Botanical Bookbinding Journey

On this three day Botanical Bookbinding journey, you’ll learn every step of creating a handmade botanical book. From crafting your own paper to experimenting with foraged inks and finally binding your pages with various stitches, this hands-on workshop equips you with the skills to continue making at home.

Day 1 dives into the art of papermaking. Using pulped recycled materials, you’ll cast sheets of handmade paper, enhanced with petals, pressed botanicals, or even preserved botanical samples. Cass will guide you through each step, ensuring you leave with a beautiful collection of textured papers. You’ll also receive tips, techniques, and a kit list to keep exploring papermaking on your own.

Day 2 is all about expressive mark-making. Based on your feedback, we’ve expanded this part of the course into a full day. You’ll use botanical inks prepared by Cass and experiment with natural tools like twigs and plants to create unique marks. Print directly from foraged leaves, design your own stamps, and combine these techniques to produce a stunning set of textural and illustrated papers. These can be used in your bookbinding projects or saved for other creative ventures.

Day 3 focuses on bookbinding techniques to bring your creations together. Cass will teach you how to make a leather or pleather-spined hardback book with exposed stitching, as well as a Japanese stab notebook featuring a twig spine. You’ll incorporate your handmade papers from days one and two, along with optional blank pages and found papers to create functional books perfect as sketchbooks, journals, or gifts.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with a collection of unique papers, several handmade books, and the confidence to continue your craft journey. Follow-up resources and kit lists will be provided, ensuring you have everything you need to keep creating.