Adventures in Book Binding 2020

For those who have known me for a while, you know I like binding books. In particular, you know I like re-binding Bibles in new and creative ways. Before my Bible and Prayer Book primarily took up residence on my smartphone and tablet, I even tried printing, compiling, and binding my own English-Hebrew-Greek study Bible. But, for most of my adulthood, that has taken the form of duct-tape binding. I have created duct-tape Bibles with flaps and velcro and extra storage space for pens and pencils. After having several duct tape Bibles for over a decade, I have found that over time they tend to degrade, get sticky on the outside, and have the velcro peel off. So, I started looking for a better solution...

For the last year or so I have experimented with actual leather book binding with increasingly good results. For a while now, I have wanted a new "Backpack Bible" of small size to throw into my backpack when I go to work or out to adventure. But I wanted it to match these specifications:

First, I have a wonderful hand-sized 4.5" x 6.0" NRSV Bible with Apocrypha in a glorious san-serif Optima font. But it has an awful cheap binding.

Second, I have several small 1979 Books of Common Prayer that are the same basic dimensions as the NRSV Bible, including one with cheap paperback binding.

Since I use both the Bible and the Prayer Book on a regular basis, I wanted them bound together. Yes, I am aware you can find this product on the market (I own one). But the Bible font is tiny, and I do not like the formatting. And there are other things I wanted in the Backpack Bible as well...

Third, I wanted the Backpack Bible to have a protective flap that would enclose and hold together the Bible/Prayer Book, so it would not get beat up or bent pages while inside the backpack.

Fourth, I wanted it to have a leather flap BETWEEN the Bible and Prayer Book that would include a holder for my favorite kind of mechanical pencil. I "read, mark, and inwardly digest" both Scripture and the Prayer Book, so I like to write notes in the margins.

Fifth, I wanted it to be bound together by a paracord or elastic tether which could be easily tied and untied (or bound and unbound). 

So, using leather scraps purchased for less than $10 at a craft store, wood glue, gorilla glue, fabric scraps, white cardstock, black paracord, and black shoe polish, I created this:

Fits in the palm of the hand.



Easy to open paracord tether: Just unwrap it. I may experiment with using elastic too.



Pencil holding flap easily integrates between Bible and Prayer Book.



Easy for note taking in the Bible.



Easy to access Book of Common Prayer.