2023.11.19 This is a mirror of an article by Grace Bonney on Design Sponge. The original website hosting it is now down. I mirrored it because I quite like it and would hate for it to be lost.
Note: I altered some of the tools and materials needed so they're a bit more basic. The rest is unaltered.
Bookbinding 101: Five-Hole Pamphlet Stitch
![](../media/content/backup/Materials.jpg)
Tools
- 1x flat, polished tool used to score a fold in the paper into a permanent position (whatever works)
- 1x thick needle (sail needle will work)
- 1x pair of scissors
- 1x ruler
- 1x sewing awl
Materials
- 1 roll thread
- 5 sheets (A4) paper for pages
- 1 sheet decorative (A4) paper for cover
Instructions
Folding a sheet in half yields a folio. A signature is a compilation of two or more loose folios. The simplest method of binding a single signature codex, or a book bound on one edge, is with a pamphlet stitch. In this technique, the cover and signature are sewn at once. There are three basic variations of the pamphlet stitch: the three-hole (station), the four-hole and the five-hole. Today, I’ll share a tutorial for my favorite variation — the five-hole pamphlet stitch.
1. Using your bone folder, fold each of the five “pages” in half and nest them together.
2. Fold the “cover” in half.
![](../media/content/backup/PamphletBinding.jpg)
![](../media/content/backup/Step1and2.jpg)
3. Using your ruler and a pencil, mark five sewing stations. Station 3 is exactly in the center of the spine. Stations 2 and 4 are equidistant from the center. (I marked them 1.5″ from Station 1.) Stations 1 and 5 are equidistant from Stations 2 and 4. (I marked them 1.5″ from Stations 2 and 4, respectively.)
![](../media/content/backup/Step3a.jpg)
![](../media/content/backup/Step3b.jpg)
4. Using your awl, pierce the sewing stations.
![](../media/content/backup/Step4.jpg)
5. Thread your needle. Do not tie a knot just yet!
6. To bind: Begin on the inside at Station 3. Pull your needle through Station 3. Pull all but 2″ of the thread to the outside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step6.jpg)
7. Go through Station 4 to the inside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step7.jpg)
8. Go through Station 5 to the outside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step8.jpg)
9. Go through Station 4 to the inside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step9.jpg)
10. Go through Station 2 to the outside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step10.jpg)
11. Go through Station 1 to the inside.
12. Go through Station 2 to the outside.
![](../media/content/backup/Step11and12.jpg)
13. Go though Station 3 to the inside. Tie a square knot around the long stitch, which crosses over Station 3.
![](../media/content/backup/Step13a.jpg)
![](../media/content/backup/Step13b.jpg)