Western Workshops for 2026

Paste papers can make excellent covers for books & truly exciting endpapers. They have been used in bookbinding for centuries yet can be made to a high standard with relatively modest materials.

In this workshop you can expect to make many A4 papers covering all the basic building-blocks of paste paper pattern making – mixing paste, applying colour, texturing, combing, blocking & tooling. Larger and more complex sheets may be possible too.

The course will equip participants with the ability to confidently produce their own custom-designed paste papers, and the knowledge to recognise paste patterned papers whenever they appear in bindings old or new. Historic & contemporary papers will be referenced throughout.
 
Pattern making using this technique can be relatively quick, very creative and good fun, so you should leave the course with many papers for use in later projects!