Following two of our most popular ‘Top 10 lists’ posts (Top 10 Japanese Stab Binding Tutorials on the Internet & Top 10 Coptic Stitch Binding Tutorials on the Internet), we’ve been asked to find some resources for the rare, and ever so secret, Secret Belgian Binding technique.

We have also prepared several other bookbinding tutorial collections:

The Belgian Binding (aka crisscross binding) is a bookbinding technique/method which produces a beautiful and distinct, semi-exposed stitched spine as a result of a dual sewing process (initial sewing for the book covers and a later sewing process used to attach the text block to the covers). Originally invented in the mid-1980’s by Belgian bookbinder, Anne Goy (and her book: Reliure crisscross : The secret belgian binding), who was looking for an alternative binding technique to the Japanese Stab Binding method that would allow the book to open flat whilst also remaining simple to make.

The secret Belgian Binding type of binding is relatively rare in the bookbinding community and is mostly used in specialised bindings. This technique is often referred to as the ‘Secret’ Belgian Binding mainly due to the fact that much of the thread used for binding the cover to the text block is hidden behind the spinal board but, other interesting and slightly unexpected explanations of how the name of this technique was derived can be found here, here and here! Which one is correct? You decide!

An interesting feature of the Secret Belgian Binding is that the spinal board (or spine piece) is only held together in tension by the cord that is woven above and below it.

Click the ‘Follow us on Pinterest!’ button above to view more photos of this binding method on our Pinterest! page.

The signatures of a Belgian Bound book are sewn directly to the cord that is threaded behind the spinal board, as a result the signatures can become ‘loose’ and thus wear if correct tension is not applied during the signature sewing process.

There are however many benefits to a Belgian bound book over many other binding techniques, these can include:

The book will lay completely flat when opened

Book covers can be easily transferred from one book to another

Repairs are relatively simple and straight forward

No glue or adhesives are used during the binding process

#1 Secret Belgian Binding – Intermediate

In Erin’s tutorial she leads us through the tools, materials and different steps required to make a beautiful ‘top secret’ Belgian bound book, her own mix on the traditional Secret Belgian Bind.

Assuming you have all the necessary materials you should be able to complete this tutorial in under an hour. Thanks Erin!

View tutorial on Herringbone Bindery

Tutorial Contents

Measuring your book boards

Covering your book boards

Trimming the inside edges

Punching holes in the cover boards

Marking down the endsheet position

Cutting out channels for thread

Sewing the spine piece

Tying off the last stitch

Pasting down the endsheets

Punching your signatures

Sewing in the text block

#2 Hollanders – Secret Belgian Binding

A great Secret Belgian Binding tutorial by Hollanders. Contains some good tips and techniques to make the sewing process a little easier (as it can be fiddly to get the tension just right when making the cover also when sewing the signatures to the cover).

The tutorial takes you through the materials needed, punching your boards, sewing the spine piece, tying off the last stitch, making the text block, sewing the text block onto the book cover using the kettle stitch.

View tutorial on Hollanders.com

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#3 Emily Martin – Secret Belgian (PDF)

A printable PDF Belgian Binding tutorial from Emily Martin, a good resource to hand out to your students or to take into your workshop.

There are no photographs in the PDF but some excellent hand-drawn images which really help to guide the user through the process and explain the techniques as a whole.

View PDF tutorial from Emily Martin Here

Emily covers the following topics in her 5 page PDF tutorial:

A little history on the Secret Belgian Binding technique

Creating a hole punching template

Preparing to sew the text block

Sewing pattern for the text block

Calculating the spine thickness

Calculating the thread length

Pattern for sewing the covers onto the text block

Book cover weaving pattern with numbers

#4 UArts MFA Book Arts – Secret Belgian Binding Tutorial

A great tutorial by MFA Bookarts covers the entire binding process and introduces some VERY useful tips and techniques using tapes which will help you get a little more enjoyment from binding in this method.

The process used in this tutorial is actually in reverse to the above tutorials where by the signatures are sewn together first, then the cover boards and spine are sewn directly to them which is actually a lot easier to do.

View Secret Belgian Binding Tutorial on MFA Book Arts

Tutorial Contents

Tools and Materials needed

Marking up your cover boards

Punching your signatures

Cutting your tapes

Stitching your signatures

Stitching your cover boards to the signatures

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#5 – A Criss-cross Binding Technique

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A short post on the ‘criss-cross’ binding. A couple of good photographs show what the bind should look like if completed successfully.

View technique on Conservation and Cats

#6 Cai Lun – Secret Belgian Binding

Cai Lun has put together a small post about the Secret Belgian Binding, whilst it’s not a full tutorial it does highlight the correct methods to bind a cover in this method. A good resource with some fantastic photos which should be read in conjunction with other tutorials listed on this page.

View tutorial from Cai Lun

Get the Equipment You Need to do the Job Properly!

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Xacto Knife Set Silk Thread Curved Needles Leather Punch

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#7 – Secret Belgian Binding – The Crafted Life

Rachel @ the Krafted Life has uploaded some nice and probably very helpful photos of her secret Belgian bound book. Not a full tutorial though unfortunately but have included as will likely be of use to a few of you out there.

View tutorial on The Crafted Life

Bonus: 5 1/2 Tutorial (Some good photos)

Some examples of a Secret Belgian Bound book with some good photographs of the process. Lacking further instruction but worth checking out for some inspiration.

View page on Gatzbcn

Additional Resources

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