Handmade Books | Introduction to simple bookbinding and block printing | Saturday 17th May 2025
10am - 4pm
12 spaces available
Spend the day with Stella Wrightson from Handmade Books and learn how to make a set of three single section, block printed notebooks. Essentially you will be learning two skills in one course; block printing on paper and beginners bookbinding.
Each participant will be given their own set of basic bookbinding tools in a small drawstring bag to take home. You can even customise your little bag with Stella’s block prints if you have time.
The day will begin with a lesson on block printing as you play with pattern and colour to create three different designs for the covers of your notebooks. Stella will show you how to get the best out of an Indian wood block and also share her methods of creating your own blocks from potatoes and lino.
The second part of the morning will be about paper, as you look at how to choose the right paper for purpose and learn some essential folding and cutting techniques from the bookbinding trade.
We will then break for a delicious home cooked lunch either out in the Walled Garden or in our newly renovated potting sheds.
After lunch we’ll gather together once more for Stella to teach us how to bind our books together using a range of methods and styles from very simple single stitch technique to more complex Japanese stab bindings.
This one day course is a great way to get an introduction into the art of bookbinding and come home with three beautiful and unique handmade notebooks.
This course is suitable for Adults and children aged 11+.
No experience necessary just bring ideas and imagination.
All materials, paint, papers provided by We Are Wild but please bring with you any beads or buttons you might like to use for your final book ties.
10am - 4pm
12 spaces available
Spend the day with Stella Wrightson from Handmade Books and learn how to make a set of three single section, block printed notebooks. Essentially you will be learning two skills in one course; block printing on paper and beginners bookbinding.
Each participant will be given their own set of basic bookbinding tools in a small drawstring bag to take home. You can even customise your little bag with Stella’s block prints if you have time.
The day will begin with a lesson on block printing as you play with pattern and colour to create three different designs for the covers of your notebooks. Stella will show you how to get the best out of an Indian wood block and also share her methods of creating your own blocks from potatoes and lino.
The second part of the morning will be about paper, as you look at how to choose the right paper for purpose and learn some essential folding and cutting techniques from the bookbinding trade.
We will then break for a delicious home cooked lunch either out in the Walled Garden or in our newly renovated potting sheds.
After lunch we’ll gather together once more for Stella to teach us how to bind our books together using a range of methods and styles from very simple single stitch technique to more complex Japanese stab bindings.
This one day course is a great way to get an introduction into the art of bookbinding and come home with three beautiful and unique handmade notebooks.
This course is suitable for Adults and children aged 11+.
No experience necessary just bring ideas and imagination.
All materials, paint, papers provided by We Are Wild but please bring with you any beads or buttons you might like to use for your final book ties.
10am - 4pm
12 spaces available
Spend the day with Stella Wrightson from Handmade Books and learn how to make a set of three single section, block printed notebooks. Essentially you will be learning two skills in one course; block printing on paper and beginners bookbinding.
Each participant will be given their own set of basic bookbinding tools in a small drawstring bag to take home. You can even customise your little bag with Stella’s block prints if you have time.
The day will begin with a lesson on block printing as you play with pattern and colour to create three different designs for the covers of your notebooks. Stella will show you how to get the best out of an Indian wood block and also share her methods of creating your own blocks from potatoes and lino.
The second part of the morning will be about paper, as you look at how to choose the right paper for purpose and learn some essential folding and cutting techniques from the bookbinding trade.
We will then break for a delicious home cooked lunch either out in the Walled Garden or in our newly renovated potting sheds.
After lunch we’ll gather together once more for Stella to teach us how to bind our books together using a range of methods and styles from very simple single stitch technique to more complex Japanese stab bindings.
This one day course is a great way to get an introduction into the art of bookbinding and come home with three beautiful and unique handmade notebooks.
This course is suitable for Adults and children aged 11+.
No experience necessary just bring ideas and imagination.
All materials, paint, papers provided by We Are Wild but please bring with you any beads or buttons you might like to use for your final book ties.
All about Stella - Working from her bindery and studio near Darlington, Stella uses unusual and original combinations of leather, suede and paper to make blank books in bright jewel colours with ribbons, silks and beads bought on her travels. She also makes her own paste paper designs and block prints on fabric and paper to give totally unique covers to make each book special. Stella works on commission to make sketchbooks, visitor books, photo albums and journals in her signature colour combinations. She is passionate about both block printing and book binding and loves sharing the techniques she has mastered with others.