Stack all of the book's pages in their correct order, including blank pages at the top and bottom of the stack. Make the stack perfectly even with no pages poking or sticking out of alignment.
Clamp the stack down at the edge where the book will be bound using binder clamps. It will help to place flat, thin wood sticks -- like paint stirrers -- between the pages and clamps to ensure the pages are clamped down evenly.
Apply glue to the clamped edges of the pages to form the spine of the book. Standard white glue will work, but a stronger substance like wood glue works better.
Cut out a sheet of posterboard or very lightweight cardboard into a size and shape that will fit all the way around the front and back of the book, including the spine. Cut out a sheet of fabric about an inch larger than the posterboard on all sides.
Apply glue to the underside of the fabric and place the posterboard on the fabric, centering it. Fold the edges of the fabric over the top of the posterboard, forming a border along the posterboard, and glue these edges to the board.
Put more glue on the posterboard along its right side edges. Place the stack of pages (with the clamps removed) onto the cover, lining the pages up with the cover's right edge, to glue the bottom page to the cover.
Fold the page stack and cover over, folding the cover around the spine to accommodate it and turning the stack upside down so it's now on top of the cover's unglued side. Repeat the previous step to glue the cover's other side to the book.