Crafts ~Scrapbooking » Book Binding and Leather Glue Recipe
by Liss | 19 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, see Disclosure.
Binding your own books or scratch pads is a cinch with this simple, do it yourself book binding glue recipe. Binders glue is often expensive and difficult to find- you can make your own for less than $2. Use it to repair old books, or to bind leather to leather, or fabric to cardboard.
1 package (1/4 oz.) unflavored gelatin
3 TBS. boiling water
1 TBS. vinegar
1 tsp. glycerin
In a pan, add gelatin to boiling water. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the vinegar and glycerin while stirring until mixture is well blended.
Makes 1/3 cup.
While the glue is still warm, apply a thin layer with a brush. This glue is waterproof and is excellent for binding leather to leather & fabric to cardboard.
Store in a tightly capped plastic or glass jar and it will keep for several months. If the glue gels in the bottle, you can reuse it by warming under hot water.
View More Crafty Ideas
Thanksgiving Turkey Place Settings
DIY Canvas Prints
Frosty the Snowman Candy Jar Craft
MYO Personalized Decoupage Serving Tray $15
19 thoughts on “Book Binding and Leather Glue Recipe”
i hope to try this soon on some of my classroom textbooks. so many of them have been falling apart, and i’m sure this will be safer than rubber cement. thanks.
Reply
this sounds like a wonderful way to fix my husbands leather work boots. when he puts them on he breaks down the back of the boot so he bought some leather to sew on to the original to give more stability. this would ‘glue’ the leather to the leather and water proof is even better!!
thank you!!
Reply
i am so glad i stumbled onto this diy, now i can fix my favorite bible! yay!!!
Reply
i am so happy to have found this recipe. now i can bind my own books and repair purses.
Reply
i am so glad to have found this recipe. i have several books that need mending and would like to make my own scratch pads. thanks!
Reply
hi, i like. i love it. i want some more of it!!!!!!!:cloud9:
Reply
can’t wait to give this a try. i have a very old dictionary of my mum and dads that i might be able to repair!
Reply
this is perfect for some projects i’m planning to make for my 10 grandchildren and for several friends. It involves gluing fabric to boxes to make them into “treasure boxes”. Thee is a wonderful fabric store in Bay City, MI that offers a wonderful choice of fabrics, so these can really be individualize for each recipient!
Reply
will definitely be doing this on a favorite, old bible, now that i have an affordable way to fix it! thanks!
Reply
i’m going to try this on my art journals. i also have an old bible and an old shakespeare book that my grandmother gave me. this will be great if it works.
thanks!
Reply
thanks for the glue recipe. i have a binder to decorate and will use this to put the fabric cover on the cardboard covers. regular glue (aka- white glue) never seems to do a good job.:party1:
Reply
i have a book entrusted to me by a family member…a genealogy, privately printed and irreplaceable. it is coming apart and was orginally just a glued spine with cardstock cover and spine. i am going to glam this up!
binding glue is my nextt project!
Reply
wow, i am so pleased to have found this recipe. thank you so much for sharing.
Reply
:jar: i wonder if this would work on leather jewelry
Reply
nice to know. i like to collect old books.
Reply
hope to repair some of my old “collectables”
Reply
Thanks for this recipe! I was having a hard time finding the right size art journal so I wanted to make my own 8 by 8 inch journal. So much fun and the glue worked awesome. I used this glue to attach some nice fabric to heavy card-stock and it worked perfect. 🙂
Reply
Not only is it a great way to bind books together, but it can also be used for repairing leather goods. The recipe is simple to follow and doesn’t require any special equipment or ingredients. I previously made a homemade Leather glue using white craft glue and alum, but it didn’t hold up long-term.
Reply
If you’re into DIY bookbinding or leatherworking, then you know that having the right kind of glue is essential. Store-bought glues can be expensive and may not work as well as you need them to. That’s why it’s a good idea to make your own book binding and leather glue. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a high-quality glue that will last for months. Plus, it’s a great way to save money.Reply
