Treat yourself to building new skills this holiday season as you join instructors Babs and Heather for a day or weekend of book arts at our beautiful Atelier.Whether you use them or gift them (hopefully both!), making your own handmade books can be an immensely satisfying early-December creative break amidst the holiday madness!

Bookbinding Day 1: Single Signature Pamphlet Stitch Booklet with Cover
(Skills: Folding, scoring, cutting, and simple-stitch binding)

In this beginner friendly*, progressive, skill building class utilizing Hedi Kyle’s deceptively simple but ingenious design, The Diagonal Pocket, you will work single sheets of paper into intriguing backdrops for a small run of customized, enveloped notebooks that you can keep for yourself (you will be tempted!) or give to others this holiday season.

[Should you choose to join us for the whole weekend, you will be well-equipped, skill-wise, to continue into Day 2.]

All materials to create elegant, kraft paper covered books will be provided, however, feel free to bring 4-6 of your own decorative papers ( 9” x 12” or larger, 12” x 16” or more is ideal) to customize your books and make them uniquely, spectacularly your own.

Quality wrapping papers, marbled papers, posters, and decorative papers of all kinds will work, provided they can be folded with ease.We have an assortment of beautiful paper options for sale in the LDBA Shop on Canyon Road, so come in and check them out before class!

*Safety disclaimer - precise bookbinding requires the use of sharp tools.If requested, our instructors will introduce low-risk methods for breaking down paper (tearing and/or scissors).

Heather Batts has a BFA (with a concentration in oil painting) from Southern Methodist University.A multiple-disciplinary, lifelong maker/learner, she has managed to squeeze some form of creativity into the many stages of her life across multiple cities including Seattle, London and New York City. She is currently working with (and creatively combining) the media of watercolor, book arts, suminagashi marbling, and Japanese woodblock printmaking.

Babs Birgfeld brings a unique blend of high-end design instincts and hands-on creativity to the bookmaking studio.She honed her sharp eye for detail, color and premium materials at Neiman Marcus as a Visual Merchandising Manager and Product Development Buyer. Babs began creating these custom mixed-media journals while taking watercolor classes at LDBA, searching for a unique, flat-laying book to hold her own art and writings. Today, she loves creating these handmade books to provide a unique canvas for others to channel their own creativity.

cost: $215
12-4 PM
Saturday, Dec 5, 2026
LDBA Atelier
Class limit: 10