Tiny Book Necklace

This Instructable will show you how to make a fully functional, adorably tiny, bound book that you can wear as a necklace! I use mine as a combination locket and diary, writing down things that I don't want to forget.

I also sell these pendants in my Etsy shop, Book Wyrm's Hoard.

Bookmaking terminology: 
Sheet: a flat piece of paper
Page: One face of a sheet
Folio: a sheet folded in half, creating four pages
Signature: many folios nested together.

Materials:
Paper
Decorative Endpaper
Thin leather for cover
Linen thread
Beezwax
Eyelet
Buckle (I got a big handful of these tiny buckles from a tack store for 10 cents each.)
1/4" Rivet
Jump Ring (not shown)
Wax Paper (not shown)
Bookbinding glue
Leather cement (not shown)

Tools:
Bone Folder
X-Acto knife
Awl
Ruler
Cutting mat
Eyelet and rivet setting tools
Hammer (not shown)
Large Needle
Leather punch (not shown)

The pages of my book are 1" tall by 7/8", which means that each folio will be 1" tall by 1 3/4" wide. Use the ruler and exacto knife to cut 16 folios out of your paper. Fold each folio in half with the bone folder and assemble your pages into four signatures of four folios each.

Mark four evenly spaced dots along the fold of one folio as shown in the second image. Pierce holes at these marks with an awl. Using this page as a template, pierce holes in the same positions on all four signatures (you can pierce a whole signature at once if you're careful about keeping them lined up).

For a book this size, 12" of thread is more than enough. Drag your linen thread across the beezwax two or three times to stick the fibers together and make it easier to sew with. Sew the signature together as shown, starting by going in through the top hole.

Attach the next signature as shown, crossing back and forth between the first and second signatures to anchor them together. Tie a square knot at the top to anchor that end before progressing to the next signature. Once all four signatures are sewn together, anchor with another square knot and trim off the excess thread.

Trace around your signature block to determine the size of the cover, leaving a small margin (1/16" or so) around the outside. Using a leather punch or small scissors, make a hole at the centerline near the top of one of the long sides, just big enough to squeeze the eyelet through. Set the eyelet and thread a jump ring through it.

Cut a strip of leather long enough to wrap around your little book with an inch or so extra length. Cut a small slit for the prong of the buckle, starting about 1/4" from the end (you need this extra space for the rivet). Thread the strap onto the buckle and secure with a dab of leather cement.

Punch a hole through both layers of the belt, spacing it such that the rivet won't overlap the buckle. Set the belt aside. Next, punch a hole in the cover, halfway down the right edge of the cover (with the eyelet on top) and about half an inch in from the edge. When the holes in the belt and the cover are lined up, the end of the buckle should protrude slightly over the edge of the cover. This will make the belt much easier to buckle. Rivet the belt to the cover.

Spread some bookbinding glue on the cover and press the first and last pages against it. Place a square of wax paper between the glued-down pages and the next page with the waxed side towards the glued page to prevent them from sticking together. (Note: the belt should be attached at this stage. These images are from an earlier version of the process)

Cut two pieces of endpaper and use bookbinding glue to attach them to the inside of the cover, hiding the glued-down pages. Trim the excess from the edges, replacing the wax paper between the endpaper and the next page.

Use leather cement to attach the belt to the cover. Scoring the cover slightly underneath the glue will help it stick better. Make a hole in the strap with your exacto knife for the prong of the buckle and fasten the belt. Set the book aside to let the leather cement and bookbinding glue dry (preferably overnight). Once everything is dry, you can open the book and remove the wax paper.

Ta da! You now have an adorable book pendant.