor's knot: the needle is picked up by the thread along the fold, surrounded by a loose thread, the needle is once again threaded into the received loop. The knot is tightened, and the remaining end of the thread is cut.

Ideas for inspiration and creativity

The simplest Coptic binder is ready. MK gives the basics of this oldest technique. In this case, the binding does not require additional fixation, gluing the end along the folds and decorating the spine.

Having mastered it in this way, you can further complicate the design, experiment with paper, threads, cover decor. This technique is good because it practically does not limit the flight of imagination, allows you to use different and sometimes very unexpected materials, create notebooks and albums of different forms. You can move away from the usual and already podnadoevshego rectangle, perhaps someone will like a notebook heart, someone will be delighted with floral motifs or be delighted with intricate geometry.

A great solution for a notepad with Coptic binding is handmade paper, which you can also do yourself. The seashells brought in summer from the holidays, dried flowers, beads and sequins will also come in handy. For the decor of the notepad in vintage style, old fashion jewelry is suitable.

Once the art of decorating books was considered sacred. Today, anyone can get in touch with this ancient skill and try themselves in the bookbinding business.