Tiny Marbled Coptic Bound Journals

I recently found some marbled paper I made last year, and I decided to make two very small books out of it while I should have been organizing my workspace. The boards on these covers are thick in a way that is out of proportion with the size of the books. I love it. These books have a lot of really nice paper. But, note: they are SMALL. That's the fun -- and the challenge.

Like most modern versions of the Coptic binding, my books are bound with strong thread/cord, link/chain stitches, and no adhesive. These are the details of the book in front of you.

Size: 4 1/4 X 2 7/8 inches

Cover material(s): Hand-marbled paper; brown endpapers

Paper: 200 blank pages of 28lb Bond (70# Text), super white, super smooth paper

While we contemporary bookbinders use myriad materials and details on our Coptic bindings, the binding itself is nothing new. Coptic bound books are deceptively intricate constructions that have their origin in the 2nd century CE, when the Copts of North Africa literally invented the codex -- what we would recognize as a book. The Copts used this binding method for nearly a millennium, and it is still one of the best ways to bind a book that will open flatly and which also allows for creative expression on the part of the binder.