The Handmade Sketchbook

Make sketchbooks you'll love to fill  

  

There's something different about sketching in a book you made yourself. This course shows you how to fold, stitch and stick together simple, playful sketchbooks using nothing more than paper, card and everyday materials.

Across ten easy sketchbook making projects, you'll make everything from a two-minute folded zine to a stitched watercolour journal, no previous experience needed.

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A peek inside

Take a look at what's waiting for you inside The Handmade Sketchbook

 
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What's included?

The Handmade Sketchbook is a relaxed, practical online course covering 10 sketchbook making projects, from the simplest paper folds through to stitched and stapled journals you'll want to use again and again.

- 10 separate sketchbook making projects showing you beautiful ways to craft your own handmade books and journals. 

- Easy-to-follow video tutorials that you can pause and work alongside, using simple materials you likely already have at home.

- Your own course community space, to share what you make alongside other students working through the same projects.

Instant access, plus the lessons are yours to revisit whenever you like.

Join the course

Why make your own sketchbooks?

Shop-bought sketchbooks and journals are lovely, but there's something different about sketching into a book you made with your own hands.

  • No pressure to fill a "proper" sketchbook perfectly, this is scrap paper, offcuts, whatever you've got, given a home.
  • A brilliant way to use up paper and collage scraps you've been saving for "something special."
  • Every binding turns out a little differently, so you end up with a whole shelf of sketchbooks with their own character, not identical copies.
  • No fancy equipment needed, most projects use paper, a needle and thread, and things from a kitchen drawer.
  • A handmade sketchbook makes a properly thoughtful gift, personal in a way a shop-bought one never quite is
  • A satisfying, hands-on break from sketching itself, sometimes it's nice to make something rather than sketch something.
  • Once you know a few simple bindings, you can make a sketchbook to suit any project, any size, any occasion.

Your journey through sketchbook making

10 tutorials - from quick paper folds to your own stitched sketchbook

Quick and Easy Folded Sketchbooks

The fastest, most forgiving way in. 

1. Make a Zine (two ways)
A brilliantly quick way to make your first sketchbook, folded from a single sheet of paper in a couple of minutes. We make two versions, so you can see how small changes to the fold change the finished book.

2. Turkish Map Fold
An unusual, satisfying fold that opens out to reveal a whole grid of small pages. No cutting required, just paper and a few careful creases.

3. Mini Concertina Sketchbook
A tiny accordion-style sketchbook that unfolds into one long strip, perfect for quick sketches on the go or slipping into a pocket or bag.

Covers, Journals and Scrapbooks

Here we slow down and get a little more creative. 

4. Cover a Sketchbook
Learn to give a plain, shop-bought sketchbook a cover that feels entirely your own, using fabric, card and simple techniques you can adapt again and again.

5. Junk Journal
Bring together found papers, old letters, scraps and ephemera into a layered, textured journal full of character. A lovely way to give new life to bits and pieces you might otherwise throw away.

6. Pocket Scrapbook
A small, open-out scrapbook (made up of loads of pockets) built for holding onto tiny treasures, ticket stubs, pressed leaves, and the small things worth keeping.

Stapled and Stitched Books

A gentle introduction to simple bindings. 

7. Little Landscape Book
A simple landscape-format sketchbook, ideal for wide views and long, low compositions. A gentle first step into stitched bindings.

8. Stapled Scrappy Sketchbook
A deliberately loose, low-pressure sketchbook made from mismatched paper and offcuts. A lovely reminder that a sketchbook doesn't need to be precious to be useful.

9. Make Your Own Simple Sketchbook
A straightforward, reliable sketchbook you'll likely come back to again and again. Resize to suit however you like to sketch.

10. Japanese Stab Binding Watercolour Book
A beautiful traditional binding technique, used here to create a sturdy sketchbook strong enough for watercolour and ink. A satisfying finishing project for the course.

The Handmade Sketchbook

£55

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  • Instant access to all lessons

  • Work through at your own pace

  • Yours to revisit whenever you like

  • Email support

  • Supportive online community 
  • 3 BONUS LESSONS included
Begin the course

 

 Ready to make sketchbooks you'll actually want to fill?

If you've ever bought a beautiful sketchbook and felt too precious to use it, making your own changes everything. There's no pressure when you know you can make another.

This course gives you a handful of simple, repeatable techniques so you always have a fresh sketchbook within reach, made exactly the way you like it.

Join the course today for instant access to all sections.

 

Is this course for you? 

Whether you've never made anything by hand before or you already love paper crafting, this course is a relaxed way to build a stack of small sketchbooks that are entirely your own.

This course is for you if:

  • You'd love a steady supply of sketchbooks without buying them
  • You enjoy working with your hands and simple materials
  • You want sketchbooks that feel personal rather than precious
  • You're curious about folding, stitching or simple bookbinding but don't know where to start
  • You'd like a few playful, low-pressure projects to dip in and out of

No previous experience needed, just some paper, a few basic tools, and a willingness to have a go.

Hi, I'm Susan.

I'm a sketchbook mentor, author, and educator who has spent over fifteen years teaching people to find their creative practice and keep it.

My approach is warm, unhurried, and non-prescriptive: there's no right way to do this, and there's nothing you can get wrong.

I believe the sketchbook you sketch in matters just as much as what you put inside it, and there's real joy in making your own.

"Great fun making the little concertina books and zines - using old reject prints for the covers." 

Mary Scott

"I just made my first ever concertina sketchbook and it measures 2in x 2in…so cute! I can’t wait to fill it with sketches! Thank you for this tutorial!"

Robyn Mozeika

Why join me? 

I've spent years experimenting with different ways to put a sketchbook together, so you don't have to work it out through trial and error yourself. Every project in this course has been tested and simplified until it's genuinely straightforward, not because sketchbook making has to be complicated, but because it really doesn't need to be.

This isn't a technical bookbinding class. There's no precision cutting, no specialist tools, and no need to get every fold perfectly square. If something comes out a little wonky, it still works, and it still looks like it belongs to you.

You won't need anything you can't already find at home or pick up cheaply, paper, card, a needle and thread, and a bit of glue here and there. Nothing specialist, nothing expensive.

By the end, you'll have a small collection of handmade sketchbooks, sturdy enough to actually sketch in, and the confidence to make more whenever you fancy a fresh one.

GET STARTED TODAY!

Everyone’s sketchbook journey is different. Join the course on it's own, or take a look at Inspire for the full sketching experience:

PAY IN FULL

£55

Access the course now

  • Immediate access to all lessons
  • Work through at your own pace
  • 3 BONUS lessons (see below)
  • Email support
  • A supportive online community
Start Course

INSPIRE MEMBERSHIP

£300

Best deal - 2 months FREE

  • 12 month access to the Inspire Membership
  • Monthly sketching themes & tutorials
  • Monthly live zoom class
  • Exploring Colour course (£75)
  • Exploring Pencil course (£75)
  • The Handmade Sketchbook (£55)
  • Tiny Moments sketching course (£75)
  • 12 months back catalogue of tutorials
  • PLUS 'Member Favourites' library
  • A copy of the Sketch-A-Day Card Deck posted right to your door!
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A Little Something Extra...

Additional lessons included in your course at no extra cost

Bonus 1 : Book Review - 'Bound' by Rachel Hazel

A book review with Susan exploring Rachel Hazell's beautiful guide to handmade books, a lovely companion for anyone wanting to take their sketchbook making further.

Bonus 2: Make Bookmarks Video Lesson

A simple, satisfying lesson in making your own paper bookmarks, perfect for marking your place or gifting alongside a handmade sketchbook.

Bonus 3: Paper Folded Boxes Video Lesson 

Learn to fold simple paper boxes, ideal for storing offcuts, scraps and the small bits and pieces that build up during a sketchbook-making session.

I'm ready to make sketchbooks

What you'll need 

Don't worry about having everything before you start. The exact materials for each project are listed underneath the individual lesson, and I'll always suggest alternatives where I can.

For the course as a whole, it's helpful to have:

  • A selection of plain and coloured papers
  • A plain sketchbook to cover (for the cover project)
  • Scissors and a bone folder or ruler for scoring folds
  • PVA glue or a glue stick
  • A craft knife, cutting mat and metal ruler
  • A needle and strong thread for the stitched projects
  • Scraps, ephemera, ribbon and old magazines for the junk journal project

14-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

If you aren’t completely satisfied with your course, let us know within the first 14-days for a full refund. No questions asked.