DOMINO BOOKS

I use a standard size domino, but you can use any of the available sizes.

DOMINO PREPARATION
The first thing to do is remove the spinner from the centre backs. Flick them out with a piercer or scissor tips. CAREFULLY. (Step 1)
Drill a small hole in the side of the domino. Level it with the centre back line of the dom. (Step 2)
Decorate your doms. You can use inks, paints, papers…anything you choose. The domino in this tutorial was covered with alcohol inks (I use Pinata inks, they’re much more vibrant than Ranger) and then a paper image was stuck on, outlined with black gel pen and then the image was covered with Diamond Glaze. Stamping and heat embossing is another fave technique.
Make sure you cover both the back and the front of the dominoes. (Step 3) This is so you have a coloured edge when the pages are in. When you decorate your dominoes, make sure you have the holes on the correct sides or your design may end up upside down. (see pic – Step 4).
If you want you can colour around the edges of the domino. I usually use a Krylon pen but this one is done with a black peel off marker pen. Choose some brads that match your decoration and glue them into the holes. I use superglue to do this. Make sure that the brad IS NOT fully inserted. You need a little bit protruding to wrap your closure. (Steps 5 & 6).
Place the back cover domino face down with the brad on the right. Put some glue into the groove and stick a piece of fibre or thread of your choice in. Length about 6 – 7”. (Step 7). Leave to dry and start making your pages.



PAGE PREPARATION
Your pages will be made up of 5 signatures. 1 signature consists of 3 pages.
Place 2 dominoes side by side and measure the width and length. Cut a piece of ordinary printer paper, slightly smaller so it fits within the doms. (Step 1A).
Cut 15 of these for your pages. Then, you need an extra one and also one on thin card. These two will be your template (paper) and cradle (card). Mark one corner of each of these with a T (for top). (Step 2A)
Fold each one in half and crease well. (Step 3A)
Now, cut a small piece of grosgrain or ribbon of your choice, slightly smaller than the width of your page. This will act as a support when binding your pages. (4A)
Now, take the cradle. Put the template on it and the ribbon across the centre. With a sharp needle or paper piercer, pierce a hole either side of the ribbon and one midway (ish) between these holes and the edges. (5A) (I’ve marked mine with black pen so you can see).
Now, put one signature (3 pages, remember?) on the cradle and put the template on top of this and pierce right through all the holes. (6A) Do this with all 5 signatures and make sure your T is at the top. When you lay your sigs down, lay them down the same way.
Thread a needle with your chosen binding. I usually use embroidery thread separated into 3 strands. (7A)



BINDING THE PAGES
Take your first signature and with the mountain fold facing you, take your thread through the top hole. Leave a tail. THIS IS IMPORTANT..do not tie a knot in your thread. Bring your needle back up through the second hole, lay your ribbon over and take your thread over the ribbon, down through the third hole and back out of the fourth hole. (8A – 10A).
Take your second signature and place up against the first. Take your thread down into the bottom hole (11A) back up out the next, over the ribbon, down through the hole and back out the top hole. (12A – 13A). Now you will TIE your ONLY knot. Tie your working thread to the tail left in the first step. Use a reef knot (left over right, right over left) as this is the most secure knot. (14A)
Take your third signature and starting in the top hole, stitch as before. When you get to the bottom, you must join it to the second signature using a kettle knot. Take your needle, and slide it under the thread between the first and second signatures (note the direction of the needle) (15A). Take your thread through the loop and pull firmly. (16A).
Attach the fourth and fifth signatures the same way making a kettle knot at the top of the fourth and a double kettle knot at the bottom of the fifth. i.e. do two knots. (17A). Trim the ends of your thread.
Your pages are now complete and should look like (18A).



FINISHING THE BOOK
Put double sided tape (or glue) across the front and back outside pages, catching the ribbon down, (19A). Place your dominoes side by side, again making sure you have them the correct way round (this time both brads should be on the outside) and stick your pages centrally on the doms, front and back. (20A)
That’s it. Your book is now complete. To fasten it, bring the fibre around the back, across the front and twist round your brads.
21A and 22A