Many book makers choose to use fabrics to add texture to the front and back covers of their books. When choosing a fabric to use with a book you're making, be sure to find one that is of a medium weight such as cotton. Heavy weight fabrics will be difficult to adhere to your cover material, and light weight fabrics will show glue seeping through. Browse the options at your local fabric store to find the material right for your book.
The type of glue you use to adhere the pages of your book together is an important element that shouldn't be overlooked when purchasing supplies. PVA glues, which can be found at most craft stores, are used in libraries for book repair and are the best to use with book making. Contact cement is another type of glue commonly used for book making. Avoid glues that are not archival or designed for another purpose such as hot glue, epoxy or Gorilla Glue.
Although book making doesn't require the same selection of specialized tools many artistic techniques use, there are some tools that can vastly help the amateur book maker. A bone folder is an indispensable tool for any book maker, as it cuts down on the amount of time spent pursuing perfect creases by making exact folds every time. Bone folders can be found inexpensively at most craft stores, and are simple to use in your book making projects.
For larger books with big binding holes, consider using a hairpin instead of a needle to thread the binding along the spine. Needles can be difficult to thread, and may be too small for your choice of binding material. When working on large books, having appropriately sized tools can cut down on difficulties and frustration. For very large book projects, use needle-nosed pliers to help push the hairpin in and out of the binding holes.