Fold five sheets of 9-inch by 18-inch drawing paper in half, matching the 9-inch ends. Fold one sheet of 9-inch by 18-inch construction paper in half, matching the 9-inch ends.
Open all the sheets of paper. Place the sheets of drawing paper on the sheet of construction paper. Match up all the edges so they are even.
Place the stack of paper face-down on the bottom plate of a long-arm stapler. Make sure the construction paper is on top. Center the staple dispenser over the fold crease. Place a staple at the top of the fold, one in the center and one at the bottom.
Remove the stapled sheets from the stapler. Fold them so the construction paper is on the outside of the art paper pages. Leave the cover plain, writing a title and your name on the front, or decorate it as desired.
Fold ten sheets of 9-inch by 18-inch art paper in half, matching the 9-inch ends. Nest the pages together and set aside. Cut two 9-inch by 9-inch pieces of lightweight cardboard. Cut two pieces of 10-inch by 10-inch pieces of cotton fabric.
Spread a light coating of glue on one side of the cardboard, centering it on one piece of the fabric. Press it down, then turn it over and gently press the fabric down, starting at the center, smoothing out wrinkles or air bubbles. Turn the cardboard over, fold the ends of the cloth over the edges of the cardboard and glue them down. Repeat with the other cardboard and let dry.
Cut two 8.5-inch by 8.5-inch pieces of paper. Place the pieces of cardboard on a flat surface with the fabric-covered sides down. Glue the papers to the uncovered side of each board, creating end papers for your book. Let dry.
Place one piece of cardboard on the table, fabric side down. Place the nested sheets of drawing paper on top with the folded edge to the left. Place the other cardboard on top of the stack, fabric side up. Square up the edges, making sure all are even. Clamp the book together using art clamps placed on the top and bottom of the pages, leaving the hinge edge unobstructed.
Sew the book together using a square book stitch. Thread an upholstery needle with heavy-duty thread or light string. Starting at the top corner of the front cover of the book, about a half-inch away from the hinge edge and down from the top edge, push the upholstery needle down through the layers of cardboard and paper. Protect your fingers by using a thimble to push the needle. Use a pair of pliers to grip the needle and pull it through the layers.
Pull the thread down through the layers, leaving about three inches free on top. Pull the thread up around the outside edge of the spine, tie the threads together next to the needle hole, then push the needle back down through the same hole again, pulling the thread tight. On the back, go down the spine a half-inch below the first hole, then push the needle up through the layers of cardboard and paper, making a long stitch.
Pull the thread through the layers to the front of the book, then out over the spine, and push the needle up through the same hole again. Push the needle through the front edge of the book a half-inch below the stitch just made and repeat the sequence. Continue until the book is sewn together, then tie a double-knot to hold it.