[Review] Bookbinding & Linocut Workshop with Funbooker in Paris
When I recently visited France, I tried out more fun things for you: I took a Japanese bookbinding + linocut workshop. I booked the class on Funbooker.
Note: this post is not sponsored, I paid with my own money
It’s a site that offers all kinds of activities. In the “DIY” category, it connects artisans with people wanting to discover a specific craft (bookbinding, painting, leathercraft, etc.). Booking is super easy—you pay online, the artisan confirms by email, and you get an address and time, so you can show up empty-handed (almost). My teacher Apolline did ask us to bring a small 10x10cm design for the linocut.
I’ve wanted to try bookbinding, and then linocut, for a long time. But I didn’t know there were classes that covered both. I’m thrilled. The workshop lasts 4 hours in total and takes place in the 19th arrondissement in Apolline’s studio.
I don’t know the 19th arrondissement well, and I’m very surprised to suddenly find myself in a private, leafy passageway. It feels like I’m in another city.
Apolline’s studio, tiny but tidy, can hold up to 4 students at a time. There are 3 of us today, three women.
Apolline, our teacher, is very kind and specializes in bookbinding, linocut, and cardboard craft. She’s been teaching for several years, so she’s experienced and good at explaining things to beginners.
Bookbinding
We start with Japanese bookbinding. The goal is to make an A5 notebook by sewing the pages together.
Apolline shows us a Japanese book and explains why and how this binding is done this way.
We have several designs to choose from, and thanks to her instructions, we all manage. I’m glad to use materials and techniques I already know from leathercraft.
Linocut
This is the part I’m most excited about because I’ve tried linocut at home, and for inexplicable reasons, I can’t get the same results as the pros. I came with 3 designs but quickly realized I could only attempt the easiest one.
After the demo, I quickly understood my mistakes: I didn’t have the right equipment (ink, paper, gouges), I didn’t know how to prepare the ink properly, and I wasn’t applying enough ink. Having a teacher and access to pro materials saves so much time!
After two pretty successful prints, I finally decide to use the print on the cover of the A5 notebook. I know it’s not perfect yet, but it’s already 10 times better than what I was getting on my own (which I wouldn’t dare show :D)
However, oil-based ink takes several days to dry, so I’ll have to be patient before I can use it. In the meantime, Apolline cleans the prints we can proudly take home, wraps them in tissue paper (so the ink doesn’t smudge), and gives us a handy sheet with instructions to go further.
The 4 hours flew by in a great atmosphere, with wonderful, friendly women. I enjoyed the class so much that I booked another one, again with Apolline, this time to focus solely on (European) bookbinding. For now, I don’t have any tools for traditional bookbinding, but this little taste has reinforced my interest in this craft. I’d like to improve the bindings of my favorite books, give them a beautiful leather cover, and print a small book myself. It was the Antwerp printing museum that sparked this desire 😀
Small workshops like this are great ways to test different crafts. If you’re considering a career change, they can be a huge help. One of the women in the class was actually in the middle of a career transition. She’s been trying out different trades for several weeks and will make up her mind once she knows more about what resonates with her.
Practical info
You can choose the same workshop as me here. Payment is done directly online, it’s very simple.
Apolline offers other classes: bookbinding only, or linocut only as well as children’s classes with adapted tools and washable inks.
P.S.: After the class, I gave the notebook to JB. He was more than enthusiastic, telling me that with so little equipment needed to bind a notebook, I could make him little notebooks anywhere in the world. He no longer wants to pay for super expensive Moleskines, but still wants quality.
As for linocut, I’ve fully equipped myself, and here’s my linocut studio in Istanbul, where I currently am:
