Prepare the inner pages of the journal by carefully squaring the pages into a stack. With the pages properly aligned, sandwich the spine area between the two wooden sticks, placing the sticks about ½ inch down from the paper edge. Hold the whole thing together using the binder clips.
Lightly sand the spine edge of your pages. Brush an even, thick coat of glue across the paper edges at the spine. Let the glue dry . Depending on how much glue you used and the product specifications, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Remove the binder clips and the wooden sticks after the glue is dry.
Cut a piece of fabric tape that is slightly longer than the spine is tall. This tape will be used to reinforce the glued spine. With the glued-together pages laying flat on your work surface, align the tape along the length of the spine so that at least ¼ inch of the tape edge is on the book. The rest of the tape should be hanging off the spine edge. Use the burnishing tool to firmly press the tape in place.
Flip the stack over and pull the tape tight along the entire spine before affixing the free edge to the back page. Ideally, you want as much tape on the front page as you have on the back page. If you are adding a ribbon bookmark, tuck 2 to 3 inches of one end of the ribbon along the spine before attaching the tape to the back cover. Burnish the tape in place along the spine and trim away any excess tape left at the top or bottom of the spine.
Measure 1/4 inch in on one long edge of one of your outer boards. Cover stock can be anything from heavy cardboard to balsa wood according to Esther Smith in "How to Make Books." Use a razor cutter or other device to score the board from top edge to bottom edge along this line, cutting about halfway through the board thickness. Do the same with the other board.
Sandwich your journal pages between the 2 cover boards with the scored edges on the inside spine edge. Using the same technique used on the inner spine, tape these boards in place. Open the top cover of the journal and attach a strip of tape to the inside of the front board and the edge of the front inner page. Repeat on the back cover.
Lay the outer cover material flat on your work surface with the wrong side up, carefully center your journal in place and open it out flat (without breaking the glue seal at the spine). Lightly mark the area of the spine on the fabric at top and bottom. Holding the fabric together with the cover of the journal, carefully close the book, allowing the fabric to slide as necessary. Check to see that your spine markings are still in the correct positions or adjust as necessary.
Remove the journal from the fabric cover. Cut the fabric from the top and bottom edges along the line of the spine. Fold the resulting flap down along the line of the spine and secure in place using the spray adhesive.
Spray the spine of the journal with the spray adhesive and carefully attach your fabric. Use the burnishing tool to smooth out any bumps or wrinkles. Also glue the fabric to the covers at the points covered by tape. Leave the adhesive to dry for the recommended time on the product before proceeding to the final step.
Open the front cover of the journal so you are looking at the inside cover. Use the spray adhesive on the outside edge of the fabric cover. In "Bookbinding," Paul Hasluck suggests you glue the entire cover to the entire board stock, but this is not absolutely necessary, particularly if you are using cloth fabric as covering. Stretch the fabric evenly around the outside edge of the journal bringing it around to the inside and affixing it in place. Repeat this process on the top and bottom edges and then on the back cover.