Prepare your pages. They may be stapled or sewn together.
Decide how far apart the cover should be from the spine. This varies on books, and should be at least one-fourth of an inch, but not more than three-fourths of an inch.
Cut covers and spine a little taller than your pages. If you don't have heavy cardboard, use two layers of thin cardboard. The spine should be at least a half-inch wide. If you chose a wide folding gap, your covers will not be as wide as your pages. With a narrow gap, your covers should be about the same width as the pages. Glue the cardboard pieces to a piece of paper. This will keep them from shifting around while you work.
Cut a piece of fabric to extend about one inch around all sides of the cover. Clip the corners to reduce bulk.
Glue the fabric around the cover. You may use white glue or hot-melt glue.
Miter the corners by folding in the middle cropped section first.
Center your pages on the spine and tape the pages to the cover on the front and back. You may use book-binding tape or iron-on fabric mending material.
Cut end papers that will cover the pages and the raw edges of cloth. Glue along the bound edge of the pages and the half that covers the raw edges of cloth. Do the same to the back.
Now your book is ready to read or to use as a journal.
